Entries in West Michigan Category

Grand Rapids Press:

They are rappers with a style that is in your face and raw. Their lyrics are powerful, emphatic and real -- with no swear words. With talents that are extreme and diverse, they tell the stories of their lives. Some are dental assistants, students and painters. Others have been released from prison and carry deep angst into their music. Their passion is rap and hip-hop music -- their outlet for creativity and opportunity is courtesy of radio station WMFN-AM. Every Saturday night, from 6 to midnight, 640-AM keeps it local and live during "Grand Rapids Own" -- featuring the best in local rap recording artists... Station showcases local rappers (Fri 2/3)

A tradition was coined unintentionally during WYCE's first Jammie Awards ceremony in 2000. "People just showed up in their jammies," said WYCE-FM (88.1) station manager Michael Packer, speculating the name of the awards led listeners to believe they were attending a pajama party. "We said, hey, that's a cool thing." Now, it's standard for pajama-clad fans to attend the best-in-local-music ceremony, where they are rewarded for their spirit... Bands prepare for annual awards show (Sun 2/5)

Muskegon Chronicle:

Long-time Muskegon radio personality William D. "Bill" Uecker died of an apparent heart attack on Friday. "He was just a lovable, teddy bear of a guy," said retired area radio executive Fred Tascone. Tim Achterhoff, once head of WMUS, added that Uecker was, "just a decent guy"... Muskegon radio host dies (Sun 2/5)

Grand Rapids Press:

Country music remains on top for West Michigan radio fans. According to recent Arbitron ratings, WBCT-FM (93.7) took another first-place win -- marking its 33rd consecutive top ranking for the station. It makes morning co-host Neal Dionne a happy man. "We never take it for granted. We love our listeners, and I'm not just saying that. They are in on every bit and are a big part of our show. Sometimes, they just call to say, 'Good Moynin.' We have so much fun everyday. I can't believe we get paid for this," he said. The Arbitron ratings fall book reflect another West Michigan sweep for Clear Channel Radio. In the Grand Rapids metro market, for listeners 12 and older, B-93 is first, with a 9.5 rating, WOOD-AM (1300) is second, scoring a 7.8 rating and WSNX-FM (104.5) is third, with a 7.6 rating... B-93 remains market leader in ratings (Mon 2/6)

Grammys? What Grammys? Who needs Mariah Carey, Diddy and U2 when you've got Organissimo, Sweet Japonic and Paucity? Who needs a tuxedo when you've got pajamas? The Jammie Awards, WYCE-FM's (88.1) annual show honoring the best in local and national music, didn't attempt the silly pageantry of the Grammy Awards (taking place tonight, incidentally), but Tuesday night's ceremony did offer plenty of live music, some friendly competition and a whole lotta love for a whole lotta local musicians... Jazz trio lands top Jammie (Wed 2/8)

Grand Rapids Press:

Though they got married on the radio, with members of the media and WGRD staff milling about a banquet room in Van Andel Arena, Dallas Meyers and Lauralee Girodat were in a world of their own as they spoke their wedding vows. The glowing twosome, winners of WGRD's Get Married at Nickelback contest, exchanged rings with a few friends and family members looking on. "You may now kiss the bride," the minister said after pronouncing them husband and wife. Dallas, 26, of Grand Rapids, planted a big one on his new missus... Valentines exchange vows at show (Tue 2/14)

Have you listened lately to WBFX-FM (101.3, The Fox)? On Wednesday, the classic-rock station made some adjustments in its format, hoping to attract some new listeners. According to Jack Lawson, program director at The Fox, the station made some "format enhancements" by adding songs from the 1980s and '90s as well as new releases from long-established music acts... Broadcast notes (Sun 2/19)

In local radio circles, he's known simply as WLAV morning show host Kevin Matthews' son. But in music industry circles, he's blazing a trail of his own as Trevor Menear. Could this 21-year-old Chicago guitarist be on the cusp of something big? With extraordinary guitar work and a voice that -- like one-time wunderkind Jonny Lang -- belies his age, Menear deftly straddles the lines between blues, rock and jazz on his invigorating and soulful original songs... Talented Menear has local-radio ties (Sun 2/19)

Grand Rapids Press:

In the country music industry, the Country Radio Seminar just can't be beat. Last week, the annual convention celebrated its 37th anniversary, drawing radio professionals from all over to the country-music capital for three days of business-related workshops and showcases by established acts and newcomers... Big names in country fire up radio convention (Tue 2/21)

The Funny Radio Book

The Radio Funny Book is a collection of hundreds of funny radio stories, on the air and behind the scenes. The nationally circulated "Inside Radio" fax by Tom Taylor described the book as containing decades of funny radio stories. The "Radio World" editor, Paul McLane, told his readers, "Bob Doll is droll. His book offers readers a pleasant read about the lighter side of radio. It includes an announcder test and 'man on the street' flashbacks. It's $13.95 plus $4.59 s/h from bbotw.com. Doll spent 10 yewars of his 55 year radio career is owner-operator of WAOP AM/FM Otsego, Michigan. He can be reached now at bobar@sbcglobal.net.

Grand Rapids Press:

The 2005 Broadcast Excellence Awards were announced recently by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. The winners are ... Special congratulations to the students at Rockford High School on winning their third Television Station of the Year award. GR Press columnist and Rockford High teacher Colleen Pierson wants to comment on how proud she is of her students at Rockford on taking more awards than any other school in the state of Michigan... Local stations win excellence awards (Sat 3/4)

Grand Rapids Press:

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters recently passed out awards in radio ... Who says there is no future in radio as a career? Certainly not Gary Allen, morning co-host at WOOD-AM (1300). He recently celebrated 25 continuous years at WOOD. Allen and John Matlak host the area's all-news and information morning program, "Grand Rapids Morning News" ... As one of the market's top television executives, Diane Kniowski of WOOD-TV (Channel 8) says she feels a need to help other aspiring women... Broadcast Notes: A time of awards, anniversaries (Sun 3/12)

Grand Rapids Press:

Local radio host Robert S testified Wednesday that robbery suspect Michael Jackson's violent rap lyrics don't make him guilty. Jurors viewed a videotape of Jackson singing, "I Am a Robber," when Robert S, a former New York recording artist and now program director for WJNZ-AM (1140), took the witness stand for the defense. He said Jackson's lyrics don't make him a robber any more than the Oscar-winning hip-hop song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," put writers Three 6 Mafia on the street corner selling women for sex... Radio host defends robbery suspect's rap lyrics (Thu 3/16)

What's black and white and heard all over? A new weekly radio show about diversity on WTKG-AM (1230), debuting March 27. "Radio in Black and White" will air 8-9 a.m. Mondays and aims to be the most "integrated hour of the week," according to hosts Skot Welch and Rick Wilson. Their goal is to showcase diversity, giving the community a chance to take part in a positive dialogue about multiracial models in business, community life, law, health care, education and faith ... Syndicated in Maine: Want a little Free Beer and Hot Wings with your freshly caught lobster? On Monday, the popular, locally produced WGRD-FM (97.9) morning show of "Free Beer and Hot Wings" added classic rock stations WHXR/WHXQ (106.7 and 104.7 The Bone) in Portland, Maine, to its stable of stations airing the show... Diversity dialogue debuts March 27 on WTKG-AM (Sun 3/19)

When kids his age were learning to read, Red Kingman was into the spoken word. And no one sounded better to Kingman than Wolfman Jack, the howling disc jockey with his distinctive gravelly voice. "Ever since I heard Wolfman Jack as a 6-year-old, I knew what I wanted to do," explains Kingman, finishing a late breakfast at Holland's Windmill Restaurant after a recent broadcast. After a morning of entertaining listeners, he is subdued as he sips his coffee... Radio announcer finds his niche: WHTC personality enjoys banter with listeners (Sun 3/19)

Terry Ficorelli (“Fic” the voice of the Muskegon Fury) and game broadcast announcer/Vice President of Communications is in need of a broadcast engineer for the home games throughout the rest of the hockey season and playoffs. The former engineer passed away suddenly and his passing has left a big hole in the broadcasting of the Muskegon Fury home hockey games.

This is potentially 9 to 15 games total including playoffs. The Fury are trying to make it a “three-peat” and win their third in a row Colonial Cup. This feat has not ever been accomplished in all of Pro Hockey. At any rate, the position is volunteer, although there is all the pizza anyone could possibly eat at the games and a few other perks. Fic can/will negotiate these. If there is a person who is interested and willing to commit Friday and Saturday night games, please e-mail Diane who will forward your interest on to Fic.

Grand Rapids Press:

At the longtime newsman's retirement party, we all wore buttons proudly stating "Jack Hogan Gave Us Our Start In Broadcasting." Hogan, an anchorman and news director at WZZM-TV (Channel 13) from 1962-88, was a legend of West Michigan broadcast news. Everybody knew Jack and welcomed his humor, smart business sense, golf game, political knowledge, leadership skills and keen risk-taking sense when making local hires in the news industry. Hogan also worked as an administrative assistant to the Grand Rapids city manager, was a lobbyist for city funding and even worked at the Meijer store on East Beltline Avenue for a while after retiring... Retiree Hogan elects to be active (Tue 3/21)

Who says the proof is in the puddin'? Fans of radio station WSNX-FM (104.5) and new morning host Justin "Puddin" Barclay thought they were getting a scoop Thursday morning when the host interviewed a guest regarding the downtown development 'mystery project'. "My producer got an e-mail from someone who said they knew what was going on, and that it involved Donald Trump," Puddin said later. "I thought it was strange they e-mailed us because we're not a hard news station, but we'll put anybody on. If you say you've been abducted by aliens, we'll put you on"... Caller trumps radio show host (Fri 3/24)

It used to be Detroit Tigers fans throughout the state could look forward to watching all but a handful of the team's home and road contests from the comfort of their living rooms in the course of a 162-game schedule. No more. For the second straight season, the Tigers are withholding a large number of their games -- a total of 50 this season -- from being broadcast... FSN Detroit the only home for the Tigers (Fri 3/24)

The zany morning radio program, "Mancow's Morning Madhouse," debuted Monday on WZUU-FM (92.3) in Kalamazoo. Based in Chicago, the show airs weekdays from 6:30 to 11 a.m. For the past two months, the station played rock music with no on-air talent in the mornings. Now, song parodies, radio skits, prank phone calls, and a radio program that promotes the concept of free speech takes the air waves, all sent out by a host with the offbeat radio name Mancow. The moniker stems from his college days at Central Missouri State University, where he majored in theater and was fond of creating a half-man, half-cow character... Radio's Mancow 'disease' spreads to WZUU-FM (Sun 3/26)

Grand Rapids Press:

I've put together my second-annual list of the most powerful professionals in the Grand Rapids sports broadcasting community, and checked it twice. So what's the definition of powerful? It's open to interpretation, of course, but I considered on-air personalities, programmers and front-office executives. The rankings reflect significant developments in the past year, accounting for some people debuting, others moving up or down, and some dropping off... Checking who's who in GR sports broadcasting (Fri 3/31)

Carrie Manders will leave WZZM-TV (Channel 13) at the end of May and apply her knowledge of the health field as media relations manager for Spectrum Health. She has been the station's health reporter for 2 1/2 years ... Former WOOD-TV newswoman Lynn Carthane makes her home in East Setauket, N. Y., 60 miles east of New York City, with her husband and two children. Lynn left in the summer of 1993 for KXTV, the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, Calif., as morning anchor, then weekend anchor... TV reporter switches to hospital PR (Sun 4/2)

Grand Rapids Press:

The latest TV spot by GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos comes with a bold claim: "Dick DeVos turned Grand Rapids around," it states on an introduction to the ad on the candidate's Web site. The 30-second ad, which first aired around the state last week, contrasts a bleak black-and-white city -- empty, crumbling buildings -- that morphs into a colorful metropolis, with shots of the Amway Grand Plaza, the downtown campus of Grand Valley State University, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Children's Hospital... Visionary or revisionist? Dick DeVos is a major player, but some say ad goes too far (Fri 4/7)

Mr. Big Shot. Is there a cooler nickname in professional sports? His real name, of course, is Chauncey Billups, but he has become better known as one of the NBA's best clutch performers in the final minutes of regulation due to his penchant for hitting buzzer beaters and game-winning shots... FSN shines spotlight on Pistons guard (Fri 4/7)

Grand Rapids Press:

Does an ex-morning guy get sleep? Tony Gates, ex-morning man at WLAV-FM (96.9), can now do what most of us always dream of-- get a good night's sleep. Or does he? Now that his on-air work schedule has shifted to weekdays 2-7 p.m. can he throw the alarm clock across the room in the early morning hours? "Hey, I was a 'morning person' long before I became a morning guy-- more than half of the battle of being a good morning personality is waking up in a good mood and I always have," he said ... Creative talents are needed for a chance to be a big time Hollywood producer or designer. If you have a creative idea for a: 30 second television commercial promoting B-93 radio put it together and send it in. The commercial needs to be: 30 seconds maximum and would be preferred on a non-returnable DVD... Former a.m. radio host is still an early bird (Tue 4/11)

