Singing Star Jo Stafford dies

Jo Stafford

 

With nearly 100 visits to the best selling charts, she

 was the top female singer of the 1940’s and 50’s.

Soloing with million sellers "Candy," "Make Love To Me"

 "You Belong To Me," "Jambalaya", "Keep It A Secret"

 "Shrimp Boats," and "It's Almost Tomorrow,"

  Jo Stafford’s unique impeccable lead voice is

also heard on recordings with  the Pied Pipers,

Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine

and Gordon MacRae.

 

A favorite of American troops during World War II,

 she was given the name "GI Jo" before joining her

husband composer and orchestra leader  Paul Weston

 to create "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris,"

winning a Grammy for Best Comedy Album of 1960.

 

A 2007 nominee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame,

Jo Stafford, in ill health and hospitalized several

 times in recent months for congestive heart failure

 died at 90 years of age on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at

her home in Century City, California.

 

 

You can vote now here 

 

 

On a personal note…. 

 

Rook named coach

 

 Nick Rook

 

With the exception of some chapters in “Passing Thru,”

this website is mostly dedicated to radio and music

interests.  However, it’s impossible to contain our

excitement and pride when one of our own excels

on his intended path in life.

 

Congratulations coach Nick….we love you.

 

CDA Press coverage here

 

 

                           

 

Fair Fairness Doctrine ?

 

As a broadcast owner two dozen years ago I was

nominated by President Reagan’s close friend, Senator

Paul Laxalt of Nevada to be an FCC commissioner. In the

process hundreds of radio managers and owners wrote

 the administration supporting me resulting in my being

interviewed by White House chief of staff Howard Baker

and by Senators Jessie Helms and Ted Kennedy.

 

As the Governor of California I had met Ronald Reagan

earlier when I leased the home of Ed & Jean Reinecke,

the Lt. Governor and his wife. I greatly admired Reagan

and would have probably supported him in most areas

except for his desire to end the Fairness Doctrine.

 

While Reagan was blocked from filling any FCC

commission opening in retaliation for his support of

Ollie North’s Central America battle with the

Sandinistas, the Fairness Doctrine had seemed

“fair” to me and upon saying so during my interviews

in the nations capitol, it was clear that view wasn’t

what the White House wanted from a prospective

 FCC commissioner. 

 

I remember flying home to my Idaho paradise with a

sigh of relief. I would never have been comfortable

 in Washington D.C.

 

Finally the broadcast lobby in their drive to

deregulate the industry did get the Fairness

Doctrine removed setting the way for radio to

police themselves with fewer voices and a handful

of  owners guided less by a need to serve the public 

and more by their desire to make money. 

 

"Free enterprise" sounds great, but I have first

hand experience of being driven out of the radio

ownership by those who without enforced guidelines

 will overreach gobbling up everything they can.

 

Imagine if you will no laws on the roadways with

everyone allowed to drive as they see fit.   

 

Now the pendulum is swinging with the Fairness Doctrine

once again being considered. I’ve discussed it time and

time again with several of my talk show host friends, who

have a differing view.  Frankly many of them have been

giving  "equal time" very successfully. It will certainly

continue to be a subject of interest as we near what

could be a totally democrat dominated congress.

 

I could change my mind but at this point I’d agree

with my pal Jerry Del Colliano who gives his view

of  Radio's Unfairness Doctrine  here.

 

Rush Limbaugh   Howard Stern

 

Whoda thot small town mediocre Pennsylvania disc

jockey Jeff Christie would become a radio superstar

 by changing to his birth moniker of Rush Limbaugh

 just in time to take advantage of the death of the

 Fairness Doctrine  back in the late  80’s and

 becoming a talk show host.

 

The man millions love and others love to hate has

signed to continue his daily kilowatt ranting with

Clear Channel’s Premiere radio until he reaches 

retirement at the age of 65 in 2016.

 = = = = =

 

Given the shaky financial status of both Clear Channel

and Howard Stern’s Sirus, one can only wonder if

Rush and Howard will actually bank the millions they’ve

been promised. Of course, the memory of the media is

limited in their hoopla claim of Rush's payday being

record setting when in fact Howard's was greater.

