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For Sale: Geronimo's "Cave" - 10/12 - The Washington Times reports that DC radio great Don Geronimo is selling his Great Falls VA house for $1.6 million, as he relocates to Ocean City MD. "Adjacent to the living room is... Geronimo's cave, an office full of high-tech wiring, a private phone line, built-in bookcases and cabinets, and a cigar humidor." Geronimo retired from his WJFK-FM "Don And Mike Show" radio gig in April.....

Slumping Market Stalls CBS Radio Sale - 10/12 -

You heard it first on DCRTV! DCRTV is told by reliable industry sources that the sale of those CBS radio stations in Baltimore and other mid-sized and small markets won't happen. At least until maybe late 2009 - at the earliest. Because of the current stock crisis, and the severe tightening of the credit market, radio companies that have been and are still solid - a la Bonneville, Emmis, Entercom, and Greater Media - can't secure the backing of big lending institutions for a purchase. That's not to say there won't be some more cuts at CBS Baltimore, but folks still working at WHFS, WWMX, WLIF, WQSR, and WJFK-AM will still be working for CBS for a good while longer, we hear.....

Slumping Market Could Seriously Affect Sirius XM - 10/12 - DCRTV hears rumblings that the slumping stock market and the tightening credit market will also have a major impact on the recently-merged Sirius XM. The economic downtown could seriously scuttle head Mel Karmazin's expectations for big Christmas retail sales of satellite radios and service contracts. And make it increasingly difficult for the firm to handle debt payments into the new year. Look for a rocky road in 2009, we're told.....

Cowherd Ends RZ Feud - 10/12 - At examiner.com, Jim Williams tells us that the feud between ESPN sports radio talk show host Colin Cowherd and Redskins owner's Red Zebra broadcasting arm seems to be over. RZ recently yanked Cowherd off ESPN 980's midday sked on Mondays and Fridays for Redskins VP Vinny Cerrato's new show. "I understand that the Redskins - win or lose - are the biggest thing in Washington and that their fans want to talk about the team. I wish Vinny well," Cowherd says. "I know that the people of Washington will listen to me Tuesday (thru) Thursday 'till we get them back after the Super Bowl".....

Flashback - 10/12 -

Just $39 will get you a full year's access to DCRTV Plus, with cool local TV and radio memories. Today's Flashback memory: Martin Agronsky doing the 11 PM newscast on Channel 9, then WTOP-TV, in 1969 (right). Hundreds of pics, plus audio and video clips at DCRTV Plus....

Grease Gone From DC101 - 10/11 - DCRTV hears that Doug "Greaseman" Tracht did not do his Saturday morning show on DC101. Sources tell us that the Clear Channel rocker is going more "music intensive" on weekends, without the Grease's comic bits. Tracht recently signed to do an afternoon show on a Jacksonville classic rocker.....

Levan Reid Leaving 9 - 10/11 -

DCRTV hears that Channel 9/WUSA has not renewed the contract of weekend sports anchor Levan Reid (right). He is done after the November "sweeps" period, we're told.....

Liggins: Get PPM "On The Road" - 10/11 - The DC Post looks at those electronic Portable People Meter devices that have revolutionized Columbia MD-based Arbitron's radio ratings. And have generated a flurry of controversy, including a lawsuit from the New York attorney general, that they allegedly depress the ratings of African American and Hispanic-oriented stations. Although the head of black radio (WMMJ, WKYS, WERQ, WWIN) giant Radio One doesn't seem to agree. "Anytime you adopt a new technology, there are always short-term dislocations," Alfred Liggins tells the Post. "There's going to be a learning curve... But (electronic measurement) is reality. I'd much rather get reality on the road then delay, delay, delay".....

Flattering Obama Portrait Angers Post Readers - 10/11 - Many Washington Post readers saw bias in last Sunday's Post Magazine, which featured a flattering color cover photo of Barack and Michelle Obama and a long, mostly positive story by staff writer Liza Mundy about their courtship and Michelle Obama's early days as a lawyer. More from ombudsman Deborah Howell at washingtonpost.com.....

Count Gore Reemerges - 10/11 - Count Gore De Vol, aka Dick Dyzsel, the former Channel 20/WDCA horror movie host, gets a write-up in Sunday's DC Post as he prepares to make an appearance at the annual Spooky Movie film festival.....

Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 10/11 - DCRTV welcomes advertiser Spookie Movie 2008, which is holding the 3rd annual Washington DC International Horror Film Festival at the Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax from 10/16 to 10/20. Plus, the "Maryland Grindhouse Triple Feature" at the Montgomery Cinema 'N' Draft House in Wheaton on 10/11, and "All Hallow's Scream" at the Arlington Cinema 'N' Draft House in Arlington on 10/31. Look for DC TV legend Count Gore De Vol, whose emergence on Halloween will mark his third appearance for the film festival. More at thespookymovie.com. Check out the video at YouTube.....

Baxter & Bonnie Gone From B101.5 - 10/10 - DCRTV hears that Baxter and Bonnie are out as the morning team at Centennial's hot adult contemporary B101.5, WBQB, in Fredericksburg. No word on their replacement.....

