Urban Radio Nation: January 2010

January 29, 2010

Donnie Simpson Final Show at 95.5 WPGC

Donnie says this is not a retirement and he will be back on the radio

Source: article - The stars and the faithful pay tribute to D.C. radio icon Donnie Simpson -Paul Farhi Washington Post Staff Writer

See video report Donnie Simpson's final thoughts with Tony Perkins of Fox 5 D.C.

Donnie Simpson didn't want it to end like this. If he'd had his way, he'd still be on the radio come Monday morning, waking up Washington and playing music just as he has been for more than three decades.

Nevertheless, the end came Friday as Simpson signed off his morning program on WPGC-FM (95.5) for the last time, with tearful family members and colleagues packed around him in the station's studio in Prince George's County. The emotional farewell show followed a falling-out between Simpson and his employer, and brought an abrupt, if not permanent, end to his 32-year run on Washington's airwaves. It also spelled the loss of another popular local DJ in an era of increasing national syndication of radio personalities.

Simpson's usual four-hour morning show spilled into a fifth and then a sixth hour on Friday as celebrity well-wishers and civic luminaries lined up like jumbo jets to pay tribute. The phoned-in sendoffs from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Wyclef Jean, LL Cool J, John Legend and Toni Braxton reflected Simpson's status as a musical tastemaker through his morning program and his 14-year stint hosting Black Entertainment Television's "Video Soul" program. The proclamations from District Council member Harry Thomas Jr. and Police Chief Cathy Lanier bespoke Simpson's long involvement as a promoter of community causes.

Simpson, who will be 56 on Saturday, was gracious and warm during his final turn at the microphone, repeatedly thanking his listeners, his family and colleagues. He said throughout the morning that he is not retiring, but gave no hint during or afterward about what he will do next. His severance agreement with WPGC's owner, CBS Radio, prohibits him from taking another job on the radio in Washington until March 2011.

>>Read more Washington Post

Photos from final show at WPGC.com

January 27, 2010

Apple Reveals the iPad (Video)

This is an amazing piece of technology!

One question: Can you call someone on this thing?

Apple introduced its iPad tablet today. This is their official introductory video, showing off the iPad tablet's features. It brings you all the apps available on the iPhone, but with a bigger screen and thinner.

However not everyone thinks the iPad is such a good thing.

>>Read more

Listeners react to Donnie Simpson leaving the Washington, D.C. airwaves

Donnie Simpson confirms reports this morning on his radio show. Says "He knows it's time."

Radio personality Donnie Simpson is signing off WPGC-FM this week, retiring after 32 years of hosting in D.C.

The Washington Post reports Simpson’s contract does not expire until March 2011. But his exit deal allows him to leave on Friday. The agreement also says the radio host will not be allowed to work at another station for the next 13 1/2 months.

The Post said low ratings and disagreements with management are to blame for Simpson leaving. Simpson has been morning host at WPGC since 1993.

See video report from NBC Washington

January 25, 2010

Report: Donnie Simpson's last week on WPGC

Reports say that radio legend Donnie Simpson will end his 30+ years run as a radio morning man in the D.C. Metro area. Simpson will do his last radio show for 95.5 WPGC on Friday.

Donnie has reportedly asked the station not to give him a big send off for his final show. There has been no official word from CBS Radio or WPGC.

We're probably most likely to hear the first reports on Twitter anyway.

stay tuned...

Howard Stern still says "NO" to terrestrial radio

What's next for Stern? Retirement or more satellite radio...

Today Howard Stern responded to reports that say that he may return to regular broadcast radio. "I'm not contemplating it," Stern told listeners on Sirius XM satellite radio, "I don't want to be censored." Howard Stern's current $500 million contract is set to expire in December.

"Just because I said people call me from time to time doesn't mean I'm actually going back," Stern added. "I just said a lot of people called. I'm not contemplating it."

Many radio experts are saying that radio giant Clear Channel would be the only logical place for Stern, if he returns to terrestrial radio. Their thoughts are based on the fact that Clear Channel is the only company capable of offering Stern a huge contract. Clear Channel Radio President/CEO John Hogan told Bloomberg Business that they might be interested in signing Howard Stern. The company's interest hinges on whether Stern would be willing to work "within the limitations" of free over-the-air radio, said Hogan.

"We clearly have both the willingness and the financial wherewithal to consider high-profile talent," Hogan said in a statement. "We would be the most logical company for him to optimize his exposure and financial return."

Keep in mind it was Clear Channel was the company that began the censoring Stern movement and dropped "The Howard Stern Show" from its radio stations back in 2004 based on impending indecency charges levied by the FCC. Now given the fact that Stern has made a half a billion dollars the last five years; working at Clear Channel Radio, where he would be censored, would not be appealing to him.

