Pennsylvania Legislators Continue Push for LPFM Signals

Progress in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives regarding the short wave or low power FM signals have crept a little further suggesting more control to communities that wish to broadcast small radio stations.

“This is a long time coming for the many organizations who want to set up low power radio stations across the United States,” said Congressman Terry. “Our legislation will give a voice to groups who want to provide greater awareness and involvement in their community.”

This would be most beneficial to Community Colleges and High Schools who want to further improve the curriculum. Rep. Mike Doyle, who's son attended Penn State Greater Allegheny, mentioned the University's WPSM station that is currently broadcasting through the Internet but has better designs of an over the air frequency.

The Local Community Radio Act would repeal the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act’s requirement that radio stations in a given market be 4 intervals apart.

The rough part of pursuing this type of endeavor is the opposition that the FCC would possibly make on behalf of already established FM signals in fear of interference.

Mike Lange Reveals His Secrets to Broadcasting

There are 3 generations of Pittsburgh hockey fans who know the comfortability that comes with Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange. His unique style his his trademark on the game which, in my opinion, transcends the game to the point that it never really feels like a Penguins game without him.

But even though the seasons have piled up on the veteran broadcaster, Lange still keeps up with the changing lineups adapting to the constantly changing updates with the teams.

"You have to do your due diligence, you have to do your work. You have to find out what is going on with that team, how much they have changed? They could have a coaching change. What's the philosophy?" Lange said.

Watching the interview video from KDKA actually feels like it should be required viewing for any broadcasting student. Learning from Lange's routines and dedication to his craft is what makes a standout broadcaster even better.

[Cross-posted at Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic]

Penguins TV Ratings Reach Record

Now that the Penguins have climbed back to Stanley Cup prominence, all of the fans that are now interested in the team again have been a small part of a historic night in more ways than just one. With the Stanley Cup banner that went up on Friday, so did the ratings to a phenomenal degree.

Friday night’s telecast of the Pittsburgh Penguins season opening 2009-10 game versus the New York Rangers registered a 10.5 average HH rating on FSN Pittsburgh, according to Nielsen Media Research. The telecast, viewed by more than 120,500 households in the Pittsburgh DMA, set a new record rating as the highest ever for a Penguins season opening game telecast

I am amazed at the record being that high! Congratulations to the Liberty Media Group who runs the FSN Pittsburgh studios.

Did they count in the research that the FOX Sports Network telecast was seen in homes all across North America having been simulcast on the NHL Network?

[Cross posted: Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic]

Paul Harvey's "Rest Of the Story" Reaches Final Chapter

For just about everyone who has ever worked and studied radio broadcasting knows the tremendous legacy of Paul Harvey. Paul began working in radio in high school 1933, but he continued in 1944 after the War a time when America really needed a beacon of hope. Now, because of that tenure, Paul leaves the airwaves permanently taking with it a folksy style that American broadcasting may never ever get back.

In my own radio career, Paul was a featured broadcaster during my tenure at WRSC AM and WBLF AM in State College. His broadcasts started at 11:30 AM at that time, leaving few options to fill in the 11 AM first half hour. We then continued the evening with Paul's classic "Rest of the Story" monologue at 5:20 PM before we started the local sports talk shows. One day, I was working as the producer and a technical glitch caused the cutting of the end of the Paul Harvey story broadcast. I got so many calls asking me what had happened. I missed the end of it too and had no answer for the big pay off closing line. So, I know how much Paul's broadcasts can mean to a community.

He was elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush

In my opinion, listeners to radio today see a vast competition to get people's attention with a perpetual decline in standards. "Shock-Jocking" works to a degree, but at what cost? Paul Harvey, while he was broadcasting, was living proof that broadcasters didn't have to be controversial.

I would hope that production directors everywhere would tribute this great American by playing a minute of "white noise" as an alternative instead of going silent.

Canadian Communications Pioneer Dies

I like to listen to the Toronto media through streaming Internet audio quite often. One name that stands out frequently is Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications. He is known throughout Ontario and Canada for having an empire of broadcasting and sports ownership. Remember the Skydome? In 2003, he bought the naming rights to make it the Rogers Center.