NY Sues Arbitron For False Advertising, Deception - 10/10 -

From Reuters: New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a lawsuit Friday accusing Columbia MD-based radio ratings firm Arbitron of false advertising and deceptive business practices. Cuomo's office said in a statement that the lawsuit accuses Arbitron "of deceptively claiming that its Portable People Meter system is valid, fair, and representative of diverse radio markets." A spokesman for Arbitron declined comment because he had not seen the lawsuit or the attorney general's statement.....

"Mad Dog" Targets DC & Balto - 10/10 - Chris "Mad Dog" Russo is targeting the DC-Baltimore area with both his new show and his soon-to-be-launched channel on Sirius and XM. With one of the highest radio satrad subscribership rates in the country, and with Washington having only one all-sports radio outlet, Russo sees a chance to do well here, Jim Williams tells us in the Examiner. Russo, who used to co-host a show on NYC sports talker WFAN, is getting a high "call volume" from the DC-Baltimore area, Williams adds.....

Rants - 10/10 - We've heard that WTOP political guru Mark Plotkin has been having health troubles of late. But he sounded quite bad on Friday's 10 AM show. Slurring words, stammering. Really shouldn't have been on the air..... WMAL, which just loves to play thematic music tunes during its morning news items, played the Doors' "The End" during a economic assessment and stock market update on Friday morning..... More Rants.....

Citadel Stock Tanks - 10/10 - As of Friday morning, the stock of Citadel was valued at 36-cents per share, down almost 4 percent from the day before. Down a staggering 92.5 percent from its highest point during the past year. Citadel owns WMAL, WRQX, and WJZW.....

Sinclair's Stock Sinks - 10/10 - Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcasting, which controls 58 stations in 35 markets, and earlier this week announced a company-wide wage and hiring freeze, is now trading at $2.92 a share. The stock fell nearly 22 percent on Thursday, reports NewsBlues. Sinclair owns Channel 45/WBFF and operates Channel 54/WNUV.....

TMD Loses DC Area Relay - 10/10 -

Towson University's adult alternative WTMD was replaced Friday on the 105.5 FM Great Falls VA relay with WAMU's Bluegrass Country, which is carried on WAMU's HD2 digital channel and via bluegrasscountry.org. In papers recently filed with the FCC, the Reston-based owner of the translator facility applied for a power hike from 38-watts to 250-watts and a replacement of the Baltimore area's WTMD as the originating station.....

Fox Newser Promotes CIA - 10/10 - From the DC Times: "Fox News White House Correspondent Bret Baier and his wife, Amy, helped the Central Intelligence Agency kick off its Combined Federal Campaign at CIA headquarters in McLean this week, although the couple's 15-month-old son, Paul, clearly stole the show".....

Thorne & Theoharis Back To MASN For O's In '09 - 10/10 - You'll probably be seeing much the same MASN crew doing Orioles games next year, and thus far Gary Thorne and reporter Amber Theoharis said their options have been picked up for next season. Others expect to return, as well. "I'd certainly like to come back and broadcast," said analyst Jim Palmer, who added that he should be hearing from the club soon. So reports Ray Frager at baltimoresun.com.....

Caps Debut On WFED - 10/10 - In the Examiner, Jim Williams previews the Washington Capitals' season, which kicks off tonight on Comcast SportsNet and WFED, which is now on 1500 AM.....

Lawyer Sues O&A's Norton - 10/10 - A lawyer who appeared on Opie and Anthony's XM show is suing comic Jim Norton, who ripped him on the satellite radio firm's airwaves. Self-proclaimed anti-feminist Roy Hollander tangled with Norton during an August appearance on O&A's show, when an interview about his lawsuit against NYC's Columbia University went X-rated in a hurry. The NY Daily News has more.....

Farhi On Print Slump: Not Journos' Fault - 10/10 - From BuzzMachine: "Paul Farhi of the Washington Post issues a resounding apologia for journalists in the American Journalism Review, arguing that the fall of newspapers isn't their fault".....

Phil Boyce Leaves Citadel - 10/9 - Phil Boyce, the man who programmed longtime ABC, now Citadel blowtorch talker WABC (770 AM) in NYC, is leaving. It's been said that Boyce was a key decider in what got heard on Citadel/ABC's other talkers, including DC's WMAL (630 AM). From noon to 8 PM and overnight, WMAL and WABC run the same shows - Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and George Noory. More at DCRTV's NYC page.....

"Positive Talk" For 1230 - 10/9 - Peter And John Ministries-owned WRBS-AM in Baltimore has rebranded itself as "Positive Talk 1230 AM," abandoning much of its music programming during the day and replacing it with Christian teaching and talk. More at wrbsam.com. Also, WRBS-FM, 95.1, has launched the "RBS M" stream which plays Christian music from 10 AM to 1 PM via wrbs.com, while the air signal features religious talk.....

Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 10/9 - DCRTV welcomes Matt Bender and his OC Waves blog as a new advertiser. Bender is a veteran of WWLG, Metro Traffic, Radio One, and WXCY. He started the blog in August "out of frustration when I couldn't get any papers to take my op-ed piece from July explaining why McCain would pick Palin," Bender tells us.....

Spooky Film Fest Returns - 10/9 - Friday's DC Post previews the third annual "Spooky Movie Festival" at several theaters in the DC area, including the Cinema Arts in Fairfax. "I don't even want to speculate about what shared anxieties we're working through this year," says festival founder Curtis Prather. "The first year, it was zombies. Last year, cannibals".....