 

With the “deal” merging Sirus and XM still in limbo

and WiFi presenting a challenge to the future

of satellite and terrestrial radio, its a good thing

Rush and Howard pocketed major signing

bonuses.  The pay out could be less than they think.

Meanwhile a nervous virus has taken root at XM

where many realize their continued employment

 is precarious.  Either XM will sink or Mel Karmazin

will swoop in to Sirusize XM.    

 = = = = =

 

Mancow

 

He's keeping quiet, but it's a smart move

by WLS giving Erich Mancow Mueller  a foot in the

door that will probably lead to his full time return to

Chicago radio as he does some “fill” this month.  

He’s been without a windy city stage, since Emmis

 brought his curtain down two years ago.

= = = = =

 

KILT in Houston was one of the most legendary Top 40

radio stations in history and besides staffed by

celebrated talents, in it’s heyday was managed by

 Bill Weaver who wrote “Triple Double Cross” before

his passing last year.  It’s a great read, shedding new

light on the   assassination of JFK.

Order it here 

 Clear Chanel board

And, long time pal Ted Atkins, a programmer of

 several giant radio stations during his career, has been

putting the finishing touches to his remembrance of

Phil Spector that will be presented on this website

in the near future.

 

Clear Channel has decided that “Less is More”

will not bring in the revenue needed to pay the $400

million they have promised Rush Limbaugh. They’ll be

adding some additional commercials to Rush’s show

 with a “More is More” theme extended to other time

periods as well.

 

The number one subject on Talk Radio is the spiraling

price of gasoline now passed the $4.00 a gallon mark in

the states. Double that price if you are in England,

France, Norway and Belgium or escape the escalating

cost of gas by traveling to Venezuela where its

12 cents a gallon.

 

Direct mail providers are lobbying in several states

against the move to create “Do Not Mail” programs

similar to the one that limits telephone marketers.

Proponents estimate almost 6 million tons of direct

mailings annually cost tax payers millions to dispose

of and  require 100 million trees to be cut. Radio

could benefit from an increase in advertising

if direct mail is limited.

 

 

 

Left Behind ?

 

I find it interesting how the print media, suffering

major losses in circulation and advertising revenue

 and long known to ignore radio, has not only begun to

rely on radio programmers for guidance but  are also

forming alliances they hope will cushion their demise.  

 

With the exception of the expert coverage of Chicago

area broadcasting by Robert Feder at the Sun Times,

very few newspapers deem local radio and television

important enough to be reported. But with the drop

 in circulation in my own area the editors of the

 Spokane Spokesman-Review have now awakened

to proudly gush about being a participant in the

programming of one of the town’s news/talk facilities.

 

             Robert Feder     Randy Michaels          Lee Abrams

 

Now-a-days with newspaper circulation in a deadfall,

columnist and editors at the Tribune Corporation

have suddenly found themselves taking direction from

radio programming wizards Randy Michaels

and Lee Abrams.

 

The immediacy advantage of the electronic media has

now moved to the Internet. With WiFi challenging

terrestrial and satellite radio, video on the web via

U-Tube and others are doing the same to television.

 In a society of non-readers the newspaper is fast

becoming the dinosaur of media.

 

In the years before broadband and certainly since,

the importance of the internet was predicted by many

but few more of a visionary than radio’s Bob Hamilton.

 In our conversations of more than a dozen years ago,

 he forecast exactly what we are experiencing today.

 

             Bob Hamilton     Rollye James    Jerry Del Colliano  

 

Bob, along with radio talk show host Rollye James and

Jerry Del Colliano often jump start my brain. Each

excel in various area’s that converge to remove the

blinders that clog ones mind. Broadcast and the print

media both would have benefited early on by

inviting their input.

 

The past provides many lessons for the future.

 Those who combine it with the technology of today

 and tomorrow will be successful. Those who don’t

 will be left behind.

jr

 

 

Chrysler introduces WiFi Radio

The Future is NOW

 

 

Starting this fall, Chrysler will offer wireless WiFi

in all 09 models. Called UConnect, it brings the

internet to consumers along with thousands of

radio stations worldwide, e-mail, games and even

the ability to upload pictures.