West Michigan will soon be waking up without Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis. The popular husband-and-wife team, which has been on the air for nearly 20 years, announced on the air this morning its last day will be April 21. The announcement ends speculation their contracts at WLHT-FM (95.7) would not be renewed. On the air, Dave and Geri thanked listeners for their loyalty and support, and said, "This is not a stunt." The market's longest consecutive running morning program, "The Dave and Geri Morning Show"has done well in ratings, especially in its target demographic of women ages 25-54... Radio station tunes out long-running a.m. duo (Thu 4/13)

A former Fifth Third Bank employee is expected to be arraigned in Grand Rapids District Court today on allegations he stole information from bank account records and stalked two local television reporters. The court appearance will be the second in two days for Marco Munoz, 39, of Evansville, Ind., after he was arraigned Wednesday in Wexford County District Court on identity theft and malicious phone use charges for allegedly harassing a Cadillac news anchor. Munoz faces four felony charges here and could be sentenced to five years in prison if convicted. Police say he stalked WXMI-TV's (Channel 17) Rachel Calderon and WOOD-TV's (Channel 8) Kristi Andersen during work-related visits to the area... Alleged stalker arraigned (Thu 4/13)

WOOD-TV:

A man accused of taking advantage of his job to find personal information about female TV personalities and using it to stalk them appeared Thursday in a Grand Rapids courtroom. Marco Munoz, 39, was working as an executive at Fifth Third Bank in Indiana. Investigators say while on business trips he would access the personal information of his alleged victims, who banked with Fifth Third, and then stalk them and make obscene phone calls... Fifth Third employee arraigned on stalking charges (Thu 4/13)

Cadillac News:

A local television anchor and others throughout the Midwest were targets of a bank employee who used their personal information to make obscene phone calls. Marco Antonio Munoz, 39, was arrested earlier this week in Evansville, Ind. He was arraigned on charges of identity theft and malicious use of telecommunications. The former Fifth Third Bank employee accessed hundreds of bank accounts, mostly targeting women and news anchors... Identity theft case spans Midwest (Thu 4/13)

Muskegon Chronicle:

WOOD-TV plans to buy 17 acres of county-owned land adjacent to the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System in Egelston Township for installation of a 449-foot-tall communications tower. The tower would allow the station to upgrade its equipment and expand live coverage of events. Mike Laemers, WOOD-TV's director of engineering, said the station has agreed to pay $83,000 for the land. The tower and a building to house equipment are expected to cost close to $400,000, Laemers said... WOOD-TV plans to erect 449-foot tower (Mon 4/10)

Grand Rapids Press:

The NFL has been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters following a recent league ruling prohibiting local television cameras from returning to the sidelines in the fall. It's no laughing matter. "I don't think you're going to find anybody in TV who's a fan of this," WOOD-TV 8 sports director Jack Doles said... NFL boots local TV cameras from sidelines (Fri 4/14)

If you were tuned to WOOD-AM (1300) from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, you might have thought you were caught in a time warp, because local-radio legend Bruce Grant was behind the microphone. Grant, 84, who was a fixture on WOOD for 32 years, primarily in the 5-9 a.m. slot, was back to do a guest spot on "The Rick and Scott Show" with Rick Beckett and Scott Winters ... Viewership lead continues: February 2006 Nielsen ratings show 24 Hour News 8 was watched by more West Michigan television viewers for local news and weather than any other local station. Results show 24 Hour News 8 ranked No. 1 in all newscasts ... Broadway Billy's back: What's the buzz at B-93? Some personnel changes. Dave Taft, who was doing middays while music director and assistant program director, has transferred to Muskegon to oversee programming for Clear Channel stations WMUS-FM (106.9), WMRR (101.7) and WSHZ (107.9). Tony Brooks, who has been with B-93 on and off since 1993, has moved from the night show to middays. Broadway Billy Macc, who, until last year, when he left to do nights at Top 40 KSLZ in St. Louis, was previously a highly rated night host on WSNX, will come back to Grand Rapids to do nights for B-93... Broadcast Notes (Sun 4/16)

Michael Walenta waved toward the corridor lined with auction merchandise: skylights, end tables, DVDs, garage door openers, a Radio Flyer, bird feeders and, yes, even the kitchen sink. "It's quite a pile of stuff," the general manager for WGVU-TV (Channels 35 and 52) conceded as employees of the public television station scrambled to prepare for Monday's annual fund-raising auction. Welcome to the season of fund drives for public TV and radio. In addition to WGVU's upcoming auction, sister radio station WGVU-FM (88.5) recently wrapped up a spring membership drive and community radio station WYCE-FM (88.1) kicks off its 10-day, on-air fundraiser later this month... Public broadcasters scramble (Sun 4/16)

Bidders can snag anything from a $50 surfing lesson to a "silver membership" at a golf and ski resort valued at $9,000, with hundreds of alluring and unusual things in between... Station's auction items range from offbeat to opulent (Sun 4/16)

Dennis Sutton has had a long-running relationship with all kinds of marathon events. During 25 years as a local radio personality, Sutton once lived on a billboard platform for 10 consecutive days at the start of the 1984 Major League Baseball season until the Detroit Tigers lost a game... Former radio personality Dennis Sutton takes on Boston Marathon (Sun 4/16)

Muskegon Chronicle

Grand Haven radio station WGHN recently received three awards from the Michigan Associated Press. For the fifth year in a row, the station was named in the "Top 10" for the amount of news it contributed to the Michigan Associated Press... WGHN's news, sports honored (Fri 4/14)

WOOD-TV:

The morning show chairs at WLHT (95.7) won't even get a chance to cool down after Dave Jagger & Geri Jarvis sign off for the last time Friday. Denis Prior and Nanette have been named as their replacements beginning Monday. That's also the day the station drops its W-Lite moniker in favor of New Lite Rock 95.7, a move program director Bill Bailey said was made to try “to keep up with our demographic”... WLHT names new Morning Team (Tue 4/18)

Grand Rapids Press:

Geri Jarvis couldn't stop grinning when she returned to the studio. Jarvis, half of the Dave and Geri morning team, took a short break from their WLHT-FM (95.7) show Monday to satisfy a craving for a Greek salad. At 7 in the morning, the closest thing she could find at a nearby store was an unsavory-looking popsicle. But she was in a good mood, since a police officer had approached her in the store to embrace and encourage her... Dave and Geri plan big farewell (Tue 4/18)

Airing 11 a.m. Saturdays in place of personal-finances show "The Motley Fool" comes a fun, hourlong talk show called "Travel with Rick Steves." WGVU-TV (Channel 35) offers this program, a lively conversation between travelers and the experts, to help viewers pick up valuable travel strategies ... Fox 17 Student News, a half-hour public-affairs program written, edited and produced by area students, has returned for its second season and runs through December. The show airs at 6 a.m. Sundays ... A record was set in March during the annual Sportsmen Against Hunger food drive at the 61st annual Sport and RV Show in DeVos Place. Tony Gates, of WLAV-FM (96.9) hosted the food drive and broadcast from an RV the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. event in front of DeVos Place... Steves treks into WGVU Saturday lineup (Tue 4/18)

All Access:

Simonson Moves Up At WLHT; Nixon Moves To Sales Upstate: Regent AC WLHT (95.7 W-LITE)/GRAND RAPIDS weekender BOB SIMONSON takes overnights as TIM NIXON heads to a sales post at MIDWESTERN Oldies WCCW, Country WTCM, & Smooth Jazz WJZQ (THE BREEZE)/TRAVERSE CITY. SIMONSON retains his tech post at GRAND RAPIDS-based AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, and is still owner of ALL DIGITAL DJ ENTERTAINMENT. (Mon 4/17)

Shelly Kay Now APD At WKFR: CUMULUS Top 40 WKFR/KALAMAZOO PD KRUZE (aka KEN EVANS) has tapped morning co-host SHELLY KAY as his new APD. Meanwhile, KAY's weekend lifestyle and talk program "Just Friendly Advice", shifts from BIG D N/T/S WAAM-A (1600)/ANN ARBOR to sister CUMULUS N/T/S WKMI-A (1360). (Mon 4/17)

Kevin Curnow Exits WGRD: REGENT Alternative WGRD/GRAND RAPIDS Promotion Director KEVIN CURNOW has exited after nearly five years with the station. CURNOW also served as MD/specialty show host during his tenure at 'GRD. (Mon 4/17)

Grand Rapids Press:

Once again, X marks the spot for Detroit Tigers telecasts. WXSP-TV in Grand Rapids has acquired the over-the-air broadcast rights to 15 Tigers telecasts in the West Michigan market, beginning June 1, programming and operations director Craig Cole confirmed earlier this week. "I'm really happy to have the Tigers back. I wanted them back," Cole said. "We've had a lot of calls from the public looking for the Tigers to return"... WXSP bringing back Tigers to local airwaves (Fri 4/21)

Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis signed off Friday morning at WLHT-FM (95.7) surrounded by their daughters, Kristen and Casey, friends and well-wishers. The husband-and-wife radio team made way for a new show to take the WLHT airwaves on Monday after contracts for the pair were not renewed by Regent Communications. Along with regular guests Ron VanTimmeren, of Jack Loeks Theatres; John Zimmerman, of Mercantile Bank (and formerly of Meijer Inc.); and Scott Lane, of the West Michigan Whitecaps; a number of others stopped by or called in... Many a fond farewell offered on Dave and Geri's last broadcast (Sat 4/22)

He writes and submits 50 jokes a week for the opening monologues of "The David Letterman Show," has been in radio broadcasting since the age of 13 and does impersonations of well-known personalities. She is a single mom to her 9-year-old son, believes in family-friendly radio and went back to school at 32, where she was the oldest person in her class at the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting. Together, Denis Prior, 46, and co-host Nanette, 41, will launch their new morning show at the New Lite Rock -- WLHT-FM (95.7) on Monday, taking the reins as Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis depart after almost 20 years at the station... New WLHT team is Denis and Nanette (Sun 4/23)

WGVU-TV (Channel 35) productions traveled to Poland in 2004 to produce and document the stories of three incredible individuals. The results were "Surviving Auschwitz: Children of the Shoah" and "Defying Hitler," documentaries that celebrate the human spirit and put a face on one of the worst atrocities ever committed by mankind ... Tower boosts TV8 in Muskegon: WOOD-TV (Channel 8) is getting a new tower to better serve viewers in the Muskegon area ... Mullen joins Fox in Chicago: Former Tribune Broadcasting President Patrick Mullen has been named vice president and general manager of Fox's Chicago duopoly, WFLD-TV and WPWR-TV... Broadcast Notes: War documentaries air Tuesday (Sun 4/23)

WOOD-TV:

The mood was light-hearted this morning as long-time WLHT morning hosts Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis said goodbye. Last week, they confirmed they could not come to terms on a new contract with the Regent Broadcasting station. So after 20 years of early mornings, the pair signed off. “If you know somebody, tell them we're out of work,” Jarvis said. Jagger added, “Yeah, please put in a good word for us.” They have not announced their future plans... Dave & Geri sign off (Fri 4/21)

All Access:

Doug Stephan Gets New Affiliates: DOUG STEPHAN'S GOOD DAY program welcomes Talk WAMT-A/ORLANDO and KIST-A/SANTA BARBARA, CA as its newest affiliates. Additionally, DOUG STEPHAN'S TALKRADIO COUNT DOWN program welcomes WTWP-A/F/WASHINGTON DC, WTKG-A/GRAND RAPIDS, MI, and KIST-A/SANTA BARBARA, CA. (Wed 4/19)

Radio and Records:

Potter rises after six months as an AE for WKLQ and clustermate WBBL-AM. He reports to Citadel Midwest President Matthew Hanlon... Christopher Potter Now WKLQ & WLAV/Grand Rapids GSM (Fri 4/21)

Citadel preserves Classic Country format

In the wake of the coming relaunch of FM 105.3 as WHTS 'Hot FM', the station's previous Classic Country format has shifted to FM 92.5 WKOQ, Newaygo. That station had previously been airing a simulcast of Active Rocker WKLQ-FM 107.3 Greenville. There will be some listeners disappointed with the frequency shift - 105.3's old facility was located north of where FM 92.5 broadcasts, leaving some without a reliable signal. And, fans of the Active Rock sounds of KLQ in places like Muskegon now will have to struggle to receive the station on it's 107.3 frequency.

Back at 105.3, the station is still using its WCXT call sign and has been stunting throughout the weekend with construction sounds and teaser announcements that a new radio station is under construction. A 'reality radio' stunt will launch on Monday in advance of a musical format targeted toward women that is scheduled to start on Wednesday.