Richmond TV Suit Threatens Legal Suit Against Blogger - 10/9 - Nearby news. Richmond's Style Weekly reports that Jack Lauterback, a 25-year-old Richmond blogger known for "riffing on nightlife, his sexcapades, literary pursuits, and local media personalities" at jackgoesforth.blogspot.com, has been threatened with a defamation suit from Richmond's Channel 6/WTVR. In an e-mail to Lauterback last week, CBS6 General Manager Peter Maroney demanded that he "immediately remove the false, damaging, and salacious statements" related to the station's newscasters - or face legal action. Maroney's threat stems from a September post, where Lauterback called CBS6 anchor and reporter Lee Mahaffey "smoking-hot" and confessed he hopes to one day coerce her "into making some bad decisions".....

DC101 To iPhone - 10/9 - DC rocker DC101 is among 12 Clear Channel radio stations nationwide that can now be heard via the iPhone-oriented iheartmusic.com service.....

CP Puts Bankruptcy On Cover - 10/9 -

The DC City Paper puts its parent company's recent bankruptcy filing (left) on the front of this week's edition.....

Rant - 10/9 -

So, let's see. We've got DC radio legend Don Geronimo still under contract to CBS Radio, so he can't work anywhere else. But he's retired from the Don and Mike show, which aired on CBS talker WJFK-FM. And, we've got an available CBS frequency in the DC area - 1580, WPGC-AM. Which CBS yanked the "inspirational" talk from on Monday, and is now doing a relay of urban WPGC-FM. So, how about this? Bring back Geronimo as the "voice" and programmer of a PGC "retro" contemporary "top 40" 1980s flashback format on PGC-AM. You'll recall that Geronimo was one of the jocks on "top 40" PGC in the 1980s. Call the "new" incarnation something like "Don Geronimo's Musicradio 1580." And also run it on the digital HD2 of WJFK-FM, 106.7. Brilliant, huh! More Rants.....

Senate Revamps Press Gallery - 10/9 - From washingtonpost.com: It's closing time for half the reporters in the Senate's Daily Press Gallery on the third floor of the Capitol. Major renovations are underway, temporarily shuttering the end of the gallery where the Washington Post, Reuters, AP, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal set up shop.....

Ripken On TBS, Golf Coverage To Balto - 10/9 - In the Examiner, Jim Williams focuses on Orioles' great Cal Ripken's big role in TBS's coverage of the baseball playoffs. Also in the Examiner, Williams looks at how Baltimore will take the center-stage of NBC's and the Golf Channel's Seniors Players Championship this weekend.....

Jessica Doyle To CNN - 10/9 - DCRTV hears that Jessica Doyle, who did the morning show on Bonneville's now defunct 3WT talker, is now a DC-based freelance reporter for CNN Newsource, the CNN local TV affiliate news service. So you may see her on Channel 7/WJLA or NewsChannel 8.....

Chron Cuts Beltway Confidential - 10/9 - The Beltway Confidential blog is over. The last post from author Julie Mason was on 10/3. Mason, the Houston Chronicle's White House correspondent, and Bennett Roth, the paper's national political correspondent, have been budget-cut. The Chronicle's DC bureau is now down to 3, from about 10 a few years ago.....

Mike Williams Leaves NAB - 10/9 - Mike Williams is stepping down as the DC-based National Association Of Broadcaster's head of finance and operations. He's heading back to his broadcasting consulting business.....

CBS Plans Something New For 1580 - 10/8 - DCRTV broke the news Monday that CBS's WPGC-AM, 1580, had dropped its "inspirational" talk format for a relay of 95.5, WPGC-FM's urban contemporary format. Now we hear that 1580's operations manager, John Deadwyler, is no longer with the company. And, we hear that CBS is planning to reveal something new on 1580 later this month.....

Mark Kaye: He's Baaack - 10/8 - DCRTV hears that Mark Kaye, formerly of Hot 99.5's now defunct "Hot Morning Mess," is hitching a ride up I-95 from his current radio gig in Jacksonville, to do a talk test show on WJFK-FM, 106.7, on Saturday at 9 PM.....

Shapiro On 980's Cerrato: "Lacks Insight" - 10/8 - At washingtonpost.com, Len Shapiro tells us that Redskins honcho Vinny Cerrato's new ESPN 980 show "lacks insight." Says the longtime Washington Post sports media columnist: "If the Redskins truly care about their fans and want them to get an unbiased, unfiltered, all-access inside look at the football team, the answer is not to put Vinny Cerrato on the air to offer his party-line pabulum and Skins' spin. They might just open practice up and allow the media to do its job, just as the director of football operations ought to be doing his job - four-hour-a-week radio show not included".....

Shapiro & Pollin Do Book - 10/8 - More Len Shapiro news. The Washington Post sports media columnist has collaborated with ESPN 980's Andy Pollin on a book, "The Great Book Of Washington Sports Lists," which will be in stores on 10/15. Shapiro tells us that it includes "Dan Snyder's 10 greatest blunders, the top 10 all-time list of Washington TV sportscasters, (and) the top 100 all-time Washington 100 athletes." More at amazon.com.....

Spector Leaves WWUZ & WWVB - 10/8 - Jim Spector leaves the program director gig at Fredericksburg's classic rock WWUZ and urban contemporary WWVB for the same gig at rocker KEZO in Omaha.....

