Volume XXXII • Number 49 • December 8, 2006 the advertising revenues essential to the survival of nonsubscription media. Indeed, the primary challenge facing local stations in today’s THE highly competitive environment is remaining economically viable and accordingly able to continue to serve their communities with free, over- MAIN STREET the-air entertainment and informational programming — including news, Communicator Network emergency information, and other local programming that their audiences need and expect. “The Commission should modernize its local-ownership rules to reflect these dramatic changes in the media AA TT TT LL EE marketplace and to ensure that local television and radio broadcasters, TT RR as well as daily newspapers, are not unfairly hampered in their ability to serve the public by outmoded regulations that limit them and not their Publisher: Tom Kay Editor: Kate Kennedy competitors. Simply put, retaining severe ownership restrictions does Cartoons Pilfered by Lenny Bronstein & Jay Philpott not promote the public interest in today’s digital multichannel 1986-Main1986 Main Street’s 20th Anniversary-2006Anniversary 2006 marketplace; to the contrary, it hinders local stations’ abilities to provide Conservative talker Dennis Prager landed himself in hot water this increasingly costly programming and other diverse, valuable services week when he criticized Rep. Keith Ellison for insisting on being sworn to local audiences.” into Congress using the Koran rather than a Bible. Prager has so angered The Council on American-Islamic Relations that they are Byron Dorgan (D-ND) makes it clear that he hasn’t forgotten about demanding his removal from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. media issues as the lame duck session winds down. He, along with Prager, a Salem syndicated host, published a column online on eight other senators also sent a letter to Kevin Martin reminding him November 28, saying that Ellison should not be sworn into Congress if that the report from former Chairman Michael Powell’s Localism Task he would not take the oath on a Bible as do al other members of Force is still pending, and that it needs to be finished before proceeding, Congress. In a letter written by Exec. Dir. Nihad Aswad to Council and that only four of six forums have been held. “We understand from Chairman Fred Zeidman, Aswad stated, “No one who holds such some public comments that you have made that you intend to gather bigoted, intolerant and divisive views should be in a policy making the comments that were submitted in the localism proceeding and position at a taxpayer-funded institution that seeks to educate Americans incorporate them into the media ownership inquiry, while going no further about the destructive impace hatred has had, and continues to have, with the specific localism proceeding. This potential course of action on every society.” The Anti-Defamation League has also criticized would cause us grave concern.” The group stressed that the localism Prager’s comments, calling him “flat-out wrong” and noting that the proceeding should remain separate and should be a 350K study on official oath is done in the House chambers without a Bible, and that localism said to have been submitted to Martin for review. “Democracy the Bible is used in unofficial private ceremonies at the option of the depends on the open and free flow of information,” said Dorgan. “The member of Congress. rules governing media ownership have a significant impact on the diversity of voices and ownership in our communities. When local Kevin Martin received a letter this week from a coalition of radio and stations are controlled by big corporations outside their communities, it TV broadcasters and newspapers. The FCC Chairman and his fellow weakens their ability to provide wide coverage of local issues.” The commissioners got the letter on Wednesday, wherein they urged the issue is a bipartisan one, as two Republicans also signed the letter. All loosening of media-ownership rules. A laundry list of companies, are members of the Commerce Committee. including the four major TV networks and their affiliate groups, Clear Channel, Tribune, Bonneville, Cox Enterprises, Hearst-Argyle, and John Dingell (D-MI) was unanimously elected by the House a group of broadcasters under the “Smaller Market Broadcasters Democratic Congress to position of Chairman at the House Coalition,” served as signatories for the letter. “Technological and Committee On Energy and Commerce, and position he held from marketplace developments — especially the growth of multichannel 1980 to 1994. The committee oversees communications policy as well programming distributors and the Internet — have fundamentally altered as consumer protection, environmental issues, health care, and energy. the landscape in which the commission’s ownership rules were originally adopted,” the