Grand Rapids Press:

It seems like an odd couple for a baseball broadcast. Bill Simonson and local sports legend Jim Shorts teaming up in the radio booth for a special West Michigan Whitecaps' broadcast live from Fifth Third Ballpark at 3 p.m. this afternoon. The contest between the Whitecaps and Kane County Cougars features Simonson on play-by-play and Shorts providing color commentary on flagship station WBBL-AM (1340)... Caps hand mike to interesting pair (Fri 4/28)

A broadcasting company is enlisting a big man for a big change on West Michigan's radio dial. Citadel Broadcasting next week will use a reality-radio experiment to launch its new FM frequency, 105.3. Starting at 6 a.m. Monday, listeners can follow Bill "Huge" Simonson, a host at sister station WBBL-AM (1340), in real time for the entire day... FM station tries reality on for size (Sat 4/29)

Plenty is going on behind the scenes at WLHT-FM (95.7), and now, the launch of a new player in the Grand Rapids radio market. First, at WLHT: Gone is morning-show meteorologist Dennis Hodges, who worked for the station on and off for many years, most recently doing a stint that started in 2004 on the Dave and Geri morning show ... As for the future of Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis, the couple is expected to land in late July at Citadel station WCXT-FM (105.3) which is changing this week from classic country to a format targeted toward women ... Stations all over the country -- including WWMT-TV (Channel 3) -- are signing exclusive long-term affiliation agreements with CW, a new television network set to launch for the 2006-07 season. Programming on CW comes from both UPN and WB networks, which will cease to exist this fall, said Tom Long, vice president and general manager of WWMT-TV ... A new deal just inked by Lin TV gives My Network TV a local presence and increases its coverage to 68 percent of U.S. television audience. Effective Sept. 5, Channel 15, WXSP-TV will air My Network TV programming from 8 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The selection of shows will include drama, variety, talk, magazine, sports and movies. WXSP will continue airing local and regional sports... Meteorologist leaves WLHT (Sun 4/30)

WZZM-TV:

Comstock Park - A special event at Monday's Whitecaps game at Fifth Third Ballpark gave thanks to leaders in the community. Regent Broadcasting, which owns five local radio stations, hosted a community leader appreciation night.... Regent Broadcasting Thanks Community Leaders At Whitecaps Game (Mon 4/24)

Traverse City Record-Eagle

A former bank employee in Indiana, accused of using customers' personal information to make obscene phone calls to television news anchors, has pleaded no contest to a charge of attempted identity theft... Alleged prankster pleads (Wed 4/26)

This evening Citadel-Grand Rapids launched market move-in WHTS, Hot 105.3 FM, featuring an upbeat Hot Adult Contemporary sound with the station that spent years as a Soft Rock station as WXCT, licensed to Hart. The relaunched station will eventually be the new home of long-time Grand Rapids morning hosts Dave (Jagger) & Geri (Jarvis). Dave and Geri exited crosstown WLHT-FM (95.7) last month after 19 years and must sit out a 3-month non-compete agreement before taking to the WHTS airwaves. Hot 105.3 FM will begin with 10,000 songs in a row, which gives the station about a month to attract a following for a station that not many are used to tuning to in Grand Rapids.

Citadel acquired 105.3 from Waters Broadcasting for $4.1 million in January 2005. The FCC approved the deal last September and since then the station has been going through the process of building new facilities for the move-in. WHTS' new community of license is Coopersville.

WCXT first signed on the air in the 1980's with a rock format and eventually shifted to the heavy rock format syndicated from ABC Radio titled 'Z-Rock'. After that service ended, the station switched to a soft rock format. In 1999, Waters Broadcasting reached a deal to sell the station to Harbor Pointe Entertainment, which immediately began a local marketing agreement with a switch to a Rhythmic Hits format with the moniker 'The Whip'. The sale eventually fell through and Waters restored the soft rock format after about 2 months of 'The Whip'. It was during the brief 'Whip' experiment that the plans for a Grand Rapids move-in were first mentioned. Now nearly 7 years later, that indeed has become reality.

After Citadel took control of the station late in 2005, the format was changed to Classic Country, which ran commercial free over the past 4+ months before the changes this week. The country format has since moved to FM 92.5 Newaygo, which dropped its simulcast of Active Rock WKLQ-FM (107.3).

Grand Rapids Press:
Is it any surprise Dave and Geri wanted to keep doing radio in Grand Rapids? The morning duo, whose WLHT-FM (95.7) morning show just wrapped up a nearly 20-year run, will return to the airwaves July 21 on 105.3, Citadel Broadcasting company's new "hot adult-contemporary" station. "It's almost like destiny," said Geri Jarvis. "Because what are the chances that a 20-year morning show suddenly doesn't know what the next move is, and a brand new station comes into this market?"... Dave, Geri head to 105.3 FM, 'hot adult-contemporary' (Tue 5/2)

All Access:
Citadel's WCXT/Grand Rapids To Launch As Top 40 Outlet- CITADEL is launching Top 40 WCXT (105.3 HOT FM)/GRAND RAPIDS, MI later this afternoon following stunting as "REALITY RADIO" (NET NEWS 4/28). The station will program contemporary music and feature veteran morning duo "DAVE AND GERI," who have worked as a top ranked morning show in WEST MICHIGAN for almost 20 years. The duo left crosstown REGENT AC WLHT (95.7 LITE FM) two weeks ago and will begin their morning broadcast on 105.3 HOT-FM in JULY. "We're grateful to the entire CITADEL BROADCASTING team for making us feel so welcome at 105.3 HOT-FM. We look forward to waking up with our listeners for the next phase of our career in our hometown of GRAND RAPIDS," stated GERI JARVIS.

105.3 Hot-FM will launch with 10,000 songs in a row. Core artists include DANIEL POWTER, RIHANNA, ROB THOMAS, KELLY CLARKSON, MAROON5, NICKELBACK, JAMES BLUNT, etc. "We're thrilled to provide WEST MICHIGAN with another option for listening entertainment. This station anchored by ‘DAVE AND GERI' continues our commitment to providing WEST MICHIGAN with locally driven content combined with popular personalities," said CITADEL Midwest Regional Pres. MATT HANLON. (Tue 5/2)

Radio & Records:
Citadel launched WCXT today as a CHR/Pop station named "105.3 Hot-FM" following a six-month run as Classic Country and then a daylong stunt as "Reality Radio." Market vets Dave & Geri, who had been doing mornings at crosstown WLHT, come over to do mornings on Hot... Pop Blooms in Grand Rapids (Tue 5/2)

WMMT-TV:

A group of radio stations in Kalamazoo are undergoing some behind the scenes changes beginning today. Midwest Communications took control of WKZO, WQLR and WQSN and combined staffs with WFAT and WNWN. "Listeners will hear very little change," said Midwest Communications Market Manager Peter Tanz, who added local personalities will remain on-air... New ownership takes control of Kalamazoo radio stations (Mon 5/1)

Kalamazoo Gazette

When the sale of the Fairfield Broadcasting Co. to Wisconsin-based Midwest Communication was completed Monday, it marked the end of an era for two local veteran broadcasters, Stephen Trivers and William Wertz. It also marked the end of locally owned commercial radio stations in Kalamazoo County. The area still has Forum Communication Inc., a group of local stations in Allegan County, owned by Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert Brink and heard in Kalamazoo... End of an era for Kalamazoo radio (Tue 5/2)

With the sale of Fairfield Broadcasting to Midwest Communications, of Wausau, Wis., Kalamazoo County no longer has a locally owned radio station. On Monday the Federal Communications Commission formally approved the sale of Fairfield Broadcasting to Midwest Communications, said Peter Tanz, market manager for Midwest Communications' Kalamazoo operations. Fairfield has been the owner of WQLR 106.5 FM, WKZO 590 AM and WQSN 1660 AM... Last locally owned radio stations sold (Wed 5/3)

Grand Rapids Press:

Fox News' Sean Hannity is coming to Grand Rapids on May 17 to help raise funds for Republican Dick DeVos' gubernatorial campaign... Sean Hannity to speak (Fri 5/5)

Bob Kaser is keeping his fingers crossed. He has been behind the microphone for Grand Rapids Griffins' broadcasts on local radio during the past six years, but he admits he's beginning to think this season's club might end up being the most special of them all... Playoff time fun for Griffins announcers (Fri 5/5)

Fourteen years and counting: Wednesday night's Blues on the Mall concert series returns for summer 2006 with talented blues guitarists, including Kenny Neal, Larry McCray, Nick Moss and Bernard Allison. WLAV-FM (96.9) finalized its Blues on the Mall lineup last week, with the first show slated for June 14 in downtown's Rosa Parks Circle... Popular Blues series set to rock downtown (Sun 5/7)

Grand Rapids Press:

Gary Allen, popular morning man veteran at WOOD-AM (1300), has been off the air for three weeks. He was in the hospital for nine days at Lacks Cancer Center after an open lung biopsy. It all started with a chronic dry cough last spring that got worse and worse ... Pennies for charity- Did you see the crazy guy camped high atop the roof at the McDonald's restaurant on Plainfield Avenue last week? Don't worry -- he was up there for a worthy cause. JT (Jerry Tarrants), program director and mid-day personality from WGRD-FM (97.9), wouldn't leave his perch until he collected 1 million pennies for The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan... Gary Allen will return to airwaves after illness (Sun 5/14)

Radio & Records:

Clear Channel / Grand Rapids swept the top 3 spots in the Winter 12+ ratings book with Country WBCT-FM, CHR WSNX-FM, and News/Talk WOOD-AM. Classic Rock WLAV-FM and Modern Rock WGRD-FM rounded out the top 5 stations. Radio & Records has the ratings list on their web site. (Mon 5/8)

Kalamazoo Gazette:

For the third year in a row, ``KFR Morning Show'' co-host Glen was on a roof in Portage raising money to help victims of child abuse. And for the third year in a row, he got rained on. ``I grew up with loving parents. The least I can do is pay back the universe by doing this,'' said Shelly, the other half of Kalamazoo radio station WKFR's morning team, after wrapping up a broadcast segment from atop a South Westnedge Avenue building Wednesday night. ``If this can help raise money and raise awareness, then put me on a roof''... Fund-raising event in Portage continues through Saturday (Thu 5/11)

Grand Rapids Press:

The Detroit Tigers are getting respect on a national level. Fox Sports president and executive producer Ed Goren said Wednesday the Tigers likely will make an appearance on the "MLB on Fox" Saturday baseball game of the week national telecast lineup later this summer. All due to their fast start under new skipper Jim Leyland... Tigers move into spotlight (Fri 5/19)

Is Ginger Zee set to leave her post as one of the meteorologists at WOOD-TV (Channel 8) in favor of the Windy City? According to reports in the Chicago media, Zee is up for a high-profile position at WFLD-TV. But if that's true, she's keeping quiet about it... Watch is on for Ginger Zee's next move (Sat 5/20)

The attorney for Kevin Grady Sr. wanted out of his lawsuit against radio host Tyrone Bynum over on-air comments. Stephen Grimm and Grady "reached a fundamental and irreparable disagreement as to the prosecution of the case," Grimm wrote, in a motion denied Friday by Kent County Circuit Judge George Buth. But Grady, 42, has support: Bynum's radio rival, Robert S., whose real name is Robert Womack, offered to testify for Grady... (Sat 5/20)

Grand Rapids Press:

The Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences gave out its nominations for local television excellence last week. And West Michigan television is represented well in its quest for an Emmy. WOOD-TV (Channel 8), WWMT-TV (Channel 3), WXMI-TV (Channel 17), WZZM-TV (Channel 13) and WGVU-TV (Channel 35) all garnered nominations in a variety of categories, including Best Newscast, Breaking News, Investigative Reporting, Business, Human Interest and Historic programming... Local stations garner Emmy nominations (Sun 5/28)

One of the more innocuous explanations given to the Dixie Chicks as to why country radio hasn't been playing their new single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," is because the defiant song doesn't fit in with everything else that's playing on the dial. Upon hearing that, the Dixie Chicks have only two words to say: "Thank you"... Local radio avoids playing Dixie Chicks (Sun 5/28)

Grand Rapids Press:

A former Fifth Third Bank employee who stole the personal information of a Cadillac television reporter by accessing financial information will spend a year in jail, a Wexford County judge ordered Tuesday... ID thief gets year in jail (Wed 5/31)

West Michigan country music fans have come to know the phrase "Passion' for Bashin'" very well. The annual B-93 Birthday Bash consistently attracts more than 50,000 fans each year, making it one of the area's most anticipated music events. Now that's passion. Celebrating its 14th year, the WBCT-FM (93.7) party is adding a new wrinkle: For the first time, the event has been expanded to two full days with twice as many acts. Sister station WBFX-FM (101.3), meanwhile, is bringing back its one-day classic-rock Fox Fest. That means the home of the Ionia Free Fair is bracing for three days of passion, Friday through June 11... Birthday Bash to run two full days (Sun 6/4)