"MTP" Takes Post-Russert Dip - 10/8 - Since the death of Tim Russert over the summer, viewers aren't so much abandoning NBC "Meet The Press" as seeing what else is on the Sunday morning newsmakers menu. And that's causing a ratings rise for the other DC-based political talkers, like ABC's "This Week" and CBS's "Face The Nation." So reports the NY Post.....

Lloyd Thaxton Dies - 10/8 - Lloyd Thaxton, whose syndicated "Record Hop" show was seen on Channel 7, then WMAL-TV, in the 1960s, died on 10/5. He was 81. Baltimore's Channel 13/WJZ carried his show after Buddy Deane went off the air. More in the LA Times.....

Dude Goes To Mars - 10/8 - DC area voice great Dude Walker does a "retro" promo for ABC's new "Life On Mars" time-warp cop show. "It was a lot of fun emulating Ernie Anderson, you know - the old 'Loooove Boat' guy," Dude tells us. Check it out at YouTube.....

Debate Sends Shales To Sleep - 10/8 - "A Showdown That Was More Of A Letdown." Tom Shales on last night's presidential debate at washingtonpost.com.....

Todd Kiplinger Dies - 10/8 - Todd Kiplinger, 62, an executive in his family's financial publishing company, died of metastatic melanoma on 10/4 at his home in Bethesda. The Washington Post has more.....

Carville Does New Doc - 10/8 - DC political guru James Carville was in NYC Monday night for the premiere of "Return To The War Room," a documentary that looks back at the "War Room" documentary that documented Bill Clinton becoming president in 1992. Also, TVNewser tells us that James Carville, now a CNN contributor, talks with and ABC's "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos every morning on the phone.....

Rather's Suit Drags On - 10/8 - Dan Rather could have made millions of dollars more per year if CBS had not defrauded him before firing him, his lawyer said Tuesday. More from AP.....

NBC To Shut Down Weather Plus - 10/7 - The sun is setting on NBC Weather Plus, the four-year-old digital joint venture between NBC and local stations, including Channel 4/WRC, which programmed the 24/7 local weather service on their digital channels. NBC News President Steve Capus informed the Weather Plus staff headquartered at CNBC facilities in Englewood NJ Tuesday morning that the operation would be phased out in stages through the end of the year. NBC recently purchased the Weather Channel. TVWeek has more.....

Power Hike For TMD's 105.5 - 10/7 - DCRTV hears that the 38-watt 105.5 FM signal in Great Falls VA that's been relaying Towson University's adult alternative rock WTMD has been granted a power hike to 250-watts.....

Verizon's FIOS Coming To DC - 10/7 - DCRTV hears that legislation has been introduced regarding a franchise agreement between the DC Office Of Cable Television and Verizon. The DC City Council will soon consider the agreement and vote on whether to approve the construction of Verizon's FIOS cable TV, VOIP phone service, and high-speed internet within the District's borders. More soon.....

Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 10/7 - DCRTV welcomes back the Funk Radio Online Network as an advertiser through November. In November, it will feature the first of a three-part urban music documentary series called "A Funkafied Nation." Part one, "The Egg Is Broken," recounts the musical roots of funk music from 1969 to 1973. I-tunes will carry the show. More at funkradioonline.com.....

RA To Syndicate Hedgecock - 10/7 - DC-based Radio America announces that it'll start national syndication of righty radio talker Roger Hedgecock, come January. Hedgecock, a frequent substitute host for Rush Limbaugh, is based at San Diego talker KOGO. He replaces Michael Reagan in the 6 PM to 9 PM slot.....

More Trib Company Cuts - 10/7 - Not good news for the Baltimore Sun. More rumblings of big cuts at the Sun's sister paper, the LA Times. At laobserved.com.....

Amy Fadool Leaving 45? - 10/7 - DCRTV hears that Channel 45/WBFF has a job posting for a weekend sports anchor/reporter on its website. Does that mean that Amy Fadool is leaving her job as Fox45's weekend sports anchor/reporter? Could she be heading to Philadelphia, to work with Comcast SportsNet? Stay tuned.....

Breathed To End "Opus" - 10/7 - Berkeley Breathed plans to end his Sunday-only comic strip "Opus" on 11/2, just two days before the presidential election. "With the crisis in Wall Street and Washington, I'm suspending my comic strip to assist the nation," said Breathed through his syndicate, the Washington Post Writers Group. More in the Post.....

Atlantic's Site Redone - 10/7 - A redesign for the DC-based Atlantic's theatlantic.com.....

Notable Quotable - 10/7 - "Herndon blows. I'll never live in Herndon." So said Jason "Lurch" Bishop, one of WJFK-FM's Junkies, on Tuesday morning. During a Junks' discussion comparing the alleged "ghetto" reputation of Herndon with its allegedly more upscale neighbor of Reston (which is where the DCRTV World Headquarters is located).....

FCC To Examine TV Military Analysts - 10/7 - The Federal Communications Commission has asked for information from TV military analysts concerning their possible role in a Department Of Defense program to recruit ex-military officers to express support for the Iraq war and other Bush administration policies. "The (FCC) is looking into the allegations and has sent letters," an FCC spokesman tells Broadcasting And Cable. The commission was asked by some legislators to looks into whether TV stations or networks bear any responsibility for not identifying the analyst's connection to the Pentagon or defense contractors.....

