Radio & Records

Profiles

John Rook

here

= = = = =

�Wake Up With Whoopi�

a ratings nightmare.

�Whoopi is one of those rare artists whose appeal 

crosses all demographics � and she�s a natural on

radio,� said Clear Channel�s John Hogan in announcing

her arrival last year. �She�s exactly what adult

contemporary radio needs for the morning drive � and

we�re incredibly fortunate to welcome her.�

If �Wake Up With Whoopi� is a �natural� for radio,

consumers have yet to recognize it. Even with all the

hoopla and muscle of Clear Channel, she�s not the

�natural� Hogan envisioned.   She may have an Emmy,

 a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award, but like so

many others lacking in actual radio experience,

successful ratings have been nil. 

In making the announcement of Whoopi�s move to

radio, Hogan elaborated, �Women have been waking

 up to morning television for the past 15 years because

radio hasn�t always given them a reason to tune in,�

added Hogan. �This is a new chapter. �Wake Up with

Whoopi� will go down as the first program in the next

generation of entertaining morning radio because of

the extraordinary talents of Whoopi Goldberg.�

With her return to TV via �The View,� Hogan�s dream

for �Wake Up With Whoopi� will probably be put to

sleep by Clear Channel�.soon.

jr

= = = = =

Just out, a Christmas gift for Elvis fans available from

Amazon.com is "The Elvis Presley Family Album," a

collection of rare Elvis photo�s presented by his pal

radio�s George Klein telling the story behind

 each picture.

George & Friend

As he continues to broadcast live from Graceland on

Sirius, George tells us he�s readying a second book,

�Elvis-My Best Man� for release in the summer of 2008.

Meanwhile, Elvis leads all nominees in voting

at the Hit Parade Hall of Fame with the 2007

inductees to be announced the week between

Christmas and New Years.

= = = = =

Herb Alpert gives $30 Million

He would be the only recording artist to top the charts 

with both an instrumental and a vocal. Selling in excess

of 75 million albums world wide and awarded

numerous Grammy�s, in 1966 his Tijuana Brass had five

albums on the best seller charts, four of them in the top

ten simultaneously.

Now at 72 years of age, Herb Alpert pledges thirty

million dollars to fund a new music school at UCLA.

�The landscape of music has changed so dramatically

in the last few years, and the ways of making, delivering

and sharing music have become so diverse, there needs

to be a new approach to music education,� sez Herbie.

A 2007 nominee at the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, you

still have time to vote for him here.

He's Back....

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is talk radio royalty. 

With a top rated three decades long KABC stint, his

distinctive voice and unique questioning often made

the days news with no one escaping his probing,

always gentlemanly but never abusive inquiries

of news makers.

It was corporate home office  �belt tightening� that

brought about his leaving KABC, who following the

departure of Michael and the Dodgers began a long

downward slide in the ratings.

Moving over to KNX, his immense talent was largely

unused as Michael was relegated to creating short

interview segments that were lost in a sea of

hum drum programming.

As Michael�s program director at KABC and a friend

during and since those days, I�ve repeatedly

counseled local and network talk radio to take

advantage of his immense talent.

Finally with the return of KGIL to the 1260 spot on

the LA dial, expect his fans to tune in beginning

October 29 when the magnet that is Michael Jackson

once again concentrates on issues mostly ignored by

nationally syndicated talk hosts crowding the

 Los Angeles radio dial.

As a pioneer of talk radio, along  with scores of

awards including one from the Queen of England,

his peers also inducted him in the national

Radio Hall of Fame

Michael Jackson is in a word � CLASS.

KGIL streams Michael here

 = = = = =

Lujack does Vegas 

Larry Lujack

"I�ll take my plaque and get the hell out of that place 

within an hour of receiving it,� uncle Lar tells me as I

congratulate him for being named to the National

Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. 

The big event will take place next year in April during

the NAB convention scheduled for Las Vegas. 

 �They tell me thousands from all over the world will

 be there� says Lujack adding �why they would pick

Vegas is beyond me, it�s one of my least favorite places,

thank god it isn�t a black tie affair and I don�t have to

get all gussied up for this one.�

 �Don�t expect my usual warmhearted, sensitive words

of appreciation this time, this will probably be my last

opportunity to speak my mind,� says Lujack.

 The award is the third of its kind for Larry following

his induction in the Illinois Broadcasters Hall of Fame

in 2002 and the Radio Hall of Fame in 2004.

Attempting to make him aware of the company he

would be in, I said �just think Lar, you�ll be  joining

some of the greats in American radio, Edward R.

Murrow, Paul Harvey, Ronald Reagan, Arthur Godfrey

and Rush Limbaugh.� 

Yeah, I�ve heard of most of them,  but Rush who?

quizzed Larry.