Ted passed away in his Toronto home today reportedly surrounded by his family. An official statement was made by the company to say

It is with great sadness that the Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc. announces the death of our colleague, leader and friend, Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, the founder of the company, a visionary communications industry pioneer and an icon in Canadian business.

I would like to agree with that. I feel a little bit of loss by the news, but having not known the man personally.

Sirius Welcomes Added XM Channels

Sirius and XM have now enacted their merging content plans and I cannot be any more excited about it. Since my Sirius radio was a gift, I soon longed for the day when I could also listen to some of the channels that were exclusive to XM.

The "Best of XM" package can be found on the enclosure link to the blog post. It means that I would be able to hear the NHL Network channel called "Home Ice" channel as well as the MLB package and more NCAA Sports channels dedicated to specific conference affiliations like the ACC and Big 10.

But it isn't all just sports, it also includes the allegedly wacky and controversial "Opie and Anthony" show.

For those people who have maintained a subscription to XM can also purchase a "Best of Sirius" which includes Howard Stern 100 as well as other celebrity sponsored channels as well as NFL football channel.

The Sirius/XM merger looks to benefit both companies as well as the subscribers now they have available all possible content, but equal exposure to new content from here on out!

Pirates Broadcaster Retires

Long time Pirate announcer Lanny Frattare has decided to call it quits after being witness to 15 years of an inept organization with no hope in sight. Frattare, who's familiar style to Pittsburgh sports fans, became the voice of the Pirates after long time broadcaster Bob Prince. Prince's legacy, to those who remember him, posed a large challenge to fill his spot, but Frattare walked up to the plate and consistently delivered the home run calls. His voice became the standard package to Pittsburgh fans while watching Pirates baseball.

I briefly met him in the Pirates broadcast press box in passing while he was getting ready before the game. I remember he made eye contact with me, gave me a polite greeted gesture, and continued on through the door. That moment signaled to me that he didn't allow the stature of his stardom to

The next fellow to fill his shoes will most likely be walking into the same situation as Frattare did all those years ago.

Sirius and XM Get To Merge

It took the Gov't a long time to figure out that satellite radio was not a monopoly; that it had other competition and the NAB knew it all along. While the merger was waiting to go through, it subsequently put Sirius and XM people on hold in their careers until things fell into place. I didn't like how it held up two profitable companies in limbo.

But just as the wait for approval was painstakingly slow, the vote came down to the wire as well.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to approve the buyout, with the tiebreaker coming Friday night from Republican commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate.

That is the most stand out sticking point to the whole storyline. Howard Stern, a subculture pop icon, railed against Pres. Bush for the ongoing war, but now he has to eat crow that the party lines have been drawn.

The approval was a major blow for the land-based radio industry, which lobbied hard against the buyout. It was also opposed by consumer groups, various members of Congress and state attorneys general, all of whom argued a satellite radio merger would hurt consumers and was not in the public interest.

I currently own a Sirius Starmate and Boombox and listen to it a lot in the late night hours. My dad just bought a car with XM in it. So, as a sports fan, I would really love to get to hear all the sports on one system soon.

I will keep up on how they will amalgamate the stations into one product.

Bon Voyage, you MF'er!

If Hillary Clinton made similar remarks about the tragic condition of Ted Kennedy and she still gets to keep her job and siphon off the limelight of her celebrity status, then Mark Madden, including his army of loyal listeners known affectionately as "M F'ers", would still be continuing the highest rated sports radio broadcast in Pittsburgh right now.

"I'm very disappointed to hear that Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated." - Mark Madden

That quote does indeed seem cruel and it eventually did him in as those words got him fired from ESPN 1250AM in his native Pittsburgh.

I never really liked Mark Madden professionally, but having met him personally he was nice to me and felt approachable. A part of Mark's shtick was that he was a very rude shock jock, but he had a respectability about him that he had pro athlete connections out the wazoo. The side to his personality that always deserved a big thumbs down from me is that he flat out stole his catch phrases from his pro wrestling buddies from his days in World Championship Wrestling. There really wasn't an original thought in that man's head. In that way, I am glad that Madden is now gone, summarily dishonorably discharged.