AOL Expands NYC Office Space - 10/7 -

AOL signed a 15-year lease for an additional 76,000 square feet at its headquarters at 770 Broadway in NYC. The internet company moved its headquarters from Dulles, in Virginia, to Manhattan in April, taking a total of 152,000 square feet - the entire fourth and fifth floors - of the building. With the new deal, it will add all of the 6th floor. So reports Crain's NY Biz.....

Fed Jury Rules For Cox - 10/7 - Cox, a local cable television provider that offers phone service, did not infringe six patents held by Verizon related to connecting internet calls to standard phone lines. The federal jury in Alexandria rejected Verizon's allegations and declined to award the $404 million in damages the company requested. The DC Post has more.....

Post No Longer To Be "Paper Of Record" - 10/7 - From Michael Calderone at the Politico: Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli, in a Monday afternoon meeting with staffers, said the Post shouldn't be following a "national paper of record" model. Brauchli said that the paper can't be expected to cover every national story, indicating that services like the AP can provide that content to Post readers.....

Jason Campbell Shills For Geico - 10/7 - Jason Campbell is now a "TV star," reports Dan "Sports Bog" Steinberg at washingtonpost.com. The Redskin has done spot for Geico.....

Talk Gone From PGC-AM For Relay Of PGC-FM - 10/6 - CBS Radio has pulled the plug on the "inspirational" talk format on WPGC-AM (1580). And has replaced it with a simulcast of urban contemporary WPGC-FM (95.5). CBS yanked WPGC-AM's longtime "Heaven 1580" gospel music format earlier this year, following the April 2007 launch and rising ratings of Radio One's gospel Praise 104.1, WPRS.....

Radio Owners Ask FCC To Reject PPM Query - 10/6 - CBS, Bonneville, Citadel, and a half-dozen other radio broadcasters have jointly asked that the Federal Communications Commission to reject the Portable People Meter Coalition's emergency petition for an FCC investigation of PPM methodology, which allegedly depresses the ratings of African American and Hispanic-oriented stations. The station owners say that Arbitron has "convincingly demonstrated that the (FCC) lacks jurisdiction to review the PPM Coalition's claims and initiate the requested inquiry." Radio Ink has more.....

Salem Fires Prez, OKs WAMD Buy - 10/6 -

California-based Salem, which operates right-leaning talkers and Christian radio stations across the country, including WAVA (105.1 FM and 780 AM) in the DC area, has just fired its president. Eric Halvorson is on the outs as Salem shares have plunged to 84-cents, down from almost $9 a year ago. Also, Salem board director Edward Atsinger confirmed plans to buy Aberdeen MD oldies outlet WAMD (970 AM) for $3 million. The firm has been operating the station under a lease agreement. It's been suggested that Salem wants to tweak the Baltimore area 970 signal to improve night coverage of its 970 AMer, WNYM, in the NYC area.....

Mike Pintek To Replace Brian Wilson At 105.7 - 10/6 -

Last week, DCRTV was the only radio news site that reported that Baltimore radio great Brian Wilson had resigned from CBS's Baltimore talker WHFS (105.7 FM). Now, we hear that his noon to 3 PM replacement is Mike Pintek (left), who once anchored news on DC's WASH radio. He's also worked as news director at WKBO radio in Harrisburg and as a midday host on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh. The York PA native once played a TV reporter in a Tony Danza movie. More at fmtalk1057.com.....

Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 10/6 - DCRTV welcomes back media gossip maven Marty Chickaboomer Davis for another month as an advertiser on DCRTV. Oh, and congrats to DC media veteran Chris Core on the rising ratings for his new talk show, "Weekend News," weekends on Channel 50/WDCW. We trust that his recent ad campaign here on DCRTV generated lots of interest in his new program. More at chriscoretalks.com.....

New Newscast On PBS - 10/6 - Former NBC and CNN correspondent Martin Savidge launches a new PBS newscast tonight. "Worldfocus" will focus on "international news for Americans who have become accustomed to frothy weepies, empty medical studies, and celebrity pulp," according to News Blues. The NYC-based program will air on WETA-TV at 5:30 PM and at midnight on MPT. More from the NY Daily News.....

7 & Politico: "Power Couple" - 10/6 - Broadcasting And Cable looks at Allbritton's "power couple" - DC's Channel 7/WJLA and the Politico political website/newspaper.....

BIA Buys Kelsey - 10/6 - Chantilly-based BIA Financial Network picks up the Kelsey Group, a Princeton NJ-based based provider of media-related research, data, and analysis. Among many other things, BIA crunches ad revenue data for the broadcasting business.....

RZ Cans Norfolk Radio Host - 10/6 - John Castleberry, who hosted a sports talk show on Redskins owner Dan Snyder's Red Zebra-owned WXTG, "The Game" sports talker in the Norfolk area, has been canned. A budget-cutting move, reports the Daily Press. John is the brother of DC radio exec Tod Castleberry, who used to work for RZ, too.....

New EP For "This Week" - 10/6 - Ian Cameron has been named executive producer for ABC's DC-based "This Week With George Stephanopoulos." FishbowlDC tells us that Cameron's wife, Susan Rice, is an Obama advisor and top candidate for secretary of State should the Illinois senator win the White House.....