 = = = = =

Barney Ales & John Rook

In Hollywood 9-27 for a meeting of nominating

committee members of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame,

Barney Ales and John Rook  reminisced of those days

when Barney was president of Motown Records, the

hottest label in the business.

As of October 1, 2007, over 50,000 fans have cast their

votes for their favorite recording artists from 1950 to

1975, many of the votes came from Europe. Each of the

nominees are required to have at least two top ten hits,

singles and/or album of any genre.

Voting began in late March 2007, with fans playing a

vital part of the nominating committee�s selection

process for the induction in December.

Recording stars continue to receive the support of

 fan clubs worldwide supporting hit makers,

 Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Teresa Brewer,

Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Nat "King" Cole, Bing Crosby,

Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin,  Connie

Francis, Johnny Mathis, Ricky Nelson, Patti Page,

Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross & the

Supremes, Johnny Tillotson and Jackie Wilson.

Their hits are as appreciated today as much as they

were when first recorded years ago.

Music fans are encouraged to suggest the names of

future nominees at the Hit Parade Hall of Fame

website with voting to begin anew at the start

of the New Year.

A �who�s who� of both the music and radio industries

have nominated more than one hundred recording

artists in that 25 year segment. Each of the artists are

featured on the Hit Parade Hall of Fame web site

accompanied by their biography, photo and a listing

of their biggest hit recording. Fans can vote by

going to the Hit Parade Hall of Fame website here.

= = = = =

Together Again 

Telephoning each other, we communicate often but

 a few years have gone by since we last met face to face.

That ended when we were invited by our mutual friend

Allen Shaw to be his guest in Los Angeles at the annual

Ella awards honoring Gladys Knight.

In accepting my offer to join WLS as one of Chicago�s

top on-air personalities, his quick wit and enthusiasm

immediately brought a good natured put down from

Super Jock Larry Lujack who chided him as �a brash

youngster� deserving almost daily ridicule.

Kris Erik Stevens at WLS

Later, uncle Lar would join me in welcoming him to a

newly named   SuperCFL before �the kid� established

himself as one of the nation�s top voice over talents

in California with his Kris Erik Stevens Enterprises.

Kris & John  9/2007

And so with great affection it was a joy spending

 some time together again reliving memories of those

Chicago days during dinner at Gladstones and

attending the �Ella� a night later at the Beverly Hilton.

jr

What goes around�

It was George Green who kept KABC on top in the Los

Angeles ratings for three decades. Certainly the most

dedicated, energetic manager I have ever worked

with, it was during his watch that KABC landed the

Dodgers, stealing them from KFI.

As a member of ABC radio management back then,

I understood the pride and appreciation the home

office had for KABC.  With the backing of company

founder Leonard Goldenson, George Green, like an

attentive parent, gave his �baby� KABC

loving attention.

Very seldom were decisions questioned as KABC not

only topped the ratings locally but was the nation�s

 top revenue station.  George was a �hands on�

manager, nothing escaped his attention.  His

discovery of on-air talent not only gave birth to

dozens of radio stars who even today are heard

 on the nation�s airwaves, George also demonstrated

 his appreciation of programming monetarily.

The destruction of a great radio station began with

 the purchase of ABC by Disney who ordered major

 cuts in programming expense.  Shown the door

along with the Dodgers and George Green were

 talented performers who had made major

contributions in making KABC several times,

 �radio�s station of the year.�

Now owned by Citadel, comes word that the Dodgers

will return. It�s a start toward replacing some of the

luster that has been sadly missing from the

once mighty - KABC.

= = = = =

Mason Moves in LA

Dan Mason

I�ve been following the moves made by CBS radio since

the arrival of Dan Mason at the helm. He is handling

the responsibility much like the great top management

executives of the past, prior to deregulation. Dan in

knowing it all begins with programming, within a very

short period of time has corrected the dozens of

missteps of his predecessor.

Now with the top management changes at CBS radio in

Los Angeles, Dan Mason once again has taken the

correct steps in removing both KFWB  & KNX VP/GM

Pat Duffy and oldies KRTH VP/GM Maureen Lesourd.

Deregulation brought on a wave of sales managers

elevated to top management positions in radio.  They

had almost no feel or knowledge of programming.  

Believing they didn�t need ratings to deliver revenue,

some are finally being shown the door.

CBS radio managers should be receptive to the new

leadership of Dan Mason. 

He knows the path to success.    

jr

= = = = =

Mel-ites disease

It began to spread when the former head of Infinity

broadcasting allowed his ego to rival that of his

creation�Howard Stern.