Montreal Station Preforms "Dangerous" Stunt

A Montreal Rock station CHOI (96.9 FM) engaged in some psychological warfare today as the character "Super Pig" and a fellow conspirator taped a Montreal Canadiens jersey to the iconic Rocky statue in Philadelphia, PA. You can watch the photos here.I would never try something this dangerous as knowing Philadelphia's reputation. I have been there plenty of times to know that Philly will not take this lying down.

When I was at Penn State, we continued the tradition called "guard the lion" - an all night party the night before the Penn State Football Homecoming game. The logic being that any rival school would not deface the Nittany Lion statue as it currently sits in the grotto just outside the Rec Hall gymnasium.

Not that I would condone such an act, but would we see a Philadelphia banner flying from Stade Olympique in the near future for retribution?

FCC Looking For Feedback

The FCC is considering retrofitting its rule book with a slew of vintage regulations that broadcasters say will mire them down with endless paperwork and tax their resources into a state of paralysis.

Among the rules the FCC proposes to reinstitute are ascertainment panels for neighborhood watch groups to give their input on such topics as the songs on a station’s playlist, hosts, advertisers and overall content of stations. The FCC also is considering re-crafting procedural guidelines for processing license renewal applications, similar to the process in place in the 1970s, and re-enacting the main studio rule to eliminate remote studios and stop voicetracking.

I love the idea that voicetracking is getting a look at during this examination process. With the advent of station formats that feature jock-less and wide ranges of play lists, this rule could affect the way station managers hire and demand the on-air talent be live while broadcasting.

Terrestrial radio must pull out all the stops now that it will be competing with a Sirius/XM company. I expect a renaissance of local talent to rise up against national broadcast formats.

Myron Cope Dies and Pittsburgh Mourns a Legend

The really old guard of radio broadcasting has tragically died. Myron Cope, the long time radio, TV, and print journalist in Pittsburgh succumbed to illnesses, but his legendary style will live on forever.

Fond memories were already begun to be recorded by everyone who knew or came in contact with Myron. His sports legacy will never be surpassed by anyone today. Myron's style changed broadcasting as he discovered how to entertain his audience as well as inform them.\Myron Cope affected sports fandom by first perfecting the balance between "broadcasting homer" and "broadcasting legend". He openly led the cheers with his pattented yellow "Terrible Towel". His personality was blended on a palette of quirky humor and ethnic pop culture. When Myron got out of control, he invented words and sounds to fill in his thoughts so he didn't create dead air.

Perhaps today, up in Heaven, Myron Cope is commentating on a big game with Howard Cosell.

"Free Radio" a Hit with Me

One of the things that I look for in watching a television program is weather or not I could relate to the situation or subject matter. "The Office" had such a cult following that some people either knew about the pop culture or maybe even lived in a small town like Scranton, PA. I gave it a chance, but I just didn't appreciate the nuances of the show.

Flipping around the digital cable, I found a show called "Free Radio". It is a show that was created from the comedy minds of Lance Krall and Rory Rosegarten. Lance plays a bumbling inept intern who is thrust into the spotlight of KBOM morning drive radio after the regular host Rip Rebel defects to satellite. He then goes on to sandbag guests because he is inexperienced and the true gem of the show is watching the real celebrities squirm. And through the miracle of modern technology, you can watch the opening segment of the show.
This is going to be a really great show that I will certainly will want to watch as the storyline evolves as Lance becomes a hit personality and how he interacts with his foil Anna Vocino. I think it is a real slice of life that some broadcasters have to put up with.

Check it out on the web or check with your local listings for VH-1.

Texas DJ Catching Some Heat in Studio

24-year-old Paul Webster Feinstein has come under fire in the last few days as he has been charged with Arson which destroyed KOOP's broadcast studio, leaving the Hippie FM station off the air for 19 days plus $300,000 damage.

The reason was that Paul was upset that his ideas for the station's playlist was rejected.

Now, I have worked in the industry for a while to read and hear about the backstage stories, but this is taking the "give it to the man" thing to the criminally insane! I once knew a guy who got drunk and urinated up and down the entire office and studio.