Amberg Leaves DC Times - 10/6 - Dick Amberg leaves the Washington Times at the end of October after a decade. Most recently, he's been general manager and associate publisher.....

Bob Schieffer: Country Music Star - 10/6 - From News Blues: CBS DC newser Bob Schieffer sang two songs Sunday night at the Ryman, home of the "Grand Old Opry." Schieffer, wearing jeans and boots and, at times, a white cowboy hat, sang a humorous song about becoming a TV anchorman set to the tune of "Hot Rod Lincoln." Later, he joined Brad Paisley for the chorus of Paisley's hit "Alcohol".....

Top Court To Ponder Dirty Words On Radio & TV - 10/6 - The Supreme Court, on vacation since June, begins a new term today and on the docket is a case involving the Bush administration's crackdown on dirty words on TV and radio. More from Reuters.....

More: Stern Ties Knot - 10/6 - DCRTV tipped you off last Thursday to Howard Stern's Friday wedding. Now, Monday's DC Post (not yet on its website) gets around to telling us that the radio shock jock tied the knot with Beth Ostrosky, his girlfriend of several years. Before jumping to Sirius, Stern had been heard on WJFK-FM.....

Notable Quotable - 10/6 - "Follow us on Tweeter... No, make that Twitter... If you go to the first one, you'll get home electronics and stuff like that." Andy Parks this morning on WMAL.....

Ifill: "Little A Moderator Can Do" - 10/6 - DC-based Gwen Ifill told Tom Brokaw on "Meet The Press" Sunday that she was put in a tough position as VP debate moderator because of both candidates' styles. "Joe Biden decided that he was going to debate John McCain, and she decided she was going to give a stump speech to the American people, there's very little a moderator can do," said Ifill, according to TVNewser.....

Kurtz: Press To Blame In Stock Slump - 10/6 - Howie Kurtz says that the press had a big part in the recent financial mess. In Monday's DC Post.....

McCain's Bro Calls NOVA "Communist Country" - 10/5 - From AP: Republican presidential candidate John McCain's brother made an apparent joke at a campaign rally this weekend that might not play well in parts of newly competitive Virginia. Joe McCain, speaking at an event in support of his brother, called two Democratic-leaning areas in Northern Virginia "communist country," according to a report on the Washington Post's website. "I've lived here for at least 10 years and before that about every third duty I was in either Arlington or Alexandria, up in communist country," Joe McCain said at an event in Loudoun County. Joe McCain then apologized, but the remark drew laughter at the event.....

CBS's "Face" Wins With Obama - 10/5 - CBS's "Face The Nation" was tops among total viewers among the DC Sunday morning political talkers last Sunday, with Bob Schieffer's interview with Barack Obama. Among the age 25-54 demo, ABC's "This Week" placed first, as George Stephanopoulous interviewed John McCain.....

Geraldo's Garage Burns - 10/5 - TVNewser reports that there was a fire at the New Jersey home of Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera on Friday morning. Riveria sustained minor burns to his face and is expected to take the weekend off to recover. A Fox News spokesperson confirmed there was a fire in Rivera's garage, and that two classic cars were destroyed.....

Remembering Olsson's - 10/5 - "The closing of Olsson's Books And Records, one of Washington's few remaining independent bookstores, is the final chapter for another institution of the kind that made Washington Washington." So writes former Olsson's employee David Nicholson in Sunday's DC Post.....

Charlotte Kohler Dies - 10/5 - Charlotte Kohler, who helped shape the path of literature as the longtime editor of the small but influential Virginia Quarterly Review, died on 9/15 of congestive heart failure at her home in Charlottesville. She died one day before her 100th birthday. Kohler joined the literary journal, published at the University Of Virginia, in 1942 as managing editor. University president John Newcomb had announced that he wanted a "war-proof" editor - a woman, in other words - to keep the publication running while its top editor was away during World War II. More in the Washington Post.....

Another "Fact Checker" Error - 10/5 - Whoops! The Washington Post's "Fact Checker" got its facts wrong. Again. At washingtonpost.com.....

NY To Sue Arbitron Over PPMs - 10/4 - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he will sue Columbia MD-based Arbitron for fraudulent business practices over the company's new Portable People Meter electronic method of rating radio broadcasting, which he said seems unfair to African American and Hispanic stations. Bloomberg has more.....

Stern Gets Hitched - 10/4 - DCRTV tipped you off a few days ago. Now, we get confirmation that Sirius shock jock Howard Stern has married his girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky. For many years, Stern was heard on CBS Radio's WJFK-FM. More from AP.....

Bob Strickland Remembered - 10/4 -

Saturday's Washington Post runs an obituary for longtime Channel 9 reporter Bob Strickland (right), who died on 9/26 at age 72 of cardiovascular disease at his home in DC. Strickland joined then-WTOP-TV in 1969 and was a general assignment reporter, covering such stories as the Hanafi Muslims' rampage in the city 31 years ago and the FBI's 1990 arrest of then-Mayor Marion Barry on drug charges, as well as the subsequent trial. He also covered the US invasion of Panama in 1989 and the Mount Pleasant riots in 1991. He co-founded with the late ABC broadcaster Max Robinson a mentoring program for aspiring minority journalists. More in DCRTV's 9/29 newsblurb.....