Capturing media reporters, Mel Karmazin loved the

attention and took advantage of every opportunity to

make certain his name stayed in the spotlight.  Radio

programmers became obsolete as each and every

announcement of any kind came from the lips of Mel.

Soon, the sales driven heads of the other group owners

caught Mel-ites as they also clamored to be recognized.

Since then hardly any comment of any kind comes from

radio programmers, it all comes from their ego driven

bosses.  In fact, unlike the days when radio PD�s made

all of the announcements concerning the programming

on their stations, today the Program Director is largely

unknown, shunted to the back of the bus by company

heads with Mel-ites.

In recent days it was Citadel boss Farid Suleman, a one

time lieutenant of Karmazin who endorsed the possible

return of Don Imus to radio.  Once again it wasn�t the  

program director or even a station manager of WABC

who made the announcement, it was a headline

hunting Suleman, with little if any programming

experience.

If radio is to reinvent its days of success, it must

replant the seeds allowing program directors to take

full responsibility of programming.  It is they who

should be interviewed and quoted about programming,

not the company head.  Until then, radio will be

without programmers.

= = = = =

The Pendulum Swings

Throughout history, often popular music advanced

the  acceptance of risqu� language on an

unsuspecting  public. What shocked the sensibility

 of one generation would be acceptable to another.

In the early 60�s, Denver dj Royce Johnson forced a

 change in licensee for KIMN when he decided to flush

a toilet over the air.  In Kingstree, South Carolina,

 Charley Walker of WDKA cost his owner a license

when the Federal Communications Commission

deemed his humor, minus profane words of any kind,

�coarse and by innuendo vulgar.�

Before becoming a sausage brand, Jimmy Dean was a

recording star that rode to the top of the Hit Parade

with his �Big Bad John� in 1961, but not before radio

forced a re-record of the ending from �he was one hell

of a man� to �he was one big, big man.�   The word

 �hell� wasn�t acceptable for the public airwaves.

At the same time a lady that was �pregnant� was

referred to as �being in a family way.� Ass and butt

was a �rear end� and/or �fanny.�  While common

 today, any performer using the term �pissed off�

or �knocked up� would have been swiftly terminated.

Broadcasters voluntarily followed a strong industry

wide code that reflected community standards.

 The change came with deregulation in the 1990�s as

irresponsible new radio owners opened the flood

gates of profanity.

With the urging of millions of Americans, the FCC

took steps to erase vulgarity and smut from the

public airwaves only to have the U.S. Court of Appeals

rule �Sh-t� and �Fu-k� should be allowed.

While the ruling by the New York court is

disappointing, expect the FCC to rightfully appeal

 this decision and continue to hold licensees

responsible for what they broadcast.

jr

= = = = =

Hands off Talk Radio,

the heartbeat of a nation.

                                                                                                                               Clinton                           Boxer

Following Trent Lott�s need to �deal with� talk radio,

is a new report of Hillary Clinton and Barbara Boxer

considering a legislative brake to stop the public

from hearing opposing views to their beltway agenda

and Senator Diana Feinstein saying she is "looking at"

the possibility of reviving the fairness doctrine.

Not satisfied with the majority of the media echoing

their views and/or delivering a menu of non news,

politicians are threatening to muzzle what they

call �conservative� talk radio.

The immediacy and mobility of radio combined with

the Internet is providing a valuable service to our

country during one of the most important times in

our nation�s history.

More than any other media, they give a voice to a

public that deserves being heard. Instead of

threatening to silence them, politicians should

listen�they�ll hear the heartbeat of a nation.

jr

= = = = =

He's back.....

In the more than forty years I�ve known him, he has

always been very protective of his privacy, cautioning

against sharing his home telephone and/or e-mail

address with anyone.

Several years ago after a lifetime of radio that included

heading up programming of the powerful RKO chain,

he retired to Georgia. I was surprised when he recently

called to advise he had returned to make Los Angeles

his home. �Don�t tell anyone John.�

So imagine my amusement on 9/5 when millions of

Tonight Show viewers saw Jay Leno surprise Paul by

knocking on his apartment door and enlisting him in

one of that shows skits.

I guess its no secret anymore that Paul Drew is

back living in Los Angeles.

See Paul's Tonight Show debut here  

= = = = =

      One of the greatest singers of all time,

Luciana Pavarotti, after battling pancreatic

cancer for more than a year, has died at his

 home  in Modena,  Italy.  

He was 71 years of age.

Pavarotti is the best-selling classical artist,

with more than 100 million records sold since

 the 1960s  and he had the first classical

album to reach  No. 1 on the pop charts.

 �Nessun Dorma� the classic from Puccini's opera

Turandot, which also served as the theme tune

 for the 1990 World Cup, has surged in internet

popularity since Pavarotti's death on 9/6.