 

For local AM & FM radio stations, who have long

claimed a captured audience of consumers in cars,

they will now have more than just satellite radio as

competitors. As we have  been saying for some time ,

 WiFi radio is the  future.  

 

Those terrestrial radio receivers,  HD radio,

satellite radio  and tower sites will soon be obsolete

 with the information superhighway now available

everywhere, at home and away.

 

The first such technology from any automaker,

Chrysler's UConnect includes 32-number phone

book feature  and  voice-dialing. Its also  available

 as a dealer-installed retrofit for models back to 1994.

 

Thirty million Americans now listen to

 radio off the Internet each week, most via their

computer speakers, but that’s about to change

drastically now that WiFi receivers allow

users access without even having your PC on.

 

 

The return of Top 40 WLS

 

In resurrecting the WLS call letters for Citadel’s

WZZN-fm we can only hope the programming will take

advantage of the history that goes with the name.

Beginning in the 1960’s WLS captured a huge audience,

often with more listeners than all other Chicago

 stations combined.

 

Programming what was “popular,” not limiting the

music to just rock, WLS introduced a vast variety of music

that ranged from the melodic #1 instrumentals

of Percy Faith, Bert Kaempfert, Aker Bilk and Paul

Mauriat with a foreign language chart topper  by Japan’s

Kyu Sakamoto, novelty hits from the Hollywood Argyles

and Bobby “Boris” Pickett. Rockers Elvis Presley,

Chubby Checker, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin and

the Beatles all came from the 60’s, an era largely ignored

by programmers today who foolishly limit the music and

hide the term “oldies” from their branding.  Encouraged

by advertising agency's, "oldies" is being replaced

 in favor of "classic hits."  Now I ask, when was the last

time you heard a listener describe an "oldies" format

 as  "classic hits?"  

 

Reaching the prized 25-54 demo plus a giant slice of

baby boomers can deliver a big cume that turns into

success for WLS-fm and it can be done by sparingly

spotlighting some  hits of the early 60’s that WLS-am

 first introduced to millions. Limiting the music only

limits the number of listeners. Let's hope WLS-fm is

truly a great "oldies" station that takes advantage of the

vast musical library Chicagoans grew up hearing.  

 

WLS-fm would be wise to offer the “wow” factor, a

pleasant surprise in its presentation of “oldies.”

General Manager Mike Fowler declares, “we’re going to

develop this into the top 40 WLS of old.” Today that

station is remembered for being a leader in both its role

 in breaking the hits and offering unique on-air

personalities. Theirs a lot for WLS-fm to learn from

its big sister WLS-am.

 

We wish them well and look forward to WLS-fm

recapturing the spirit and the ratings of its namesake.

jr

 

Pioneer Rock Giant Dies

Bo Diddley

 

Bo’s beat and rhythmic guitar genius was unmistakably

his, copied but never duplicated by many including

the Rolling Stones.  Pioneering the rock beat in the

1950’s his first recording’s, “Bo Diddley” and “I’m A Man”

topped the R&B charts with a pop hit “Say Man”

 introducing rap before it had a name.

 

Having suffered a stroke and a heart attack in 2007,

one year later on Monday, June 2, rock legend Bo Diddley

died of heart failure in Archer, Florida. He was 79.

 

A 2008 nominee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame,

read his bio, vote for and remember Bo Diddley's 

innovative sound here.

 

 

Lujack & Friends

 

John Cravens, John Gehron, Jeff Trumper,

Larry Lujack,  John Rook  &  Don Bouloukos

 

Uncle Lar returned with Tommy Edwards,

John Records Landecker and others to star in the

WLS Memorial Day “Rewind”.

 

A reminder of why we all love him,  see

Janet Davies of WLS-TV interview Larry here

 

Hall of Fame inductee Lujack has made it quite clear to

me during our conversations that he isn’t ready to hang

up the earphones and as Chicago Sun Times columnist

Robert Feder reports here, retirement isn’t setting

well for Superjock.

 

My suggestion - Lujack's star would shine

brightly with the WGN line up.

 

   jr