BREAKING NEWS!!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!BREAK...lord help we sound like WATE!! LOL
DASH OVER TO http://southernwriter.blogspot.com/ for a new twist in the AIR AMERICA RADIO NETWORK DEATH!





I have had more than a few gentle readers (remember when POA used to sign off with gentle listeners boy was that guy fun..right up until the day he started reporting Blount County court house gossip as fact) tell me I should start naming the folks in the old media pictures I post. How about I give you a few clues and then name them next week? You know kinda like the other contests we run here at the Report, where the prize is absolutely nothing?

This week’s picture is of a guy I worked with. See now we have narrowed down the search to seven or eight stations all in the Knoxville market! He lives in Nashville, getting warmer?? His voice is on regional and national radio spots and still heard on the banks of the Holston, getting hotter? I gave him a middle name of Potts when we worked together, on fire yet? I sang on a demo jingle for the Airport Motor Mile that he made in a studio garage that had a dirt floor, two purloined Ampex 601s and a guitar made out of a commode seat, cold again? Oh and his radio shift let him sleep in until 9 in the morning and got him off the air just before 3 in the afternoon. Got it?? GREAT, post your answer and remember follow all the contest rules on the box top or your guess will be disqualified!



I guess we should mention the media coverage of Tyler Harber. We should but man it is so convoluted (both the story and the coverage) and political it is turning into a major bore for those of us who live across the river. Don’t get me wrong, we love politics and have our share here in God’s Chosen Country (Blount County), but this one is like a sparkler just before it lets out that little glow and burns out at the wire.

Coverage kicked off Friday when TH released a report on the young man’s escapades while in the employ of the county of Knox. Three TV stations got the report (as the big paper reported, there are boxes and boxes of computer records still available to those who wanta talk about this thing) and my favorite early coverage came from WVLT. Paraphrasing their first look they said it was a big thing and they needed to take a little closer read before they really got into it. Ya know that might be one of the smarter moves by any of the electronic journalist yet! By the weekend the thing (three ring note books filled with Tyler “moves”) was being posted on the net for those who really wanted to put on the waders and slosh into the muck. I am sure by Monday Robin and John will be moving it up to third or second story, WATE will have a “shaky cam” report with someone in a Burberry running in the rain with a laptop under their arm and shielding their face from the camera with their hand, while WVLT will still be reading. Either way, the giant question is who really cares? If somehow we find there was a government employee on payroll not doing his job will we really be shocked? Hey, if we even find out said employee was a sneaky little dude who tried to hide incriminating electronics above an AC duct will we all throw up our hands in amazement and call The Voice or Hal Hill to proclaim our shock at such misuse of tax payers dollars?


You tell me. I live in Blount County and the last time I talked with our city mayor we remembered floating the Little T back in 65 trying to catch rainbows on corn I brought from the J&K. Oh and as for our political conversation, it was about a new bike trail that might be in the works running behind Blount Memorial and eventually connecting to the miles and miles of existing trails that lace around downtown. As for the Tyler fun, as we say stay tuned but man don’t center your life on this, Bruce is winning, spring practice will be here before you know it and that new radio station (the one someone put up boards saying not to dial up) is starting to catch more than a few new ears. Life is good if we don’t sweat the small stuff and remember it is ALL small stuff.

YOU GUYS HATE CHANGE!






It is fun to see how viewers react to change in our local TV world. The thing that always amazes me is how S L O W they are to realize and accept it. Brothers and sisters life in the local TV passing lane is always moving and there is nothing we can do about it.
When WBIR lost the Fountain City flash (Ted Hall) to the big leagues the unwashed had no problem at all with veteran anchor Bill Williams hitting the on deck circle. As Bill told me it just took a few minutes to acclimate himself to the chair and he was off and running. Not ONE e mail saying how much Teddy was missed, not one complaint at Bill returning, and not even a wrinkled eyebrow rocked the seamless replacement. The overnight ratings also reflected the viewer’s feelings as Bill first maintained and then grew the 6 p.m. numbers to continue the stations domination over WATE and the rest of the local news market.
Things were wonderful, the sun was shinning, sales were growing, and then as promised the power brokers at WBIR brought in a new dude. At first not a word from the peanut gallery, people were still seeing Bill doing the adoption deal and his Mission of Hope pitches, he was still there right? At last we crawled into 2007, January finally started to get cold and the viewers realized they had a new face on WBIR news. Because I am your Media Maven and my cyber door is never closed the e mailed thoughts on this new addition have been growing. Most come from folks who just now have figured out JOHN BECKER is the new guy and all of them are not sure what they think of this bird. Replacing Teddy Bob with Bill was easy, Williams was a known and respected news face. Ted was a good Live At Five guy and when he left he was missed about as long as the Uncle with the bad jokes and fake hair who shows up Christmas afternoon, makes fun of the kids and dog and is gone before the rest of the family comes over for dinner. But NOW here comes a guy we don’t know replacing Bill Williams on Knoxville’s number one local news station, time to light the pine knots and head out to Broadway!


First the notes took shots at his hair. Personally I admire a guy WITH hair, but for some reason people found his a little too something or other. Then they went after his posture, I kid you not more than a few e mails were upset over the way he sat at the dang desk, saying he was LEANING a bit too close to Robin? Excuse me? I never saw that one at all. It looked like he just sat there and did his thing but then I am still living in the dark ages with my tired old 40 something inch TV. I guess when I buy a house with a bigger wall and move up to that 50 inch plasma I will be able to see what you are seeing? My favorite e mails about the guy are the ones that just say, “I can’t put my finger on it, but there is just SOMETHING about this guy I don’t like.” Anyway after shifting through all of them I think the biggest problem he has is he is new. Next year he won’t be and he will be fine.