Farhi: Righty "Carol" Is Unfunny - 10/4 - In Saturday's DC Post, media writer Paul Farhi brands as "toothless" and "lame" that new righty movie comedy, "An American Carol," that's been heavily advertised on righty talkers like WMAL in the past week. "Surely, smug Hollywood liberals could use a good cinematic noogie. But this cartoon-quality satire doesn't provide much of a comeuppance. 'Carol' is likely to offend not so much one's liberal propriety (if any) but one's sense of humor," Farhi writes.....

More Debate Debate - 10/4 - More debate about Thursday's VP debate from Lisa de Moraes in the DC Post and Howie Kurtz in the DC Post.....

Support DCRTV's Advertisers - 10/3 - Thanks to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network for renewing its ad campaign on DCRTV through early 2009. Check 'em out at masnsports.com. And check out Roch Kubatko's sports blog, also at masnsports.com.....

Baltimore Topped Nation In Palin-Biden Ratings - 10/3 - The Baltimore TV market led the nation with the highest percentage of households - 59.1 - tuned into the Palin-Biden VP debate on Thursday evening. The DC market saw a 51 percent tune-in. Nationwide, the debate averaged a 45 percent tune-in factor, making it the most-watched political debate in 16 years. So reports TV ratings firm Nielsen.....

Post's Stock Takes A Pounding - 10/3 -

Though more than half of the Washington Post Company's revenues now come from its fast-growing Kaplan education division, its stock is still getting pounded along with that of other media companies. In August 2007, Post Company stock hit $839 a share, but it was down to $559 this summer. Now it's hovering at around $600, a 29 percent drop from 14 months ago. "If it didn't own the Washington Post, it probably would be down less than half of that," says John Morton, a newspaper business analyst. There's more at washingtonian.com.....

CBS's Logan Took Iraqi Artifacts - 10/3 - From the NY Post: CBS news hottie Lara Logan could be in hot water for swiping souvenirs from the wreckage of bombed-out Baghdad. In a video profile of the "60 Minutes" star called "Lara Logan's Spoils Of War," mementos from Iraq and Afghanistan are shown in her Washington office. Taking such items out of the country is considered theft under a federal provision designed to protect Iraqi heritage. One former Fox News engineer has already been prosecuted and placed on probation for smuggling paintings from Iraqi palaces, the Post adds. ERSnews.com broke the story.....

So-So National Ratings For Ravens - 10/3 - Monday night's Ravens-Steelers game didn't hit the heights nationally in the ratings that the Cowboys-Eagles did this season. The Ravens-Steelers got 8.8 percent of the national audience, about 8.6 million homes, compared with 13 million for Cowboys-Eagles. In Baltimore, the combined viewing added up to a 34.8 rating - 22.4 on WJZ/Channel 13 and 12.4 on ESPN. More from Ray Frager in the Baltimore Sun.....

Shales Does Palin - 10/3 - Tom Shales reviews last night's VP debate in the DC Post.....

Stern To Tie Knot Friday? - 10/2 - DCRTV hears rumblings that Sirius morning man Howard Stern will marry his girlfriend Beth tomorrow. It'll be his second marriage.....

Santos Returns To 105.9 - 10/2 - Was that DC radio great Al Santos seen hanging around his old station? DCRTV hears that Santos, who got canned along with the rest of the staff of Smooth Jazz 105.9 back in February, is back at now-oldies WJZW doing behind-the-scenes board work.....

Satrad "Best Of" Packages Now Available - 10/2 -

Sirius XM announces the availability of "best of" packages. Sirius subscribers can get a "best of XM" package for about $4 per month more, featuring Oprah Winfrey, Opie and Anthony, Bob Edwards, NBA, NHL, PGA, and more. While, for the same price, XMers can get a "best of Sirius" package featuring Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, NFL, NASCAR, and more. More at xmradio.com.....

Elane Stein Remembered - 10/2 -

DCRTV told you earlier this week that Elane Stein (right), 85, a prominent figure in Baltimore broadcasting, had died. She passed away Sunday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from injuries suffered in a fall at her home a day earlier. Stein's career in radio and television spanned more than three decades. "Elane was a major air talent in the 1960s, 1970s, and into the 1980s," Richard Sher, a longtime WJZ-TV reporter and friend, told Thursday's Baltimore Sun. "Elane was one-of-a-kind... feisty... and extremely opinionated. If she didn't like you, you knew it," Sher said. "However, under that rough exterior was a very loyal friend".....

DCRTVideo - 10/2 - "Larry Wolf Olberaldo Doocy 360." Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert: "You've got so many hungry news anchors out there trying to get your attention, they all blend together to form one hideous beast." In today's edition of DCRTVideo, at the bottom of the right column of this page.....

Obama Channel On Dish Network - 10/2 - The Politico tells us that channel 73 on Dish Network is now all-Obama all-the-time. The Democrat's presidential campaign has bought the channel space and is running a two-minute ad over-and-over.....

Satrad Promo For Coleman - 10/2 - Jeremy Coleman, who once ran DC area talker WJFK-FM, takes over as head of talk/sports programming at Sirius XM. Replacing Kevin Straley.....