However, I can see where this would be the ultimate ironic story where a Hippie station, people who are used to protesting in destruction is now on the other end of the rebellion.

"La Commissionaire" Becomes a Broadcaster

It looks like the ranks of my esteemed colleagues has grown larger recently. According to the news reports, NHL Commish Gary Bettman will host a radio show on XM to announce league news and answer questions from fans.

"This program sets the bar high. It marks the first time fans of a professional sports league will have direct access to the sport's top decision makers," said John Bitove, chairman and CEO of XM Canada.

An XM spokesman said the show was created when Bettman's appearance on the channel's NHL Hour received great response.

So, with that being said, I will offer Mr. Bettman my suggestions and tips on how to do great radio.

1. Don't take yourself seriously. A warm and approachable persona can help dispel a lot of critics. Also, you can take jabs at yourself by including the FAN 590's character of you in your show somehow. Talking to your audio doppelganger would be great radio.
2. Pick a better sidekick than Bill Clement. Versus kicked him out of the desk for a reason.
3. The show needs a real catchy swinging signature theme music. All the great radio shows have one.
4. Don't fall back on using street-wise lingo. Some guys do it to look hip, but only .5% of personalities can pull that off.
5. One word - trivia.

So, there you go, Mr. Bettman. All you really need to know about the inner workings of doing a radio show. And Mr. Bettman, if you ever really need somebody to help boost your audience cume even further, you can always give me a call!

Big Ten Network Met By Obfuscating Cable Providers

Nothing infuriates me more than when somebody or something is held down and oppressed. The short sighted and vindictive cable providers in America have been blocking a new network. I have a degree from a Big Ten school and would love to see more Big Ten athletics since I now live in Western, PA. The Big Ten Network is not only about NCAA Div-1 football. The main argument made by the Network opponents is that Comcast already covers a great number of football games as expressed by their enormous smear and propaganda campaign seen and heard locally in the Pittsburgh broadcast area. They also get basketball, baseball, hockey, as well as other non-television exposed sports.

The rookie Big Ten Network is, at the moment, being snubbed by cable distributors including Comcast, Time Warner and others. None of the top eight have struck a pact with the network, which is 49 percent owned by Fox. The battles have become public and nasty, with cable providers demanding that the games and other fare be placed on an optional sports tier, while Chicago-based BTN insists it deserves to be on basic cable at about $1.10 per subscriber (at least in the eight states that comprise Big Ten territory).

Okay, so a young network needs time to grow and prove themselves, so is there any hope of perhaps making a basic cable deal in the future?

Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman concedes no agreement is likely before football season ends but believes something can be worked out within a year. And he’s not surprised by the initial cold shoulder.

MSNBC thinks they have the problem identified.

"Many new nets come on the air and have distribution issues," he said. "Unfortunately, this one has played out very publicly."

And publicity, whether* positive or negative, is just what a new idea thrives on. People talk about it which is cheaper and more valuable than any kind of advertising.

But with the mistake of cable providers, satellite cable has picked up on cable's error and broadcasted the Big 10 on their dime.

Despite the rebuff from cable giants since the net debuted Aug. 30, there are plenty of bright spots. Silverman said BTN entered more than 30 million homes in its first month, which he describes as "the largest launch in TV history" in such a short time. The main key: Satellite has jumped in as DirectTV and Dish Network both offer the new network.

The Big Ten Network also threatens to shift recruiting abilities with many other NCAA colleges. Here, Western Pennsylvania, the Big East gets the benefit of the doubt as Pitt and WVU claim the region. I have a theory that the Big East and other cable channels are trying to strong arm Comcast to stamp out a network that will be their recruitment competition. Also, who else stands to lose thier iron grip on college football? the 4-letter network, CBS sports, and FOX. Could they be pressuring cable providers not to pick up the Big Ten Network?


*=Thank you anonymous for pointing out my error.

Partisian Radio Puts Broward County at Risk

Politics and partisianism is usually mundane to argue about it, but sometimes trading insults and harsh rhetoric can put innocent citizens in harms way. Consider the case of a Florida radio station who would lose their ability to air the dangerous weather alerts because the democrat controlled Broward County commissioners disagree with the WIOD station lineup consisting of conservative talk.

