In recent years since its creation the Hit Parade Hall of

Fame has aimed to pay tribute to recording artists,

 many largely forgotten until now, who have brought so

much enjoyment to fans worldwide.

 

With the help of a very accomplished Nominating

Committee, the path to success for the Hit Parade

Hall of Fame has widened considerably.

 

Recently, Dr. George Pollard of the widely circulated

on-line magazine Grubstreet.ca inquired about our

doing an interview not only about my many years in

radio, but on a variety of subjects including the

 Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

 

I couldn’t resist and hope you will find my memories

of interest.

The Grubstreet interview is here.

 

 

You can vote now here 

 

 

Jerry Reed Dies

 

A singer songwriter who reached the top of the

Hit Parade on both the Pop and Country charts,

 Jerry Reed was also multi talented actor of both TV

and motion pictures.

 

Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee were among those

benefiting from his talent as a song writer and as a

recording star his “Amos Moses,” “When You’re Hot,

You’re Hot,” “Lord, Mr. Ford,” “East Bound An Down”

and “She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft”

were among his more than 50 hits.

 

Jerry Reed Hubbard died in Nashville on September 1

of complications from emphysema. Survived by his

wife and two daughters, he was 71 years of age.

 

 

 

Besides their own New Orleans cluster carrying 

coverage of Gustav, WWL was also on various stations

throughout the Gulf States….and overnight on CBS’s

 KDKA in Pittsburgh.

 

Don’t look for a sell off of legendary AM KDKA, it’s too

much a part of KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, but the fm

 sisters there are on the block.

 

Also from Pittsburgh, crossed wires as affiliates carrying

Clear Channel’s Labor Day feed of WPGB talkers

Quinn & Rose were shocked to find the duo replaced by

rock programming originated by Clear Channel’s WDVE.

 

KIMN, “The Denver Tiger” at 950 on the dial ruled the

mile high city for decades in the 50's and 60's with Top

Forty. In recent years as KKFN with a sports format, the

station is returning to program the music that 

 frequency once had great success with in the 60’s as

 "Cruisin Oldies - KRWZ."

 

 

And speaking of my Denver contacts of the late 50’s and

early 60’s, George Wilson cell phones, taunting me from

 a favorite hangout of ours of many years ago - the beach

at Paradise Cove in Southern California.  True, one can

never turn back the hands of time, but some great

vivid memories.

 

Good News, following her surgery in Southern California,

Rollye James is on the road not only to recovery, but

returning to her home in the northern Rockies where

she broadcasts nightly via XM satellite.

 

Happy retirement to Barry Freeman, classy guy and

long time industry vet with promotional ties to some of

the biggest labels during  the most exciting times in the

record biz and at ABC radio for the past dozen years.

Wish him well at -  bfent1@aol.com. 

 

Do you remember? It was fifty years ago this week,

Billboard changed their top 50 to a top 100 singles hit

survey that listed a song written by my close friend

Sharon Sheeley, Ricky Nelson’s “Poor Little Fool” at #1.

Record World and Cash Box were also the industry trades

of the day with San Francisco’s Bill Gavin soon to

 become the top music source for radio.

 

 

 WWL - 870 in New Orleans

 

 

As usual the print media and television again lag in the

distance and can’t possibly provide what radio has always

done best, inform the public of the instantaneous

events that effect their daily lives.

 

Nothing could have been truer than the coverage WWL

and the Entercom cluster of facilities in New Orleans

provided in alerting and directing the citizens of

Louisiana who live in the path of hurricane Gustav.

 

From the safety of my home more than a thousand miles

away, WWL allowed me to experience from a distance

the anguish that millions of Gulf residents were going

through as they hurried to escape the on coming storm,

a repeat of Hurricane Katrina that delivered great

tragedy, shredding lives and killing hundreds

just three years earlier.

 

The coverage given this unfolding event by radio

reminded me to include those far less fortunate

than  I…in my prayers.

 Please take a moment to remember them in yours too.

 

 

Get Well Rollye

                                    

                                       

 

I spend many hours each week listening to radio, in

 recent months almost exclusively via WiFi that allows

 me to hear programming nationally and worldwide

without static and no subscription fee.

 

I’ve long appreciated and respected the dedication of

on-air performers who despite the unexpected hurdles

life hands them, never loose sight of the fact that

 “the show must go on.”

 

One such on-air talent never ceases to amaze me with

her vast knowledge of so many subjects. Over the years,

 I first heard her on KFI, then KOA and finally with her

own syndicated talk show on XM and WiFi.

 

In communication with many of my radio friends

Rollye James has an earned reputation of being

“the total package,” exhibiting professionalism

as a performer and after years of being in the business,

able to handle virtually every facet of being on the air,

from setting up broadcast equipment to pioneering

 the use of technology that far exceed that known by

most on-air people.

 

Listeners are like family to Rollye, they rely on her for

a variety of reasons, including her view of the latest

news, on life as a whole or her travels to damn near

 every state in the nation.  While she doesn’t dwell on it,

regulars to her show are aware Rollye suffers from

 some serious health issues.

 

Packing up her broadcast gear and traveling to California

last week for surgery, she promised she would be live on

the air this week to cover the Democrat convention

 from  her recovery room.

 

Prior to her return to the air this week, I reached out to

find out how she was doing only to learn she was in a

 great deal of pain in the hours before airtime.

Tuning in, there she was…on the air dedicated as always.

 

Rollye James is my friend, a real pro and deserving

of our prayers for her swift recovery.