The Children's Miracle Network will be broadcast live on WOTV-TV (Channel 4) from DeVos Children's Hospital from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. This year's hosts will be Maranda and Barnaby from WOTV, Bill Steffen, Terri Deboer and Eva Aguiree Cooper from WOOD-TV (Channel 8). They will be joined by Gary Allen of News Radio WOOD-AM (1300) and Steve and Sabrina of Star (105.7). Children's Miracle Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids by raising funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America... WOTV 4 to air Children's Miracle Network (Sun 6/4)

For nearly four decades, PBS-TV's "Sesame Street" has taken imaginative children to a friendly street in New York City. Soon, TV may give children a glimpse into the garage studio of a West Michigan artist and his back yard full of colorful characters. "Come On Over!" a half-hour children's show under production in Holland, will debut in September on WOTV (cable Channel 4)... Artist, Children's Museum collaborate on kids show (Sun 6/4)

Grand Rapids Press:

With two full days of performances by the biggest stars and brightest new faces in country music, the 2006 B-93 Birthday Bash is going to be one heck of a party. For the 14th year, radio station WBCT-FM (93.7) is putting on the free event as a way of saying thank you to its listeners. This year's expanded two-day Bash is Saturday and Sunday at the Ionia Fairgrounds and will feature sets by established stars Billy Currington and Jamie O'Neal, as well as a bevy of newcomers... Birthday Bash stocked with fresh, young talent (Thu 6/8)

When Branded hits the stage Saturday morning to open B-93's 14th annual Birthday Bash, it's a good bet the popular West Michigan country band will get the party started. There's no great mystery as to why radio station WBCT-FM (93.7) would invite the Cedar Springs-based band to kick off its two-day, free event... Country morning: Branded takes the stage early at Bash (Thu 6/8)

There's nothing like Foxfest for rock 'n' roll under an open sky. In past years, when the show was held all day on a Saturday, the midday sun could get sweltering. But for the last couple of years, Foxfest, sponsored by classic rock station 101.3 The Fox, is held on a Friday afternoon into the evening, which means the whole enchilada is cooler on several levels... REO Speedwagon headlines Foxfest (Thu 6/8)

Kalamazoo Gazette:

West Michigan country music fans have come to know the phrase ``Passion' for Bashin''' very well. The annual B-93 Birthday Bash consistently attracts more than 50,000 fans each year (last year's event drew more than 80,000), making it one of the area's most anticipated music events. Now that's passion... In its 14th year, Birthday Bash doubles its Passion for Bashin' (Thu 6/8)

Drink plenty of water -- You can never get too much of it, especially when it's 95 degrees and you're sweating like crazy, so hydrate often. No outside beverages can be brought inside the venue, but water will be readily available. There will be beer concessions, but beer is not a substitute for good ol' H20... Steps to a better Birthday Bash (Thu 6/8)

Grand Rapids Press:

Since helping to launch WBBL-AM (1340), program director Bret Bakita has honored local high school standouts for their athletic and academic accomplishments. He came up with a whopper of a way to do this. The combined resources of WBBL and WLAV-FM (96.9) and support from corporate partner Burger King has resulted in an Athlete of the Week program that honors 35 standouts in 23 sports from 26 high schools... Local radio stations, Burger King team to recognize athletes (Fri 6/9)

Chuck Furman, longtime WGVU-TV (Channel 35) employee, will be inducted into the Michigan Association of Broadcasters' (MAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame this summer ... A new member to the WZZM-TV (Channel 13) sports team will head to West Michigan, take the airwaves on June 26 and cover events from local high school to professional sports. David Solano has been named the weekend sports anchor, carrying experiences as a sports reporter and anchor for WMAZ-TV in Macon, Ga., and a stint at KOIN-TV in Portland, Ore... Activist for public television honored in hall of fame (Sun 6/11)

Two days down and one to go. That poses the question -- "Who here is strong enough to do it again?" B-93 morning personality Neal Dionne shouted from the B-93 Birthday Bash stage Saturday in front of about 60,000 fans at the Ionia Fairgrounds. Combined with Friday night's Fox Fest, the two-day Birthday Bash is something of an endurance test for fans and organizers... Loving their country: 60,000 music fans crowd annual Birthday Bash (Sun 6/11)

The 2006 B-93 Birthday Bash may well be remembered as the Bash newcomers ruled. The 14th anniversary of the event -- sponsored by radio station WBCT-FM (93.7) -- began an expanded schedule Saturday under nearly ideal outdoor-concert conditions with an estimated crowd of 55-60,000 country music fans... New acts make big first impression at B-93 Birthday Bash Saturday (Sun 6/11)

South Bend Tribune

South Bend-based ABC affiliate WBND-TV (Channel 57) suffered a blown transmitter tube early Saturday morning that left some viewers without service through the weekend and into Monday. "We're on low-power backup," WBND General Manager Jeff Guy said Monday, "which is affecting our signal strength."
A replacement part had been ordered and was expected to be at the station by 5 p.m. Monday... The problem's not in your TV (Tue 6/13)

Grand Rapids Press:

Expanding the B-93 Birthday Bash this year to a two-day lineup of music seems to have been a pretty good idea. Nearly 60,000 country music fans attended Day 2 of the annual event Sunday at the Ionia Fairgrounds, which was sponsored by radio station WBCT-FM (93.7). According to station representatives, the turnout was only slightly less than the number attending Saturday's show headlined by Trace Adkins. Rich Berry, B-93's general sales manager, said the station was pleased by the two-day turnout. "The listener family expressed so much appreciation," he said... Inaugural Bash double dose exceeds B-93 expectations (Mon 6/12)

Tuning into MTV used to be a way to watch music videos -- all the time. Now, viewers can expect to sift through reality shows, interviews and celebrity mishaps. One local television station is bringing back pure music television. On Thursday, WXMI-TV (Fox 17) premieres "The Tube" via its 17-2 digital signal. The channel is available to those who have digital receivers ... Rumors abound- Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis, former morning personalities at WLHT-FM (95.7), have yet to begin their new gig at WHTS-FM (105.3), but that's not stopping the rumor mill... Fox 17 offers all music-video signal (Sun 6/18)

Grand Rapids Press:

It was a special occasion Sunday for local television and radio personalities Brent Ashcroft, Bret Bakita, Tom Clyde, Jack Doles and Bill Simonson. All of them became recent fathers. In tribute to Father's Day, I inquired about the joys of fatherhood... Broadcast personalities cherish off-air time (Mon 6/19)

Local sports leader WBBL-AM (1340) struck a deal to be a secondary radio home for the Detroit Tigers the rest of the season. You might call it a summer time share. In cooperation with WMFN-AM (640), WBBL picked up 17 regular-season Tigers games, beginning with Wednesday's 1:05 p.m. interleague contest against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park... Stations team to add 17 Tigers games to radio lineup (Fri 6/23)

Now we see how the six power conferences will keep the Division I caste system in place, even after newfangled Bowl Championship Series expansion and old-fashioned NCAA tournament inclusion have exposed the competitive depth of revenue-producing college sports. They will do it same as always, through more revenue production than others can produce, by deriving cash from conspiratorial media partners... Big Ten plugged in with TV deal (Sun 6/25)

AllAccess.com

"The Money Pit" Adds Affiliates:
New affiliates for syndicated home improvement show "THE MONEY PIT" include WXLM-F/NEW LNONDON, CT, WGIR-A and simulcasters WGIP-A and WGIN-A/MANCHESTER, NH, and WPNW-A (1260 THE PLEDGE)/GRAND RAPIDS. The show, hosted by NEW JERSEY's own TOM KRAEUTLER with LESLIE SEGRETE, airs on over 170 stations and the DISCOVERY RADIO NETWORK. (Mon 6/19)

WOOD Names Tim Kiesling PD:
CLEAR CHANNEL AC WOOD (STAR 105.7)/GRAND RAPIDS welcomes sister SAN ANTONIO cluster Dir./Marketing/News/Talk WOAI-A and WOAI-TV/SAN ANTONIO air-talent/fill-in Sports Anchor TIM KIESLING for PD duties, replacing JOHN PATRICK. KIESLING previously worked in the area at WJIM and WFMK/LANSING, MI and will continue his weekend job announcing the marching band for MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. (Tue 6/20)

Battle Creek AM Plans Sports Flip:
ALL ACCESS hears that CLEAR CHANNEL Adult Standards WRCC-A (UNFORGETTABLE 1400 AM)/BATTLE CREEK is planning a flip to Sports using PREMIERE's JIM ROME and FOX SPORTS RADIO effective AUGUST 1. (Tue 6/20)

Grand Rapids Press:

The Detroit Tigers are for real. Yep, it's late June, but the Tigers remain atop the American League Central Division standings and continue to own the best record in the major leagues. Is that such a big surprise? No, according to Emmy Award-winning FSN broadcasters Mario Impemba and Rod Allen, who insisted during Sunday afternoon's interleague telecast between the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals from Comerica Park that Detroit is a legit contender this summer... Tigers' TV guys: Team is for real (Mon 6/26)

Muskegon Chronicle

After broadcasting major league baseball for parts of seven decades, one would think Ernie Harwell would be a pretty skilled prognosticator. But the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers says he's just as surprised as anyone by the team's dominant performance this season. Harwell, 88, told The Chronicle during an interview Tuesday that he expected the Tigers to be mediocre this year, which would have been an improvement over most of the previous 13 seasons... Tiger by the tale: Legendary baseball broadcaster spins yarns of baseball greats (Wed 6/28)

Grand Rapids Press:

The weather team went into red alert in the Forecast Center last week when storms hit St. Joseph County and a tornado warning was issued. According to Molly Kelly of WOOD-TV (Channel 8), the station's usual procedure is to go on the air immediately after a tornado warning is issued in the station's 14-county coverage area and to stay on the air as long as it seems warranted and there are life-threatening situations ... Healthy Woman' campaign- Holland Hospital and WZZM-TV (Channel 13) are launching this week a women's health awareness campaign, "13 Healthy Woman" ... Liberal voice on radio- Dr. Laura Schlesinger is out, and Randi Rhodes is in. Rhodes -- a progressive talk-show host who has been on the air for two decades in various markets -- can be heard from 8-10 p.m. weeknights and 2-5 p.m. Saturdays on WTKG radio (AM 1230)... Broadcast Notes (Sun 7/9)

Paul Mayhue's voice has been heard by radio officials with WJNZ-AM 1140, and now fans of the rhythm and blues station will have the chance to hear the politician, who is locked in a re-election battle with former talk-show host Robert Womack. The radio station and Mayhue have reached an agreement that will put campaign spots from the incumbent Kent County commissioner on the air for about six hours through the Aug. 8 primary election... (Sat 7/8)

Tom Van Howe is steering a new course as captain of his own charter boat business. Van Howe last weekend launched his career as charter captain of the 42-foot sailboat Ragtime. The Holland native takes passengers on sailing trips on Lake Michigan from Saugatuck... Former TV anchorman sets sail on new career (Thu 7/6)

New morning news show- WZZM-TV 13 is expanding their programming by launching a weekend morning news show beginning Sept. 9. The show will air 6-8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tim Geraghty, news director at TV-13, said the anchor person is yet to be decided ... The Tonight Show- Former WWMT-TV (Channel 3) Meteorologist Amy Sweezey got her 15 seconds of fame during "The Tonight Show" starring Jay Leno. Sweezey works for the NBC affiliate in Orlando and is on maternity leave ... Maranda has 'wow' factor- She's rocking the parks in West Michigan with free food, activities and fun. Almost 6,000 friends showed up to celebrate the first WOTV 4 Park Party with Maranda ... And the Emmy goes to... Broadcast Notes (Tue 7/4)

Kent County Commissioner Paul Mayhue, locked in a tough re-election battle, figures he has 16 hours of free air time coming on local radio station WJNZ-AM 1140 -- and he wants every minute of it... (Tue 7/4)

I tuned into the Detroit Tigers' radio pregame show Wednesday expecting to hear West Michigan Whitecaps play-by-play announcer Dave Skoczen. He had been booked as a guest for a pregame interview, asked to opine on the progress of teenage slugging sensation Cameron Maybin and other prospects on the Class A Midwest League affiliate that captured a first-half Eastern Division championship. It seemed like a nice gesture... Radio snafu another example of Tigers' disrespect toward Whitecaps (Fri 6/30)

AllAccess.com:

Jim Davis Exits WKLQ Morning Show:
CITADEL Active Rocker WKLQ/GRAND RAPIDS morning guy JIM DAVIS exits the "JUSTICE AND JIM SHOW." JUSTICE continues hosting mornings as the show is re-tooled into "JUSTICE IN THE MORNING." (Wed 7/5)

TV Week:

The Radio-Television News Directors Association said ABC News, WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Mich., and KTUU-TV in Anchorage, Alaska, are the TV winners of this year's annual RTNDA/UNITY Awards, which honor commitment to covering cultural diversity... Honors for ABC News, WOOD-TV, KTUU-TV (Fri 7/7)

Grand Rapids Press:

Dave Solano is a sports nut. He makes no apologies for it, nor should he, since the 29-year-old sportscaster has pursued a passion for sharing news, scores and highlights with viewers in places such as Portland, Ore., and Macon, Ga., with a perpetual smile. He has brought that enthusiasm to Grand Rapids... Solano settling into No. 2 role at WZZM (Fri 7/14)

AllAccess.com

Hayes Covers Southwest Michigan:
MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS Classic Rock/Classic Hits WFAT/KALAMAZOO, MI PD BRIAN HAYES is bumped up to Director of Programming for the southwestern MiICHIGAN region. He will oversee 9 stations. (Tue 7/11)

Opie & Anthony to add Grand Rapids, maybe Saginaw

Reports this morning are that Citadel will add the syndicated version of XM Satellite Radio morning hosts Opie & Anthony to the morning slot at Active Rock WKLQ FM 107.3 Greenville/Grand Rapids and possibly at Classic Rock WILZ FM 104.5 Saginaw. The moves would give the pair their second and third outlets in Michigan- they appeared on CBS-owned Sports WXYT AM 1270 Detroit earlier this summer.