In his defense I will say the last few Sundays he as been doing a great job filling in on the political chat show on 10. Most of the time the show is duller than an old steak knife in a tackle box but the times I have seen him he jacked some life into the tired group. He does his homework, asks good questions, and even challenges the democrats when they try to color the discussion. If you are one of those who still are not sure about the guy, check the listings and the next time he is on the Sunday show check him out.


Oh here is a thought, do any of you think the guy who does the Halls Salvage ads and the garden guy who comes on Style and Live at Five is the same fellow? Listen to the voice! And here is another thing; are you as sick as I am of the Rock Um Sock Um Robots beating on that truck commercial? Try to watch any sporting event and NOT see that spot just won’t happen. One other thing that is getting old is the excitement over NON-WEATHER. It did not snow Monday but I had to stand in line Saturday at the bank because you guys were whipped into a weather frenzy by our local meteorologists and needed more money to get to Kroger and clean out the milk and egg aisles! Look, just remember you can go to weather.com or weather bug or a thousand other sites and see the same junk the dude or dudetta is talking about on the TV. Just like the old days of hearing John Ward screaming he is on the 40 the 30 the 20 the 10 the 5 TOUCHDOWN, while you had not only already seen the play on TV but were headed to the carport for a Schlitz and a Winston, you will have the facts way before they do! Unlax, this is East Tennessee, the weather guys and gals are never right and Kroger will take PLASTIC!





PS

SCOT SAMS CAME OUT GREAT IN TEXAS! GO TO http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16506652.htm
for all the details! CONGRATS to a good kid who started hanging with CP and Walker back in 76!


This just in! Media is a loose net catching print..tv...radio and bloggers. That said some of them slithering around in this world are not ethical or even journalist..but rather agenda driven dweebs who have both a smell about their bods and an attitude when they write. That said, read what you will about TH ( the high sheriff and who might replace him) but never forget those who put the ink to the page are are often suspect! No joke children, just hang back...disregard what they are saying and see what happens in February. Bless their hearts some are just a sad lot of tired liberals who we should all give a Christmas basket and a smile but that's about it.

TWO WEEKS LATE..SORRY


WATE News drew fire from a lawyer questioning their reporting ethics again. Rather than getting into the accusations I suggest you make friends with someone at the other news producing stations and see if they will show you the lawyer's letter. It was red hot!

Lots of questions about the expansion of WVLZ programming were in the wind late in December. The rumor was the kids at 1180 were going to lease some of the AM stations owned by Horne Broadcasting to give their shows more coverage. Then another rumor bubbled up that the folks at WVLZ were looking for a new place due to their current lease with the owners of 1180 was about to hit the expiration deadline. All we know is January 7th was the day the new lease with Horne was to have started and so far nothing has transpired. I kinda miss the old days when folks just bought stations, but heck I also miss the old days when I had a JOB on a station. LOL!

Rumors of Citadel (keeper of the keys at WIVK) selling to ABC were way off the mark. It looks like there is a better chance of Citadel BUYING ABC radio!

"Citadel Broadcasting has reportedly emerged as the front runner. The New York Times says that after entertaining several bids, Disney selected Citadel as the preferred bidder and entered into exclusive negotiations. Citadel, the nation's fifth-largest radio broadcaster, could purchase the company for nearly $3 billion. Sources told the Times that the deal could be closed within the next two weeks, but they cautioned that it's possible the talks could break down and another bidder could be chosen."

We do know that long time favorite WLIL in Lenoir City has changed hands. Remember the old days when they did commentary news and sold things people couldn't get rid of in yard sales? Heck of a fun community station back then, but the original owner passed and who knows what the future will bring? Details of the sale are:
WLIL/Lenoir City, TN Sold
BP BROADCASTERS, LLC is selling Classic Country
WLIL-A/LENOIR CITY, TN to DONALD P. FOWLER
for $500,000 cash.
The seller holds onto WKZX/LENOIR City

NOW for some fun junk! Got a great radio bud living in Florida who is always sending me blasts from the past concerning Knoxville radio. Just before Christmas this old line up from WNOX hit the cyber mail box!



WNOX line up from January '78...
6 Dr. Dave Dunaway
10 Phil Williams
2 Mike Beach
6 Scott McLeod
10 Larry Steel
2 Bill Beason

I know Bill Beason is still in the area, running a web radio station and doing voice work, Phil is over on News Talk and I got to do a "remember when" show with Mike Beach last month. I think Dr. Dave is up in Norris farming and I have no idea where Larry Steel or Scott McLeod is now.

Oh in 1978 WRJZ was two years old and just killing WNOX! Mornings found the New 62 pushing Claude Da Cat around and our night guy (John Boy of the now rich and famous John Boy and Billy) owned the market. WRJZ was the last winning AM to leave the building and until Rush came along most of the AM stations just tried to stay alive with gospel or country formats. It was another day and time and it sure was fun!

E mail me at wjonair1@aol.com with your thoughts or ideas and I will post them. If you wanta post here have at it. As always I never edit or ban anyone. This is NOT knoxviews.com; this is a wide open blog that welcomes ALL thoughts and ideas!

Here is something of interest that just popped up yesterday. WHATA THINK GUYS??? It really does open the door to the discussion of where all media is headed and how FAST it is headed there. Sorry but this will not link you to the story..just cut and paste it and then go there, I know...by now the BOSS should have this link junk figured out..I AGREE!






http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003530405













BREAKING LOCAL MEDIA NEWS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

stay tuned!!!!