Emergency Surgery For Jim London - 10/2 - DCRTV hears that veteran DC radio broadcaster Jim London, heard for many years on WMZQ and WBIG, underwent four hours of emergency appendectomy surgery Saturday at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. He's doing fine, we're told. More in DCRTV's 10/2 Mailbag.....

Nassau To Balto: Maybe Not - 10/2 - DCRTV has reported that Nassau Broadcasting is rumored to be a potential purchaser of some of CBS's five for-sale radioers in Baltimore. However, Nassau, which owns a batch of radio stations in the Northeast USA, including Hagerstown's WWEG and Frederick's WAFY, has been unable to close on its recent $22 million purchase of a Reading PA station to "due to certain dislocations in the credit market," according to an FCC filing. So, maybe we should cross Nassau off the CBS radio suitor list for Baltimore, which includes Bonneville, Emmis, and Entercom.....

More Radio & TV Program Cuts At VOA - 10/2 -

The DC-based Voice Of America has ended its radio broadcasts in Hindi, Bosnian, Serbian, and Macedonian, but will continue to serve listeners in those languages through television and the internet. The VOA is also discontinuing its weekly television program in Russian, following the end of Russian radio broadcasts in July.....

Brian Wilson Leaves 105.7 - 10/1 -

More rumblings of turmoil at CBS's radio cluster in Baltimore, which is currently being shopped to potential purchasers. We're told that Baltimore radio veteran Brian Wilson (left) is no longer doing his gig at talker WHFS (105.7 FM), where he did the noon to 3 PM slot. Wilson, who programs a talker in Toledo, Ohio, had been doing the Baltimore show via ISDN phone line. A source close to Wilson tells DCRTV that it was his choice to end his partnership with WHFS and CBS. Wilson was not canned and he determined the end-date. "Brian's decision to leave was due to his obligations as program director in Toledo, as well as the future sale of WHFS." CBS suits had asked him to continue at WHFS through October.....

Imus To Do DC Show - 10/1 -

Don Imus (right) will bring his morning radio show from NYC to DC on Thursday, 10/16. To the Newseum near Capitol Hill. The "DC centric" broadcast will focus on the presidential political campaign. This is the first time the "I-Man" has broadcast from inside the Beltway in nearly four years. DCRTV's take: Perhaps the visit will generate some much-needed publicity for Imus's local outlet, Citadel's True Oldies 105.9, WJZW, which has yet to see significant ratings traction since adding him in March.....

El Jefe To Atlanta - 10/1 - DCRTV already told you that WJFK-FMer El Jefe was leaving his Saturday evening "Hideout" show, which he and J-Dubs do from Tampa. Now, we hear that El Jefe is heading to Atlanta rocker WKLS, where he'll join the "Giant Show" with former Ron and Fez producer Giant Brian and old Michigan friend Shafee.....

Boston Properties Buys NPR HQ - 10/1 - The DC Biz Journal reports that Boston Properties plans a 450,000-square-foot office building to replace the current headquarters of National Public Radio in DC's Mount Vernon Triangle, the result of a two-part deal to buy the public broadcaster's current facility and build its new one. Boston Properties recently closed on its purchase of NPR's existing building, 635 Massachusetts Avenue NW, for $119 million. It will lease it back to the broadcaster until its new building is completed. NPR expects to net $80 million from the deal after paying off debt for the property, which it purchased for $12.8 million in 1992 when the area was largely vacant.....

Former 88.5er's Suit Against AMU Back On Track - 10/1 - From the DC Post: The former executive director of WAMU (88.5 FM) can pursue a defamation claim stemming from her firing by the public radio station, the DC Court Of Appeals has ruled. Susan Clampitt, who was ousted in 2003, filed suit against American University, which owns and operates the station, and its then-president, Benjamin Ladner. She sought damages for breach of contract, interference with contract, defamation, and other claims. The case was dismissed by a judge in DC Superior Court. An appellate panel said last week that Clampitt may take the case forward on the defamation claim. After her firing, Ladner was quoted in a news story as saying that the decision was based on several factors, including a pattern of budget deficits. Clampitt maintained that the university approved her financial recommendations.....

45 Shutters Good TV, Replace With RTN? - 10/1 - A DCRTVer tells us that Baltimore's Channel 45/WBFF is running an announcement on its "45.2" digital subchannel that it has discontinued its Good TV channel. Hmmm. Might Fox45 be replacing it with the like-formatted Retro TV Network? Classic TV show-based RTN is carried in DC on a digital subchannel of Channel 7/WJLA.....

Walker & McGarry To Do RTV Museum Event - 10/1 -

DC TV and radio legends Ed Walker and Mac McGarry will reminisce about their years in broadcasting on 10/18, during a National Press Club co-sponsored event at the Radio And Television Museum in Bowie MD. Walker, host of WAMU's "The Big Broadcast," worked with famed NBC broadcaster Willard Scott in the 1960s on radio outlets WRC and WWDC. They were known as the "Joy Boys Of Radio." McGarry is host of the long-running television program "It's Academic" on Channel 4/ WRC, now in its 48th year on the air. The non-profit museum, housed in a red, turn-of-the-century farmhouse, features hundreds of early radio and television sets and much area broadcast memorabilia. More at radiohistory.org.....

Older news goes to DCRTV's News Archive. Copyright Dave Hughes/DCRTV.....