In 1998 Pavarotti performs it live in Paris here .

Hear his "O Sole Mio" here and Ave Maria here

= = = = =

= = = = =

Rolling Stone Magazine Hits a Sour Note

With Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Nominees

To anyone who�s still reading or buying Rolling Stone:

It�s time to boycott Jann Wenner�s flagship magazine.

I�ve never participated in a boycott � not of lettuce or

grapes or anything else. But enough is enough.

After the announcement late Friday of the nominees�

ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there�s only

thing to do: Hit publisher Wenner, who controls the

Rock Hall, where it hurts.

If you love rock 'n' roll, stop buying Rolling Stone

 until the tremendous insults of the Hall of Fame

are corrected.

Read all of Roger Friedman's remarks here

= = = ==

Threatens Talk Radio

                                                                                                                              Lott                        Bush 

Annoyed by talk radio�s ability to expose the

scamnesty that is senate bill #1348, the Republican

whip of Mississippi, carrying the water

for the Bush administration said:

 �Talk radio is running America.

We have to deal with that problem.�

At some point, Mr. Lott said, Senate Republican

leaders may try to rein in �younger guys who are

huffing and puffing against the bill.�

Hoping to rush the flawed legislation past a sleeping

public, conservative talk radio hosts did what only

radio can do by immediately reviewing the bill and

making their findings known to the American public

who in turn expressed their outrage by swamping

the senate and the white house with faxes and

telephone calls.

The heat was enough to stall the senate from moving

forward until President Bush, an advocate of open

borders and known for ignoring the voices of

Americans, stepped in urging senators to reverse

course and reconsider S-1348.

Now, hoping to corral talk radio from offering

further opposition, senator Lott threatens talk radio.

We urge talk radio on and suggest, �inept politicians

America. We have to deal with that problem.�

jr

= = = = =

English Please !

Governor Schwarzenegger

As radio�s new owners rush to cash in on the invasion

of millions of illegal Hispanic�s by switching

programming from English to Spanish in hundreds

 of markets, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

says Latino�s who want to learn English more quickly

should avoid Spanish-language media.

"It�s that simple. You�ve got to learn English. I know

 this sounds odd and this is the politically incorrect

thing to say and I�m going to get myself in trouble.

 But I know that when I came to this country, I very

rarely spoke German to anyone,� Schwarzenegger

tells the National Association of Hispanic Journalists

attending a convention in San Jose.

With first hand knowledge,  the governor advises

immigrants from European countries have an easier

time learning English because they don�t have many

opportunities to speak their native language in the

 United States.

"You�re just forced to speak English,� notes Arnold,

 "and that makes you learn the language faster.�

= = = = =

A Gold Star for talk radio

Guard against a government intent

with silencing it.

Those who question the effectiveness of radio need

 look no further than the power talk show hosts

demonstrated in awakening the public to what the

white house and the senate thought would be a

slam dunk amnesty that would be rushed through

with little public awareness.

Within two weeks of Senate Bill 1348 becoming

known, it stalled when lobbyist counting on

politicians in the pocket of big business, failed to

override the millions of Americans that flooded

Washington with non stop faxes and phone calls

expressing outrage with what president Bush

peddled as �comprehensive immigration legislation.�

Once again newspapers and television failed to

 inform the public of the dangers of this scamnesty.

It was talk radio that sounded the alarm that made

Americans aware of what was in the bill, directing

 them to internet websites such as NumbersUSA,

ALIPAC and Grassfire, where citizens organized

to fight the proposed Kennedy/Bush legislation.

However, even with polls showing the vast majority

of Americans insisting our current immigration

laws  be followed and our borders strictly enforced,

the Bush white house continues to twist the arm�s of

lawmakers in an attempt to keep S-1348 alive.

George Bushed ?

An administration that failed to control the border

and failed to enforce the law on employers, insists

 we need a new law to replace those they have failed

to enforce.  Worse yet, president Bush threatens

that if he doesn�t get his way with the passage

of S-1348, he will continue to just pay lip service in

recognizing the invasion of our borders and the

Trojan horse already within our nation.

With most of the media content with bombarding

the public with a steady stream of insignificant

 Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith coverage, we are

privileged to have talk radio.

Politicians intent with diminishing the resolve of

citizens, sapping them of their will to oppose, have

recently threatened to reign in talk radio hosts

that recognize their responsibility and are

courageously exposing the flawed desires of

elected representatives under the thumb of

special interests.        

We can take pride in talk radio and those hosts

that recognize very little is more important today

than the future of our country and the nation

we leave for our children. 

We must also guard against a government that may

soon take action to silence them. 

 jr

= = = = =