"If your roof gets blown off, do you really care if the radio station that is giving you the information that you need also carries Rush Limbaugh?" Jacobs remarked to the Sun-Sentinel. "I don't think so. I don't agree with that man's philosophy and I don't listen to him, but I'm not going to not choose WIOD because of it."

That sounds like a rational thought from the Sun-Sentinel. If only there were more people who held this view.

Under its deal with Broward County, WIOD broadcasts news conferences from the county Emergency Operations Center in Plantation, Fla., in their entirety.

And what would be so wrong as to reach the largest possible audience knowing that WIOD is #1 in their market. Petty jealousy is really ugly when you look at this through the mirror. The democrats have no leg to stand on this argument. Luckily, the voice of the people continues to shine and not accept blindly what a few bureaucrats think what people should have.

The Sun-Sentinel is running a poll on the matter on its Web site, asking, "Broward County commissioners may cancel a contract with radio station WIOD, which is the official source of emergency information, because it features the Rush Limbaugh show. Would you support this?" At press time, 44.9% of 11,204 respondents had answered yes, 52.8% said no, and 2.3% were not sure.

Lucky for us, the democrats don't get away with this kind of garbage. This story has been all over the cable news channels and debated many times. You can count on people like me to continue to shine the light of truth on these kinds of issues.
-- Additional reporting by Brida Connolly

Thorne Accuses Schilling of Fraud

Sometimes, media stories can really infuriate me. And this story is no different. Here was once-respected Gary Thorne, a veteran TV broadcaster, who should have known better than to go with a story that had a very dubious and shaky source.

Thorne, who broadcasts on the four-letter with baseball games, had inferred that World Series winning pitcher Curt Schilling had committed fraud by doctoring up the sock that he wore during a courageous game. Schilling, who injured his ankle, had emergency surgery and still pitched days later. However, the strain on his ankle began to pull at the stitches making for a really gruesome sight on live TV.

Fast-forward to today, Thorne said almost flippantly that another Red Sox player had confessed that the blood on Schilling's sock was a scam and that they got plenty of publicity.

Well, publicity was certainly the motive for this story, but it wasn't on Schilling. It was an attempt to release a story in the hopes that Thorne would get some "street cred". I hope that this doesn't work for Thorne, that this cheap publicity stunt makes him more of a household name.

Connoisseur Media Collecting

As the continual generation of drama flows through the crazy world of terrestrial radio, so goes the shake-up in the Erie, PA market as a fresh new entity housed in Westport, CT.

Connoisseur Media has thrown in a fresh new lineup for the radio dial as well as taken charge of former NextMedia properties that broadcast Erie sports teams. There, they created a clever 93.9 FM "The Wolf" as a pop country station.

These guys could be a major player in the radio industry as they buy up stations all accross the US as it reads on their bio page straight from their official website:

In addition to Wichita, the company owns or operates radio stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Huntington, WV and Omaha, NE. It is also in the process of building stations in Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD and Des Moines, IA.

In Memoriam: RKZ (1933-2007)

This week, I lost a hero, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend.

Mr. Zimmerman was a good man. I can't think of any basic way to say it. He was a radio mentor who taught me everything I know about the radio business. He loved his students at Penn State and respected his employees. He encouraged a true work ethic in his students and was able to reach young minds with energetic anecdotes. I will always remember his personality that commanded respect and to his rivals it was formidable intimidation.

He had a long list of broadcasting success stories ranging from radio station ownership, College of Communications Alumni Society Board, founder and co-chairman of the college's Dollars for Scholars Golf Classic, and secured a home for the Pennsylvania Broadcasting Hall of Fame at State College, PA.

My only regret is that he was not able to live long enough to be proud of me and see me ascend to broadcasting success.

On a visit to PSU last December, I had a chance meeting with him outside the new State Theatre on College Ave and told him how much he meant to me. Little did I know, that will be the last time I will ever see him.

The radio broadcasting world is all the poorer for his passing. My sincerest condolences to the family.

[Via: Vineyard Gazette]