If the show is placed in morning drive, in Grand Rapids O&A would displace 'Justice in the Morning' and in Saginaw the duo would replace 'Bob and Tom'.

Grand Rapids Press:

We purchased a high-definition television at our house a while back so our sports and news addictions could be maximized with a strong, clear, digital video signal. But why can't we get any programming in digital from WWMT-TV (Channel 3) -- the CBS affiliate in West Michigan? My brother in Southfield watches CBS sporting events all the time on HDTV. What is the problem here? I have called, written letters, e-mailed, had cable technicians out to our home -- to no avail. Until now ... Tim Kiesling is the new program director at "Star 105.7" WOOD-FM. "He's brilliant," said Skip Essick, station manager for Clear Channel. "Tim has worked for a cluster of Clear Channel stations as marketing director in San Antonio (Texas) and was a program director for WFMK-FM of Lansing."

"This is an enormous opportunity," Kiesling said. "I have the chance to work with Steve and Sabrina on a heritage morning show. They are humanly connected and care for their listeners and community"... Broadcast notes (Mon 7/17)

Grand Rapids Press:

The alarm will go off a lot earlier on Monday morning for Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis. The husband-and-wife on-air team takes the airwaves as the inaugural morning show of Citadel's WHTS-FM (105.3 Hot FM) after sitting out a three-month noncompete agreement. Their last day at former station WLHT-FM (95.7) was April 21. The team woke up West Michigan listeners for almost 20 years, making it the region's longest-running morning show... Radio's Jagger, Jarvis return to airwaves (Sun 7/23)

One needs a score card to keep up with all the broadcast changes in West Michigan. Last week, WKLQ-FM (107.3) said goodbye to half of its morning team, Jim Davis. This week, the other half -- Justice -- was reassigned to another position in the company to make room Wednesday for a new morning team. Syndicated morning personalities Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia from CBS Radio and XM Satellite Radio have cut a deal with Citadel Broadcasting to beam their show into eight new markets... Opie and Anthony Show added to KLQ morning drive (Sun 7/23)

WOOD-TV

There's more changes in the local radio scene, as one station gets a new leader, and another gets a new morning show. The syndicated morning team Opie & Anthony joined the line-up at WKLQ (107.3) Wednesday, the 20th terrestrial station to add the duo. They're also available on XM Satellite Radio, a unique arrangement with the first three hours broadcast both over-the-air and on satellite, with an additional two hours available only on XM. Opie & Anthony replace Justice & Jim as the morning team at KLQ... Big changes at two area radio stations (Wed 7/19)

Radio & Records:

South Bend radio ratings, Spring 2006

Battle Creek, radio ratings, Spring 2006

Grand Rapids Press:

Kent County Commissioner Paul Mayhue, who is up for re-election, filed a complaint with the county clerk Friday alleging the radio station where one of his rival candidates works is violating campaign finance law. Mayhue claims supporters of candidate Robert S. Womack and disc jockeys at WJNZ-AM 1140 have been directing listeners to fundraisers and locations to pick up yard signs, actions Mayhue alleges are illegal, in-kind corporate contributions from the station. He also claims political ads for Womack are running without proper disclaimers. "They've been on the radio campaigning for him every week," Mayhue said. "All you have to do is listen"... Mayhue miffed over radio ads (Sun 7/30)

Grand Rapids Press:

It is a whole new way to watch television. Digital-cable viewers in Grand Rapids can program their favorite television shows to fit their schedules if they are Comcast customers. Many options are available for storing and retrieving programs for whenever you want to watch them with Comcast's new On Demand service ... New WYCE station manager: Eclectic is the best way to describe the programming on community radio station WYCE-FM (99.1), according to Kevin Murphy, the new station manager as of this week. "We play stuff you won't hear anywhere else (and) from five different genres -- folk, blues, jazz, rock and World Beat," said Murphy, of Grand Rapids. Before coming to the WYCE post, Murphy has worked as a digital artist, animator, video producer, writer and reporter in the print, entertainment and news media... On-demand service keeps making inroads (Wed 8/2)

This week, we spoke with Michael Grey, 31, a WKLQ-FM (107.3) personality, whose show airs 2-7 p.m. daily, about his tastes in pop culture... Your take: Michael Grey (Fri 8/4)

Grand Valley State football will be televised to the entire country this fall, but it will be difficult to see in the Lakers' own back yard. A three-year television and broadband partnership between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the College Sports Television Network will feature 80 live Division II events, including three football games on Thursday nights and six basketball games during the 2006-07 school year... Grand Valley football scores national TV exposure (Fri 8/4)

Radio & Records:

Grand Rapids Spring 2006 radio ratings (Wed 8/2)

Kalamazoo Spring 2006 radio ratings (Wed 8/2)

Grand Rapids Press:

In their first season together in the FSN Detroit broadcast booth, Mario Impemba and Rod Allen had the pleasure of calling an unforgettable 43-119 season for the Detroit Tigers in the summer of 2003. Yeah, real pleasurable. You can't forget a disaster of that magnitude. It just makes Impemba and Allen further appreciate the Tigers' stunning accomplishment as the best team in baseball with a 76-38 record this season... Broadcast partners enjoying Tigers ride (Thu 8/13)

His concert was as laid back and candid as he is. Rising country artist Luke Stricklin, the 23-year-old Arkansas native with the deep voice and youthful face performed for about an hour at Thunder 94.5's second of three Thunder on the Mall concerts Wednesday. Some 2,200 attendees, according to Thunder program director Bud Ford, relaxed to Stricklin's legato twanging, old-school-country vocalizations ... Hot FM parties at the B.O.B.: After 20 years at WLHT-FM and playing "the great light rock," the morning team of Dave Jagger and Geri Jarvis introduced a Top 40 rock band Thursday night at the B.O.B. The Saving Jane concert was the first big gig for WHTS-FM (105.3), which calls itself "105.3 Hot FM" and plays Top 40 hits. And it was Dave and Geri's first big show in front of a new audience. What was it like introducing a rock band? "They were all very nice," Jagger said after meeting the band before the concert. "Despite all the tattoos." The Hot FM coming-out party attracted about 150-200 fans at the B.O.B...Thunder on the Mall country shows under way (Sun 8/13)

Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster Dan Dickerson has experienced some of the ball club's best times and worst times in recent seasons. The Tigers finished a dreadful 43-119 during his first full season behind the microphone in 2003, after he replaced Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell. In what has been a magical summer of 2006, however, Dickerson, who began his broadcasting career in Grand Rapids in the 1980s, has watched the Tigers come full circle to post the best record in Major League Baseball... Tigers fans hit fever pitch (Sun 8/13)

AllAccess.com

WSNX Gets People To Lick Hairy Animal:
Last week, Top 40 WSNX/GRAND RAPIDS, MI's "HOLMES & THE FREAK SHOW" had four listeners compete to win tickets to LOLLAPALOOZA by seeing who could lick a real llama the longest. A llama. If watching people lick animals is your bag, go ahead and click here for some local TV coverage of the event, which was held in downtown GRAND RAPIDS.

Grand Rapids Press:

It's a special father-son outing for Jeff and Kevin Striegle whenever they're able to spend time together at Berlin Raceway in Marne. Jeff Striegle, 46, is in his 10th summer handling the play-by-play on racing broadcasts from Berlin for WMUS-FM (106.9) and ninth as a national broadcaster for Motor Racing Network... (Sat 8/19)

Battle Creek Enquirer:

Clear Channel Battle Creek Market Manager Michael Klein will be on the radio this morning to field questions from listeners about the AM 1400 format switch from oldies music to sports talk. Klein will appear starting at 9 a.m. on the “Open Line Friday” show on 930 AM WBCK. The show invites listeners to call in and speak on the air. Klein said he is appearing on the show in hopes of explaining the reasons for the change on AM 1400. The change was made Aug. 1 from WRCC “The Music of Your Life,” which played music from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, to WBFN “The Fan,” which features sports talk all day... Clear Channel rep. to answer questions about AM 1400 switch (Fri 8/18)

Grand Rapids Press:

Clear Channel radio continues to be a dominant force in West Michigan. According to the Arbitron ratings spring book, WBCT-FM (93.7) took first, WOOD-AM (1300) was second and WSNX-FM (104.5) was third. Skip Essick, Clear Channel market manager, said the stations' success is due to employees and improved technology... Clear Channel scores in radio ratings (Mon 8/21)

In her Rockford High School yearbook only a few years back, she wrote: "It is my goal by 2010 to be on 'The Today Show.' " Quite a lofty ambition, for a 17-year-old from West Michigan to aspire to a big-market TV position. But now meteorologist Ginger Zee, of WOOD-TV (Channel 8), is one big step closer to her Big Apple aspirations. She's headed for the Windy City. On Tuesday, Zee signed with WMAQ-TV (Channel 5), the NBC-owned and -operated outlet in Chicago. She will be a weekend weathercaster there... TV8 weather talent heads to Chicago's WMAQ (Wed 8/23)

Imagine you are chief executive of a major retailer or cellular telephone company, and want to track the frequency and content of your competitor's radio advertisements. How do you do it? Until now, your options have been limited. You can have someone listen to the radio in each of the markets you want monitored... New company monitors radio spots (Thu 8/24)

It occurred to WOOD-TV 8 sports director Jack Doles he should consult with The Bos in preparation for the station's comprehensive coverage of high school football this fall. No, not that boss. He'll team up with preps reporter Jane Bos of The Grand Rapids Press to spotlight the top football matchups every Friday, beginning tonight, on the NBC affiliate's 6 p.m. sportscast. Bos, who has guided The Press' high school sports coverage for the past 18 years, will appear live with Doles, sharing her insights from the site of one of the biggest games in the area each week... Press' preps editor joins WOOD-TV coverage (Fri 8/25)

'The prompter is perfectly timed," television news anchor Amy Turner said. "I think we may want to change to a weather bumper at this time," meteorologist John Shaner added. "We're coming out on camera two," floor director Jason Hutton instructed during a rehearsal last week for the new morning show at WXMI-TV (Channel 17). Excitement is high at the Fox affiliate, which will debut the show at 6 a.m. Monday with Turner, a longtime reporter and weekend anchor, and Shaner, a meteorologist who joined the station last week... TV shows light up the morning in West Michigan, The morning lineup on TV in West Michigan, WOOD-TV dominates GR-area news ratings (Sun 8/27)

Grand Haven Tribune:

The first locally produced high-definition television (HDTV) program in the state will air on Thursday, Sept. 14, when WZZM-13 airs the special, "Great Lakes Adventure," from 9-10:30 p.m. The HDTV special will feature stories about the history, life and future of the Great Lakes. Viewers can watch "Great Lakes Adventure" in one of two ways. The special will be broadcast in high definition on WZZM-DT, which can be viewed with an antenna or via the HD tier on the Comcast and Charter cable systems. It can also be viewed in letterbox on analog channel 13, where black areas are visible above and below the television image... HDTV 'Great Lakes' special to air on WZZM (Wed 8/30)

Grand Rapids Press:

Later this month, catch the beauty of the Great Lakes and the splendor of our fair state from the comfort of your sofa -- and in High Definition Television (HDTV) ... Time for the telethon: The 41st annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon airs today and Monday on WOTV-TV (Channel 4.) This is the 10th anniversary of the local station's broadcast of the event ... The CW is coming: Are you ready for a new television network? CBS Corporation (owner of UPN) and Warner Bros. Entertainment (owner of The WB) have joined forces to launch a fifth major TV programming source. The UPN and WB networks soon will be signing off and, in their place, CW will premiere its programming in various time slots and on different channels, depending on a household's TV service. "We are ... negotiating with area cable systems and satellite providers for carriage of the CW and expect to be on most (West Michigan) systems when the CW premieres on Sept. 18," said Jeff Watts, broadcast services manager at WWMT-TV (Channel 3)... Broadcast Notes (Fri 9/1)

If more companies could compete for your business, your cable TV bill would not land with such a heavy thud. And more businesses, particularly small ones in out-of-the-way places, would finally get a high-speed foothold on the Internet highway. Those, in a nutshell, are conclusions of a Lawrence Technological University study released last week by the Southfield school... Other states see big picture on cable (Sun 9/3)

Religion News Service:

HisKids.net, an alliance of leading Christian radio programs for children, will launch its innovative, interactive web site – www.HisKids.net – Sept. 2, providing numerous programs and music on-demand at one central site. “For the first time in history, children's Christian broadcasters are working together as never before to reach kids in new and innovative ways,” said Dodd Morris, director of His Kids Radio (www.HisKidsRadio.net), a broadcast ministry of Cornerstone University and coordinating partner of the alliance... Ministries Working Together ‘Historic'
Children's Programming Alliance Launching HisKids.net Web Site Sept. 2 (Mon 8/28)

Radio & Records:

Top 5 Grand Rapids radio stations among all listeners age 12+ for summer 2006 phase 1 ratings trend: WBCT-FM (9.2), WOOD-AM (7.4), WSNX-FM (6.8), WGRD-FM (5.5), WTRV-FM (4.9)

See the entire trend

WOOD-TV:

Aris Hampers, the long-time host of afternoon and nighttime radio shows and a proponent of new local music, was fired Wednesday by WBFX (The Fox 101.3). Skip Essick, Vice President and General Manager for Clear Channel Radio in Grand Rapids, confirmed Aris was released. "We wish him the best," Essick said. Calls to Hampers for comment were not immediately returned. He began his radio career in 1973... Aris Hampers fired by The Fox (Wed 9/6) :: Aris Hampers, whose 35-year radio career may have effectively ended when he was fired by 101.3 The Fox on Wednesday, wants one thing perfectly clear: he has no ill feelings toward anyone about anything. "Clear Channel really treated me well," he told woodtv.com. "They're great people and I've got great friends over there"... Aris: no hard feelings over firing (Thu 9/7)

Rick Roberts, the long-time anchor for WOOD TV8, died Wednesday of a head injury suffered when he fell down stairs at his home. He was 59. Rick Roberts was the co-anchor with Suzanne Geha of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts beginning in1983. Over the next 13 years, he anchored or co-anchored the evening, morning and mid-day newscasts. He left the station in 1996... Former TV8 anchor Rick Roberts dies (Thu 9/7)

Grand Rapids Press:

The anonymous caller seemed to know everything about television reporters Rachel Calderon and Kristi Andersen. He left "disgusting" messages about sexually assaulting them. The women feared being alone. Family and friends worried for their safety. Their stations heightened security. "He made it very clear he was watching me, he knew everything about me, he would never lose sight of me," Andersen, a reporter for WOOD-TV, said in a statement... 'He made it very clear he was watching me' (Thu 9/7)

WOOD-TV

Officials say Local DJ Dave Conrad is in fair condition after undergoing surgery for injuries resulting from a motorcycle accident Friday night. Conrad, from B-93, was involved in the accident while participating in the "Motorcycle Light Parade" - a fundraiser benefiting the prevention of child abuse and neglect in West Michigan. "I just left the hospital where I saw him this morning," said Doug Montgomery, operations manager at B-93. "He's talking and driving the nurses crazy, so we're cautiously optimistic"... B-93s Conrad injured in motorcycle accident (Sat 9/9)

Grand Rapids Press:

Popular radio personality Dave Conrad has "a long road to recovery ahead of him" after he was seriously injured in a motorcycle ride for the station's Roofsit for Kids charity, the program director of B93 said Saturday. "He's in a lot of pain, but he asked me to be sure to thank his listeners for their continued prayers," said Doug Montgomery, the program director for the country music station, WBCT-FM (93.7), after he visited Conrad at Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus. Known on the air as "Conrad," the radio announcer was injured Friday night when a motorcycle sidecar in which he was a passenger was struck by a vehicle at 28th Street SE and Broadmoor Avenue, according to Montgomery... B93 radio personality injured during charity ride (Sun 9/10)

Grand Rapids Press:

Imagine a radio station that plays Lyle Lovett and Johnny Cash as well George Strait and Toby Keith. It's an idea Kevin Matthews, of WLAV-FM (96.9), has nurtured for eight years -- since his days on the air in Chicago. And now Matthews is doing something about it. The on-air radio veteran is programming WLAW-FM (92.5). The station also spins the likes of Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt, along with cutting-edge songs from new country artists. Imagine that: New and old country together on one station. The positioning statement is "Legends, Young Guns" and station name is "The Outlaw"... 'Outlaw' FM station touts unique mix of country (Wed 9/13)

It's a special treat for West Michigan Whitecaps broadcast partners Dave Skoczen and Dan Elve to be calling the Midwest League championship series. It represents a career highlight for both. Skoczen, 28, is completing his second season as the play-by-play voice of the Whitecaps for flagship radio station WBBL-AM (1340) and sixth overall as a minor-league broadcaster. It's his first championship series... Caps radio duo enjoy playoff ride (Fri 9/15)

Remember the days when Johnny Carson would talk to funny, irreverent, comedians on the "Tonight Show" couch? Nationally syndicated radio hosts Bob and Tom, heard locally during their morning show on WBFX-FM (101.3), are giving aspiring comedians a shot on their first television special, "Bob and Tom Radio: The Comedy Hour." In addition, a special-edition DVD will be released in conjunction with the comedy program to be sold in stores nationwide. "We spent $350,000 building a set, it was shot in HD, and everything looks extremely professional," Tom Griswold said during a recent phone interview with The Press... Radio duo brings humor to TV special (Fri 9/15)

Muskegon Chronicle:

Comcast Cable customers will see a major readjustment of the Muskegon and Fremont system's channel lineups beginning Tuesday. In doing so, Comcast will make it more expensive for some fans of local low-power television WMKG Channel 40, which will move from Channel 98 on the basic cable system to Channel 295 on the digital cable system... Viewer alert: Channels are on the move (Mon 9/18)

Grand Rapids Press:

Local satellite-radio subscribers choose their respective services for a variety of reasons. Loal DJ and Community Media Center employee Jeff Hudson -- who spins under the name Jef Leppard on Thursday nights at the Drink, 81 Ionia Ave. NW -- happened upon his subscription to XM, but is pleased with the service. "It was random chance. I was buying a new car stereo, and it came with XM built in," Hudson said, adding he signed up for the service and loves it... Who pays to listen to radio, and why? (Mon 9/18)

So, who will be "America's Next Top Model"? If you live in Lowell, we have some bad news: You won't be able to watch Tyra Banks' reality TV show. In fact, the new CW network -- which airs "Top Model" and popular shows "Gilmore Girls" and "Smallville" -- is not being carried in your market at all...Network cracks few cable, satellite lineups (Wed 9/20)

Alberto Martinez could not speak a word of English when he arrived in Holland in the mid-1970s at age 13. "I remember thinking, 'What a beautiful country this is -- why wouldn't I want to be part of it?'" he said. At the time, there were no English as a Second Language classes in Holland. Despite that obstacle, Martinez vowed he would learn the language and make life better for himself and others in the community... Radio program director strives to help community (Thu 9/21)

West Michigan viewers finally can get WWMT-TV (Channel 3) in high definition. In addition, Comcast has launched the newly formed network, CW, in HD in Holland and Grand Rapids. The HD channel airs on Channel 233 for CBS primetime programming and sports such as NCAA basketball and NFL football. In addition to a high definition television set, consumers need an HD converter ... Sarah Sell has left WDIV-TV in Detroit as a reporter/anchor and joined WZZM-TV (Channel 13) as a general assignment reporter. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in communications, she moved to Michigan to work at WEYI-TV and WPBN-TV in Traverse City. From there, she headed to Detroit ... WBCT-FM (93.7) raised more than $310,000 during its annual Roofsit for Kids. All funds go toward the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This campaign was difficult for the station because of an accident that injured popular on-air personality David Conrad. He was a passenger in a motorcycle sidecar and was hit by a vehicle on the way to the event... High-definition TV finally comes to West Michigan (Sun 9/24)

Grand Rapids Press:

National Public Radio affiliate and jazz station WBLU-FM/WBLV-FM (88.9/90.3) was off the air for several days recently because its transmitter was damaged by what officials believe was a lightning strike. General manager Dave Myers said the damage might have caused a leak, which in turn shorted out the transmitter, which is located in Hesperia... Blue Lake radio back on the air (Tue 9/26)

Lindsey Zabor has switched careers from news reporter/producer at WXMI-TV (Channel 17) to director of marketing and public relations at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum... WXMI reporter takes marketing post (Tue 9/26)

The plug is pulled on Aris' Hometown Rock Music Search this year. "I regret to announce that for the first time in 14 years, the Rock Search is canceled," local radio icon Aris Hampers said in an e-mail to The Press. Earlier this month, Hampers, a fixture on the airwaves for more than 30 years, was let go by WBFX-FM (101.3) owner Clear Channel because of what he described as a combination of ratings and economics... Aris Hampers Rock Search canceled (Fri 9/29)

Want some adjectives to describe the new doctor in town? How about smart, intuitive, incisive, always able to lend a sympathetic ear, helpful to his guests, and oh yeah, let's not forget -- he's bald as a cue ball. Dr. Keith Ablow debuted on WOOD-TV (Channel 8) Sept. 11 and airs at 4 p.m. weekdays. He's a kinder, gentler "Dr. Phil" type, minus the pompous attitude. Watch his show a couple of times and you will find true moments of epiphany. You may recognize him from his appearances on the "Oprah Winfrey" "Montel Williams" or "Tyra Banks" shows... Kinder, gentler doctor takes to the air (Sun 10/1)

AllAccess.com:

'Hot Trips Cold Cash' At WHTS: CITADEL Top 40 WHTS (105.3 HOTFM)/GRAND RAPIDS is conducting the "HOT TRIPS COLD CASH" contest, in which every day a listener wins a trip to JAMAICA, CANCUN, or PUERTO VALLARTA or up to $1,000 in cash. The station sent 86,000 area homes a calendar (also available at www.1053hotfm.com) that lists a different song on each day, and when the listed song plays on the appropriate day, the 15th caller wins. WZZM-TV/GRAND RAPIDS is also in on the action -- it reveals the next day's song, and the hour in which it will be played, during its 11p newscast. (Tue 10/3)

Grand Rapids Press:

The second of three televised debates between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Tuesday from the studios of WOOD-TV (Channel 8). The debate will air live and commercial-free and will stream live online at woodtv.com. It will be simulcast on four other NBC-affiliated stations in Michigan: WDIV in Detroit, WEYI in Flint, WPBN in Traverse City and WLUC in Marquette... Debate comes to WOOD-TV (Sun 10/8)

Many fans of Blue Lake Public Radio WBLV-FM (90.3) have been tuning into dead air recently. The station's main transmitting antenna was rendered unusable by a lightning strike, and the station is operating on reduced power with a standby antenna. The damaged antenna has been shipped to the manufacturer in California, where it will be rebuilt. Station management predicts the combination of repair and return shipment should take about two weeks... Lightning TKO's WBLV (Sun 10/8)

t's not often a locally produced documentary captures national attention and recognition, but the award-winning WGVU Productions' "Surviving Auschwitz: Children of the Shoah" will be added to The Museum of Broadcast Communications' archive in Chicago... (Sun 10/8)

Grand Rapids Press:

"Barnaby here" is a phrase familiar to many West Michigan TV viewers. Gerry Barnaby -- who goes by just "Barnaby" -- is an experienced television storyteller who presents human-interest pieces for WOTV-TV (Channel 41). You can catch him four times a day, weekdays -- 6:36 a.m., 12:20, 5:46 and 7:10 p.m. He also is adding the WOTV-4 Hotlist to his responsibilities... Barnaby branches out (Wed 10/11)

Another round of debates begins Sunday night. This time, it's the Michigan senatorial debate with Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Republican candidate Mike Bouchard, who will discuss the issues facing the state. The debate will air at 8 p.m. Sunday on public television stations across Michigan, including WGVU-TV (Channel 35)... WGVU to air senatorial debate (Sat 10/14)