 

Luv ya dear…jr

 

 

Rock Hall's New York Move

 

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 

 

The relationship between Cleveland, Ohio and the

Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame has long been “frosty” at

 best for a variety of reasons, chief among them being

 the organization has continued to hold their annual  

induction ceremony in New York City, not at the

 museum in the Buckeye state.

 

There are really two opposing “Rock Hall” organizations,

the one in Cleveland is a museum that gives the paying

public a tour through the memorabilia of rockers,

 housing a collection of some of the most impressive and

idolized rock and roll heirlooms and the one in New York

that has been nothing more than offices for those who

hold the keys to the induction of rocks elite each year.

 

The New York hierarchy has been exposed for having

given less than $10,000 to indigent musicians from their

$11 million in holdings. The self appointed czar of the

chapter, Jann Wenner, was largely criticized for

handing out donations to cronies of his San Francisco

based Rolling Stone magazine, of which he is publisher.

 

Now with celebrated industry notable Clive Davis at his

side, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, taking the

 first steps that could move the Rock and Roll Hall of

Fame to the big apple, announces the opening of his

 city’s own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum that will

begin by housing a number of exhibits including the

1957 Chevy of current inductee Bruce Springstein.

 

Knowledgeable sources allege the move from Cleveland

to New York is planned for the Rock and Roll Hall

Of Fame museum with their former home on the

 banks of Lake Erie looking for another option.

 

 

In the forty years we've been friends, Bob Hamilton

has always been a visionary, way ahead of the class in

suggesting the future for radio and the web.

 

Bob spells it all out at his New Radio Star site.

  Don't miss his view of tomorrow  here.

 = = = = =

 

CBS radio now hopes "less is more"

 

Following in the path of Clear Channel’s move unloading

radio stations in what they consider less than productive

markets, CBS now announces that it will be slicing off up

to 50 radio stations from its portfolio. The guessing game

of just what medium size markets will be placed on the

block in the days ahead will depend on the amount of

interest the sell off generates at a time when terrestrial

radio lacks the  attractiveness it once had.  

 

The company hasn’t publically announced what stations

are involved but some well known legendary facilities

could be on the block starting with KDKA in Pittsburgh

and three other fm’s in that market as well as KMOX in

St. Louis. Those markets where CBS does not already

 have a full plate of fm's  could be the first to go.

 

Also pending interest from prospective buyers are likely

radio stations in Baltimore, Charlotte, Denver, Hartford,

Las Vegas, Orlando, Palm Springs, Portland, Riverside,

Sacramento and West Palm Beach.

 

= = = = =

 

Tom Merriman

 

More than fifty years ago, it was celebrated innovator

Gordon McLendon that opened the door for Tom

Merriman to make his own measurable legacy to radio

when he picked Tom as music arranger for his

Liberty Network band.

 

 A student of the renowned Julliard School of Music,

he  wrote and produced music for Louis Armstrong,

Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, as well as corporate

 and  film clients – winning a Cannes Film Festival Award

and an award from the Academy of Motion Picture

Arts and Sciences.

 

In the mid 60’s, Tom Merriman and partner Jim Long

created TM Productions which grew to include not only

radio IDs and commercial jingles, but also radio

programming, automated radio formats, and music

libraries surpassing anything else in the marketplace.

 

Now in his 80’s, those who admire and appreciate

his contributions will tribute him on September 13^th

in Dallas, where radio history was  made not only

by McLendon, but by Tom Merriman too.

 

Ron Chapman will emcee the event, find out how

you can attend here.

 

 

 

All smiles is radio golden boy Mel Karmazin who

moved to take on terrestrial group owners, the

National Association of Broadcasters, dozens of

politicians and lobbyist vowing to stop him from

merging the two satellite radio networks.

 

By a vote of 3-2 the FCC has approved the merger with

Mel expected to take fast action in combining the two

companies. Just as we predicted when all of the cards

seemed stacked against him more than a year ago,

Karmazin would be successful in merging

his Sirus with XM satellite radio. 

 

Nervous employee's at XM have known for months

what was coming  and it now could all take place

with Mel swiftly moving to finally sit at the

throne of all satellite radio.   

 

While the merger hurdle has been removed in

 the states the Canadian Radio-television and

Telecommunications Commission has put a brake

on approving any such merger. A full public hearing

is being called for north of the border on how a

 combined XM-Sirus will effect the 1.2 million

 Canadians subscribers to the two services

in that country.

 

 

WiFi is here

But  -  Clear Channel stuck on HD

 

Clear Channel continues to lobby the FCC insisting any

merger of satellite networks must require XM/Sirus to

include free HD radio for subscribers.

 

 Of course, knowing Chrysler has already announced

subscription free WiFi radio will be installed in their

2008 cars, giving clear reception to thousands of radio

stations world wide, hasta be a real knife in the heart of

HD radio who thus far is as dead as AM stereo.

 

With Clear Channel dragging their feet in accepting it,

most terrestrial owners have moved to make their

programming available on WiFi.

 

Unlike the print media’s slow acceptance of the

internet, for the most part radio is well aware of it

and streaming their signals via either their websites

or a WiFi receiver that delivers programming

 without even having your computer turned on.    

 

It won’t be long now before tower sites and big power

radio signals won’t matter much with programming

expanded well past the signal of terrestrial radio

via WiFi’s worldwide coverage.  Signal wise, it equals

the playing field for all stations, big & small.

 

Unfortunately, while technology advances at

a rapid speed, radio, TV and the print media

suffers by those who are squeezing dollars

 instead of investing in product.

 

= = = = =

 

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

             

 

Now we know why - The tail of two Brains here   

 

Ready for an escape ?