letter states. “Consumers nationally and in local markets The Future of Music Coalition is scheduled to release on Dec. 13 a of all sizes now enjoy access to, and benefit from, a vast array of new report called “False Premises, False Promises: A Quantitative information, opinion, and entertainment from a wide range of diverse History of Ownership Consolidation in the Radio Industry.” The coalition sources, including television and radio stations, nonbroadcast and says the report will show that radio ownership consolidation at the multichannel outlets, print publications, and the virtually unlimited voices national and local levels has led to fewer choices in radio programming available on the Internet. As a result of this explosion of outlets and and harmed the listening public. new technologies, television and radio broadcasters are experiencing unprecedented challenges in maintaining their audience shares and THE LEARNING CONFERENCE PRESENTS RELEASE DATE: JUNE 28, 2007 ADMISSION: $179 until 12/31/06 PREMIERING AT: THE MINNEAPOLIS www.theconclave.com MARRIOTT CITY CENTER Conclave 007 FOR YOUR EARS ONLY MAIN STREET MARKETING & PROMOTION, 4517 MINNETONKA BLVD #104, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55416 PHONE/FAX: 952.927.HITS (4487)/927-6427 Publisher: Tom Kay at [email protected] Web: www.main-st.net HinderLips of An Angel On the air! STILL ADDING AFTER 5 MONTHS AT RADIO!! KZZO KCRW KTRU T40 AC 27x!! WERS KCRS KEXP WMRV KMHX KSYM KTRS KUMU WBER WKEE 9x!! WFXH Consolation Prizes Wilks Broadcasting commenced with a bloodbath on Wednesday. The After an incredible 27-year morning experience on Journal Hot AC company took over a bunch of former CBS/Kansas City stations on WKTI/Milwaukee, Bob Reitman comes to the end of the road. His final Friday, and immediately fired nine employees and knocked several full- show will be next Wednesday, Dec. 13, and needless to say, the beloved timers down to part time. At KFKF, Rusty Walker, who handled a 9a- Reitman will not be taking it easy in retirement: “We have a fun final 1p spot takes off as MD/middayer Tony Stevens takes his air shift to 9- week for Reitman,” PD Bob Walker promises, as Monday, Tuesday 2p. Night man Tim Peters is also gone, and for now the spot is being and Wednesday of next week will each be in tribute to Reitman’s long held by various parttimers. Veteran newsman Randy Birch and morning and storied career. “On Monday, the morning show will be hosted by show producer Jim Daniels were also given the heave-ho. Over at our afternoon personality, Lips Labelle, who will conduct a Behind the KCKC, night slammer Mike O’Brien and Promotions Coordinator Music-type show with Reitman and his three cohorts, sitting in front of Angela Simmons are done, and KMXV Promotions Dir. Neal Dunker a live studio audience, who will be able to ask questions,” Walker tells says goodbye as well. KMXV Promotions Jamie Harris is now a ST Daily. Next Tuesday, Dec. 12, the morning show will broadcast live parttimer. Greg Sage moves off from full-time pm traffic on KMXV, as until noon at Milwaukee’s historic Riverside Theater. “It will be a chance well as promotions at KMXV and KCKC and imaging at KCKC, to for the public to come and see Reitman, Muller, Amy and Gino do the become parttime. T.J. McEntire now spins afternoons on KBEQ, while show together one last time,” says Walker. “This will also be a real Ronnie Phillips segues from nights to middays. Shotgun Jaxon ‘Who’s-Who’ of Wisconsin [Ed. note: if there is such a thing…Oh, SNAP!] departs as he and the station were not able to come to a mutual with everyone who is someone stopping by to wish Reitman well in his agreement. KBEQ Promotions Coodinator Kristy Rush also exits. retirement. Later that evening, we’re holding a ticketed charity event Wilks also nixed a long-time fixture in its take over of their new cluster called ‘Farewell to Reitman: A Night of Laughs’ — a variety/comedy in Columbus, Ohio, from CBS Radio as an OM overseeing three radio show featuring Reitman’s favorite guests over the years — plus a few stations: Dave Cooper is out because of budget cuts. Cooper oversaw surprises that even he doesn’t know about.” The morning man is sticking Country WHOK, Rock WLVQ, and active rocker WAZU. with radio, however. Reitman will do a weekly show on Milwaukee Public Radio’s noncommercial WUWM on Thursdays 7-9p CT starting 19 employees were fired last week, and “It was blood-gushing,” as Jauary 25. Reitman started his local radio career at WUWM, and his described by WLW/WCKY sports reporter and producer Greg Waddell show will carry the same name as the original, “It’s All Right, Ma! It’s described last week’s downsizing at Clear Channel Cincinnati. Besides Only Music.” The show will be repeated Saturday nights at 9p. Waddell, the list of people axed includes WEBN-FM midday jock Wendy Walker and WCKY-AM sports talk host Jeff Piecoro.