Battle Creek Enquirer:

Two Battle Creek-area television stations do not plan to broadcast Monday's debate between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos, as reality shows and sitcoms instead go on the air. Battle Creek's ABC affiliate, WOTV Channel 4, and Kalamazoo's CBS affiliate, WWMT Channel 3, will instead run programs such as the reality show "Wife Swap" and the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." The third governor's debate of this election season is being broadcast live from WXYZ-TV in Detroit, an ABC affiliate. It's being made available live to all ABC and CBS affiliates in Michigan... B.C.-area affiliates won't air gov. debate (Sat 10/14)

Grand Rapids Press:

Local sports radio station WBBL-AM (1340) has been the exclusive provider of postseason baseball coverage in the Grand Rapids radio market for several years. Of course, everything is different this fall. The interest in the World Series has reached a fever pitch with the Detroit Tigers making their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1984... WBBL riding Tigers wave (Fri 10/20)

Dave Conrad was off the air six weeks -- an eternity in radio, he says -- and he was afraid listeners would forget about him. It's an understatement to say the opposite happened. In his first 15 minutes back on the air Thursday afternoon, the B-93 radio host received more than 50 supportive e-mails from listeners, and the station switchboard lit up with calls from across West Michigan. Since he was severely injured in a September motorcycle accident, Conrad, who hosts the afternoon slot on WBCT-FM (93.7), said listener support has been overwhelming... Injured DJ stunned at response to his return (Fri 10/20)

Linda Paige, meteorologist at WZZM-TV (Channel 13), can predict the weather, but she never predicted the honor she will receive from the American Meteorological Society. Paige is the inaugural winner of an award for excellence in science reporting for her work on the series "The Great Lakes, An Endangered Legacy," which aired in the summer of 2005. The new award is in recognition of a single television report or a series that makes science topics, including environmental issues, accessible and interesting to the general public... New AMS award going to WZZM meteorologist (Sun 10/22)

Grand Rapids Press:

Country music radio personalities Darren Wilhite and Tim Wall of WTNR-FM (94.5) were off the airwaves Monday after a breakdown in contract negotiations, according to station management. They had vacated the premises Friday, the station said. "The two parties just couldn't agree. The contract negotiations broke down, and we agreed to disagree," said Bud Ford, program director and on-air personality at the station known as Thunder ... Longtime air personality Gabriella de la Vega, of WNWZ-AM (1410), has decided to leave the station after seven years of pioneering one of West Michigan's first full-time Spanish- language stations. De la Vega said it was time to move on, and that station management still was trying to get her to reconsider... Thunder gone for duo; de la Vega leaves air (Tue 10/24)

Diane Rehm, host of National Public Radio's popular "The Diane Rehm Show," spoke Tuesday to a standing-room-only audience of about 500 people at Aquinas College's Fine Arts Center. She also signed books and was the guest speaker at an evening fundraiser for Aquinas' Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center... Diane Rehm: A popular draw (Wed 10/25)

Dan Dickerson had the greatest moment of his professional broadcasting career when he called Magglio Ordonez's three-run, walk-off homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series to send the Detroit Tigers to the World Series. He's hoping for one last great postseason moment. Dickerson, following in Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell's footsteps as the radio play-by-play voice of the Tigers, is keeping his fingers crossed that Tiger fans will get a chance to hear him call a World Series championship this weekend... Dickerson hoping for another big call (Fri 10/27)

If Jordon Lambert of West Olive someday finds himself in a television booth, calling the shots on "Monday Night Football," he can point to the day when he got his start. "Well, sort of," Lambert said, when asked if he wants to grow up to be a big-time football broadcaster like John Madden or Al Michaels. Lambert, 10, got a taste of what it's like to be a broadcaster last week. The Quincy Elementary School fifth grader was selected to participate in Tuesday's 3-A-Day of Dairy/Lions Junior Broadcaster Tryout... Fifth-grader wins spot in broadcasting contest (Sun 10/29)

Michele DeSelms is used to telling the news, not being the news. But there she was, her picture flashed on the TV screen last week while her co-anchor, Christian Frank, told WXMI (Channel 17) viewers why DeSelms had been off the air for two weeks. She was with her 17-year-old son, Brandon, who underwent brain surgery in late September to remove a golf ball-sized mass from the back of his skull... Being news, not telling it, 'surreal' for anchor (Sun 10/29)

Former morning WKLQ-FM radio man Justice, of the "Justice and Jim show," says, "I am very excited to say that I will be working with WOOD-AM after a long three months off air. I will be doing fill-in work for Rick and Scott, starting in late November ... She has been a fixture in West Michigan television and theater, but Molly Kelly is ready to head back to her hometown of Chicago. "I've taken a job in Chicago at WCIU and MeTV, working in the marketing department," she said. "It has been a difficult decision leaving my adopted home town and theater family of 18 years"... WOOD-AM getting Justice (Sun 10/29)

Calvin/Hope Sign New Deal with WGVU

The live telecasts of the Calvin/Hope men's basketball games on public broadcasting station WGVU in Grand Rapids will continue through the 2008-09 season, officials of the station and colleges have announced. The popular NCAA Division III rivalry has been televised by WGVU since the 1997-98 season and the 2006-2007 broadcasts will mark 10 years of Calvin/Hope basketball on WGVU television... Calvin College Press Release

AllAccess.com:

WTNR Looks For A New Morning Show & APD:
CITADEL Country WTNR (THUNDER 94.5)/GRAND RAPIDS, MI PD BUD FORD is on the prowl for a new morning show to replace WILHOITE and WHITE, who exited the station last week. FORD states that established teams as well as individuals are welcome to apply. THUNDER 94.5 is a growing station so there are a lot of work hours involved, so those wishing to work only four hours a day need not apply. FORD is also on the lookout for a new APD since current APD/afternooner MATT STRYKER is leaving to follow his wife as she starts a new job. The right person will be able to do an air shift as well as some imaging work and light website maintenance. (Fri 10/27)

Radio and Records:

Top 5 stations in the 2006 summer ratings for Grand Rapids were country WBCT, contemporary hits WSNX, news-talk WOOD-AM, modern rock WGRD, and classic rock WLAV... Grand Rapids summer radio ratings (ages 12+) (Thu 10/26)

Grand Rapids Press:

In broadcasting, the spin doctors always show up when a ratings book comes out. How will the top executives at stations position -- or spin -- the rating numbers to make potential advertisers think their stations are No. 1 in some category? My analysis of the summer radio Arbitron ratings are spin-free. They are based on the 12-plus category for commercial stations in Kent and Ottawa counties. Simply put, this refers to listeners who are 12 and older... Local-radio leader remains B-93 in latest survey (Sun 11/5)

Grand Rapids Press:

He's not in line for a multi-million dollar payoff, but Casey Ford feels as if he's won life's lottery anyway. A 2001 graduate of Jenison High School, Ford has been keeping busy as an assistant manager of WCET, the local access TV station that can be picked up on Channel 24 in Grand Rapids, and 24-25 in Jenison, Grandville and Hudsonville... GVSU student gets call for U-M games (Thu 11/9)

AllAccess.com:

Arriens Adds MD Duties At WJIM/Lansing:
DARRIN ARRIENS, PD/midday jock at CITADEL/GRAND RAPIDS Rocker WKLQ, also programs sister Top 40 WHTS (just down the hall), and recently added MD duties at LANSING sister Top 40 WJIM, where he'll work closely with PD DAN KELLEY. ARRIENS tells ALL ACCESS, “Sometimes I'm hard to find, but I've got two great MDs, MICHAEL GRAY at ‘KLQ, as well as JOSH STRICKLAND at WHTS. (Thu 11/9)

WSNX 'Jocks In A Box' Collect Food For The Needy:
CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40/Mainstream WSNX/GRAND RAPIDS APD/night guy HOLMES and co-host BIG MAC last week took their "FREAK SHOW" to the streets for a second year to help needy West MICHIGAN families with a promotion called "Jock In A Box." Both jocks lived and broadcast their show from a storage unit until they filled an 18-wheeler truck with food. They started on NOVEMBER 2 at 7a and ended on NOVEMBER 5 at noon, enduring two days of snow and temperatures as low as 23 degrees, and as a result about 400 West MICHIGAN residents will be fed through CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES this Thanksgiving. Check out the pics here.

West Michigan's WayFM wins Station of the Year from R&R

Contemporary Christian WaYfm (88.3 WAYK/Kalamazoo 89.9 WAYG/Grand Rapids) was recently recognized as “Station of the Year” by Radio and Records, the radio industry's leading trade publication. WAYK is the first-ever youth & young adult oriented station to receive this honor, beating out five other stations in its market category to win the distinction.

“This award is voted on by peers,” said Kevin Peterson, Christian Editor for Radio & Records, “which speaks volumes about the respect that Christian radio programmers across the country have for what WAYK is doing in its market and in this industry.”

WaYfm Program Director, Michael Couchman, attributes the station's success to “God blessing WaYfm with great listeners and a great team who loves serving them. We're excited to be the first-ever youth oriented station to get this honor and we'll continue to work hard at reaching them.”

South Bend Tribune:

The St. Thomas More Foundation Inc., a South Bend-based nonprofit organization, will bring Catholic talk radio to local airwaves as early as next month on WHLY-AM (1580). Times Communications Inc. president William Dobslaw, the station's current owner, has agreed to lease WHLY to the nonprofit group while awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval for a permanent ownership change... WHLY converts to Catholic programming (Thu 11/23)

Grand Rapids Press:

Chris Lemke, general manager of WCSG-FM (91.3) Christian radio, has e been using words like "incredible" and "awe-inspiring" when describing the success of his station's recent Sharathon fundraiser. The Cornerstone University radio station, which conducts two on-air fundraisers a year, recently raised $1.27 million, which surpassed its goal by $20,000... Cornerstone radio gets some good news (Sun 11/26)

Cornerstone University is having a very good run right now. Another of its radio stations -- WaYfm, which airs on WAYK-FM (88.3) in Kalamazoo and WAYG-FM (89.9) in Grand Rapids -- was recognized as small-market Christian music station of the year by Radio and Records, one of the radio industry's leading trade publications. The commercial-free, nonprofit station plays Top 40 Christian music aimed at teens, young adults and young families... Cornerstone radio station honored (Sun 11/26)

Darren Wilhite and Tim Wall (aka Wilhite and Wall) were difficult to track down after they left WTNR-FM (94.5) Thunder country radio. The duo left the station abruptly following a contract negotiations breakdown with station management. Now news comes they have landed at country station WDAF-FM (106.5) in Kansas City, MO... Wilhite, Wall land in K.C. (Sun 11/26)

Grand Rapids Press:

There are a few things you probably didn't know about Rob St. Mary, the new news director at WOOD-AM (1300). First, he has lost more than 140 pounds since 2000. "It was all a result of diet and exercise, and I have kept it off," he said ... WGRD team expands- Morning-drive radio listeners in mid-Tennessee will get Free Beer and Hot Wings every weekday. Nashville's mainstream rock radio station WPCZ-FM (102.9, The Buzz) recently replaced The Bob and Tom Show with the local gents on WGRD-FM (97.9), which is syndicated on several other stations across the country... Yet another station picks up Free Beer show (Fri 12/1)

Morning-drive radio listeners in mid-Tennessee will get Free Beer and Hot Wings every weekday. Nashville's mainstream rock radio station WPCZ-FM (102.9, The Buzz) recently replaced The Bob and Tom Show with the local gents on WGRD-FM (97.9), which is syndicated on several other stations across the country... WGRD team expands (Sun 12/3)

Radio and Records:

Top five stations among listeners age 12 and above for the first fall ratings trend in Grand Rapids were WBCT-FM, WSNX-FM, WOOD-AM, WGRD-FM, and WLAV-FM... Grand Rapids 12+ ratings, Fall phase 1

South Bend Tribune:

After Jan. 1, listeners may not recognize the Voice of Niles-Buchanan. That became apparent Wednesday when Gloria Cooper, the voice behind Niles-based WNIL-AM radio station's "Here's Gloria'' program, announced on the air her intention to resign Dec. 29. Not only is Cooper leaving but so, too, is the station's operations manager and jack-of-all-trades, Ric Clingaman. The loss of Cooper and Clingaman will leave the station, billed as the Voice of Niles-Buchanan and Hometown 1290, without its hometown feel. Beginning in 2007, the around-the-clock station will be fully automated and will transmit programming solely by satellite, Clingaman said... Niles radio losing local program voices (Thu 12/7)

AllAccess.com:

Coats 4 Kids, Frostbite 4 WSNX's Internio:
CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WSNX/GRAND RAPIDS' "THE PLAYHOUSE" morning star PUDDIN shared the following with ALL ACCESS: "Morning show stunt punk INTERNIO 'THE MEXICAN INTERN' is recovering and celebrating. He was brave or dumb enough to bare all, to bring attention to an overlooked problem. INTERNIO stood outside collecting 'Coats 4 Kids' to make the point that there are kids in this city that have to deal with this problem every day. After less than four hours, he picked up over 300 coats, sweaters, and sweatshirts for kids who didn't have them earlier today." By the way, the outside temperature during this stunt was 14 degrees -- with a wind chill of zero. "Oh, did I mention we made him wear the BORAT swimsuit?" PUDDIN adds. "Does workmen's comp cover self-induced frostbite?" (Fri 12/8)

Grand Rapids Press:

I have always been a fan of Aris Hampers. He had been a West Michigan radio fixture for 35 years, and I miss him on the airwaves since he was let go from Clear Channel's WBFX-FM (101.3) in September. What's Aris up to now? I heard him on the air last month at WLAV-FM (96.9) when he dropped in as a Friday morning guest on the Kevin Matthews show. The two have been friends since their Grand Valley college days. "We had a gas -- a lot of fun," Hampers said from his Aris' Disc Shop in the Celebration Cinema North complex. "Although getting up at 5:30 -- well, I'm more of a noon kind of guy"... Broadcast notes: Aris has new best friend in Asia (Sun 12/10)

AllAccess.com:

O'Kelly Named PD At WFGR:
LEN O'KELLY is joining REGENT Oldies WFGR (OLDIES 98.7)/GRAND RAPIDS as PD/morning host, effective JANUARY 2. O'KELLY has been serving as a commercial producer at TRIBUNE Talk WGN-A/CHICAGO and has been imaging WYIN-TV (LAKESHORE PUBLIC TELEVISION)/GARY-MERRILLVILLE, IN and voice tracking for CLEAR CHANNEL Soft AC WBXX/BATTLE CREEK, previously handled production director and overnight hosting duties at the former "REAL OLDIES 1690" WRLL-A and, before that, was APD/MD for then-Oldies WJMK/CHICAGO and PD of WODJ/GRAND RAPIDS. (Wed 12/13)

Darren Arriens Named PD At Rock 107.5/Tucson:
CITADEL Rock WKLQ and Top 40 WHTS/GRAND RAPIDS PD and Top 40 WJIM/LANSING MD DARRIN ARRIENS is heading to sister Classic Rock KHYT (ROCK 107.5)/TUCSON as PD. KHYT GM KEN KOWALCEK says that "we are thrilled to welcome DARRIN to TUCSON. It's always great to be able to find great talent in your own company and DARRIN comes to us from our sister stations in GRAND RAPIDS. We know he and his wife SUSAN will love TUCSON and his years of experience at heritage rock stations like WRIF-FM in DETROIT and WIOT-FM in TOLEDO mean that ROCK 107.5 is in excellent hands and the future looks great!"

ARRIENS adds that he is "absolutely thrilled to be moving along to CITADEL TUCSON and program KHYT. HERB CROWE, KEN KOWALCEK and the rest of the staff are a total class act and they are setting the pace for radio in TUCSON. I am leaving some of the best and smartest people I have ever worked with in GRAND RAPIDS. Regional President MATT HANLON is truly a visionary and it was a great learning experience to work with him the past three years. He is also a mentor and a friend. I am richer for the experience of working with him. I also want to thank OM BRENT ALBERTS, who is a great programmer with a mountain of experience and savvy. For me, this is a win win situation; I will miss GRAND RAPIDS and the people at CITADEL there, but I also look forward to teaming up with some great colleagues in TUCSON. Finally, I would like to thank JUDY ELLIS and FARID SULEMAN for their confidence in my abilities. It is great to be a part of the CITADEL team!" (Wed 12/13)

AllAccess.com:

Grey Named PD At WKLQ:
With yesterday's announcement that CITADEL Rock WKLQ and Top 40 WHTS/GRAND RAPIDS PD and Top 40 WJIM/LANSING MD DARRIN ARRIENS is heading to sister Classic Rock KHYT (ROCK 107.5)/TUCSON as PD, that left the WKLQ PD slot open for a few minutes, but now it's filled: WKLQ APD/afternoon host MICHAEL GREY gets the promotion to PD to replace ARRIENS. GREY says "I can't believe they fell for it. In all seriousness, I can't say thanks enough to DARRIN, MATT HANLON and BRENT ALBERTS for giving me the keys- I'm looking forward to taking KLQ to the next level." ALBERTS, CITADEL's VP Rock, added "MICHAEL has earned this opportunity, and we're happy to see him grow into this position. We feel great about the future of KLQ." Now, who's gonna replace GREY as APD and ARRIENS as midday host? (Thu 12/14)

Bubba Gets Overnights At WKFR:
CUMULUS Top 40 WKFR/BATTLE CREEK, MI swing shifter and "RAY's Pig Pen Radio" lackey BUBBA picks up Overnights for the station starting in JANUARY. PD/middayer KRUZE tells ALL ACCESS that he's "happy that we've greatly decreased BUBBA's likelihood of being arrested from the hours of Midnight-5am." (Thu 12/14)

Grand Rapids Press:

The holiday classics haven't changed that much -- radio stations still turn to Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Burl Ives to spread Yuletide cheer. But your chances of hearing them on the radio are growing fast. This week, more than 400 stations from Maine to Hawaii -- West Michigan included -- were playing Christmas tunes around the clock to bring in listeners and advertising dollars. Some cities have as many as five or six stations competing for holiday listeners. Most of the programming kicked off after Thanksgiving; the earliest station switched in October before trick-or-treaters made the rounds... Radio stations tuned in to holidays (Fri 12/15)

Grand Rapids Press:

'Tis the season for radio change-ups. Len O'Kelly will join Regent Broadcasting in January as program director and morning man on Oldies station WFGR-FM (98.7). Current morning guy Robb Stewart is "investigating career options," said Phil Catlett, president and general manager of Regent Broadcasting's local stations. The addition of O'Kelly gives Catlett a new person to oversee the day-to-day programming of WFGR... Oldies station gets new program director (Sun 12/17)

Leaving the Michigan winter behind is Darrin Arriens of Citadel Radio. He was responsible for rock station WKLQ-FM (107.3), top 40 WHTS-FM (105.3 Hot FM) and Lansing station WJIM. Arriens heads to Tucson... Arriens off to Arizona (Sun 12/17)

WSNX-FM (104.5) collected more than 300 coats and winter accessories for Catholic Social Services during "The Playhouse Morning Show" Dec. 7. It was bone-chilling cold for scantily clad personality Internio Banderas... A chilling experience at fundraiser (Sun 12/17)

Grand Rapids Press:

Grand Rapids-area high schools combined to win two state football championships this fall, grabbed a state title in girls basketball and two state crowns in both girls cross country and girls tennis. Must-See TV really is back for area fans considering all the noise those teams made. The Michigan High School Athletic Association, along with Fox Sports Network Detroit, has produced "MHSAA Magazine." The 30-minute show will debut at 7 p.m. Thursday on FSN... FSN highlights state champions (Mon 12/18)

AllAccess.com:

WGRD Auctions Everything Under Its Tree:
REGENT Alternative WGRD/GRAND RAPIDS is auctioning off everything under and on its CHRISTMAS tree this year, with prizes including autographed ornaments from HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, THE FRAY, NICKELBACK, and KID ROCK, snowboards autographed by FALL OUT BOY, autographed guitars from PANIC! AT THE DISCO and SHINEDOWN, a NINE INCH NAILS autographed poster, and more. Click here to see the eBAY listings and bid; you have until DECEMBER 21 at 3p ET to get those bids in. The auction benefits the HELEN DEVOS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL and is sponsored by CITGO. (Mon 12/18)

Battle Creek Enquirer

The planned consolidation of the WOTV broadcast facility and staff into WOOD-TV's operations that began earlier this year is nearly complete. All WOTV operations in Battle Creek will be moved to WOOD TV in Grand Rapids by the end of this year, according to Diane Kniowski, WOOD/WOTV/WXSP president and general manager. Three positions will be cut in the move, she said in a news release Wednesday. Gerry Barnaby, WOTV features reporter, will no longer be a part of the team. Barnaby has been with either WOOD TV or WOTV since 1993... WOTV/WOOD consolidation nearly completed (Thu 12/21)

Grand Rapids Press:

"Barnaby here" is a phrase television viewers will no longer hear on the West Michigan airwaves. In a consolidation move, management at WOOD-TV (Channel 8) has decided to shut down its Battle Creek office and move all of the operations at sister station WOTV (Channel 41) to Grand Rapids, the staff was told on Wednesday... Barnaby gets ax by WOOD (Thu 12/21)

Some PBS television stations in Michigan are planning to feature the 2006 Hope College Christmas Vespers service this weekend. Held on Dec. 2 and 3, the service was filmed by WGVU-TV of Grand Rapids and made available to PBS affiliates nationwide. WGVU-TV 35 and WGVK-TV 52 of Kalamazoo will be broadcasting the program on Friday at 10 p.m.; Saturday, at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 11 p.m.; and Monday at 1 and 4 p.m... Hope's Christmas Vespers to air on PBS stations (Thu 12/21)

The New York Yankees had completed spring training and were headed north when the Bronx Bombers made a stop in Atlanta during the spring of 1925. The Yankees were in town to play the Atlanta Crackers at Ponce de Leon Park, and Babe Ruth came running in from the outfield after the eighth inning. A 7-year-old Ernie Harwell came sneaking up to the dugout with a pen in hand and asked Ruth for an autograph. "But kid, you don't have anything for me to sign," Harwell recalled Ruth saying in his recently released Ernie Harwell's Audio Scrapbook... Harwell tells interesting stories in audio scrapbook (Thu 12/21)

WOOD-TV:

Radio personality Robert S is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people behind the door-gluing vandalism at Union High School... Radio host offers cash to catch super-glue vandals (Thu12/21)

Battle Creek Enquirer:

Battle Creek Unlimited is happy to take the old Fort Custer post headquarters from its current owners, WOTV Ch. 41. But Jim Hettinger, BCU's president and chief executive officer, said what's inside the building probably will be more valuable than the structure itself. "The real value in the deal, if it works for us, is the audio-video equipment that we'll be donating to the schools," Hettinger said Thursday. "There's some pretty sophisticated equipment in there." Hettinger said WOTV's owner, LIN Broadcasting, is simply walking away, leaving almost everything in the building... WOTV building may be razed (Fri 12/22)

Grand Rapids Press:

In the spirit of the holiday, I checked in with a few of West Michigan's TV personalities who are in different homes for the holidays. After 32 years in broadcasting, Barry Shanley, 60, former news anchor at WZZM-TV in the 1980s, is making a difference in the lives of teenagers ... Kim Covington, former WZZM-TV anchor, enjoys her new position as weekend news anchor and education reporter at station KPNX-TV (Channel 12) in Phoenix ... Former WOOD-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Ginger Zee is enjoying life in Chi-town... Checking in with former local broadcasters (Sun 12/24)

South Bend Tribune:

The year was 1973, and Doc Severinsen, then the band leader on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," had been selected to appear at Niles' first-ever Four Flags Area Apple Festival. Festival officials chose him in part because of the free publicity they hoped Severinsen would generate during his Tonight Show banter with Carson. But as Gloria Cooper, the voice behind Niles-based WNIL-AM radio station's "Here's Gloria'' program recalls it, local residents didn't like what they heard. Or thought they heard... Loss of Niles' radio personality may make us all a little crazy (Fri 12/22)

Battle Creek Enquirer:

A Grand Rapids-based TV station will air a documentary about the late President Gerald R. Ford, who grew up in Grand Rapids, at 1 and 10 p.m. today. “Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment With History” is a 60-minute film produced by WGVU Productions that traces Ford's years from Grand Rapids to Washington, D.C... WGVU to air Ford documentary today (Thu 12/28)

Radio & Records:

Radio ratings for the second trend of the fall ratings period was released yesterday by Arbitron for Grand Rapids. WBCT-FM continues to be the top-rated station 12+, followed by WOOD-AM, WSNX-FM, WOOD-FM, and WLAV-FM...
Review the list here (Thu 12/28)

Niles Daily Star:

Larry Langford may live in Chicago, but his area radio station give him a strong tie to southwestern Michigan. Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department, is the owner of WGTO 910 AM in Cassopolis. On Thursday, he said he is close to closing the deal to purchase the WDOW 1440 AM studio in Dowagiac. The Dowagiac station is currently owned by LeSEA Broadcasting, a South Bend, Ind., based broadcasting company that broadcasts Christian and Jewish programming. "LeSEA has been a Godsend to me to make the way for us to make the purchase," Langford said. He added the acquisition will give him the opportunity to restore more local service to the region... WDOW sale may impact local radio coverage (Fri 12/29)