If Stern doesn't return to satellite radio, then retirement would not be out of the question for him. However over the next 11 months the possibility of podcasting over the Internet and generating ad revenue may become a reality and a viable option for Stern.

January 24, 2010

A Final Farewell for Teddy Pendergrass

Thousands of mourners, celebrities and fans from around the world attended the funeral service for legendary singer Teddy Pendergrass Saturday morning in the West Oak Lane section of the city.

The jubilant homegoing service, filled with singing and inspirational music, lifted the more than 4,000 mourners who filled the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Philly’s own Musiq Soulchild, R&B singer and actor Tyrese, Melba Moore, Bunny Sigler, Gerald Austin and Lyfe Jennings all performed songs by Pendergrass.

“He’s my friend. We ran together, we sang together and he is going to be missed. He’s in all of our hearts,” veteran actor and singer Ben Vereen said.

“What you decide to do for others is what you should mainly be remembered for. You can’t take any of the valuables with you when you go,” Tyrese Gibson said.

In 1971, Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble discovered Pendergrass’ powerful, subduing baritone voice, which helped define the sound of Philadelphia and catapulted the singer to sex symbol status.

“We pay tribute to a great artist and a great person Teddy Pendergrass,” Kenny Gamble said. “He was the person who shared his knowledge and information with people. He lived a great life.”

59-year-old Pendergrass died last week after battling colon cancer. He is best known as the singer of ``If You Don't Know Me By Now'' and other hits.

Pendergrass was left paralyzed from the waist down following a 1982 car crash, but continued to record music.

The funeral was followed by a private burial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd. Source: NBC Philadelphia

January 21, 2010

Howard Stern Says...if he returns to radio, it won't be with Clear Channel

Howard Stern told syndicated personality Bubba The Love Sponge Thursday that he's had offers to return to terrestrial radio -- "not a bona fide offer, but people have been making them" -- when his deal with Sirius XM Radio is up.

As contract negotiations are presumably getting underway -- Stern's five-year contract winds up at the end of this year -- Stern has said on his Sirius show that he may not re-sign with Sirius. Bubba told Stern, "You haven't even scratched the surface" of potential offers, adding, "Whatever you want to do, including being clean, you could do it."

Stern did set one limit on the possibilities; he said, "I can't imagine the day that I would ever work for Clear Channel."

As far-fetched as this may sound, Stern is the only radio personality in the country capable of going up against conservative and right wing radio personalities like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck. So you may say that in order for the political climate in this country to shift more to the center, a voice like Howard Stern is needed to stem the one sided tide. For all of his raunchiness, the Democrats should hope for an early release from his Sirius XM contract and a return of Stern to terrestrial radio before the upcoming mid-term elections in 2010. Maybe even for another term for President Barack Obama in 2012. As it stands now, based on the recent election results of Sen. Ted Kennedy's successor in Massachusetts; the conservative voice via talk radio is a strong voice in this country.

Joyce Littel and The Quiet Storm No Longer on V-103?

Source: The Atlanta Journal Constitution

-It appears Joyce Littel and radio station V103 (WVEE) may have parted ways, although she and her nighttime show, “The Quiet Storm,” are still listed on the station’s Web site V-103.com .

Twitter has now become the way to break news for many in the entertainment industry. Press releases are becoming a thing of the past as on air host beat their former station's to the punch and tweet their own firing. One of Littel’s own recent Tweets says, “I am celebrating my release,” but there’s no explanation what she’s celebrating a release from.

Here are some other tweets from her followers:

I love you Aunt Joyce, keep your head up, Twenty years on V103. Most radio personalities don’t make it a year.

Is really true??? Is there no more ‘Quiet Storm?’

Could V-103 be making way for a new show hosted by Atlanta area transplants, actors Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker. They have been an occasional fill-in hosts at the Atlanta station along with a stint at 107.5 WBLS in New York last summer.

Another sign that the requirements for a radio host is be a celebrity in another field outside of radio (be it a writer, actor, singer; anything other than a radio DJ) and you're sure to get a show in a major market.

Now if you want to be on the radio your best bet is to aspire to be on the air in a medium size market outside of syndicated time periods. ...and that is the way it is

January 20, 2010

Blog Goes After Steve Harvey and says "Fertility Is Not A Joke!"

From Mrs. Tiye's blog "The Broken Brown Egg":

Well Eggshells, on the way in to work today, I found out that I'm going to have to go off on Steve Harvey. It's confirmed. Every morning during his radio show, Steve and his co-host Shirley Strawberry, read what is called the "Strawberry Letter". People write in seeking advice and Shirley and Steve respond. Usually, Shirley is the "good cop", with sound advice and sympathetic answers, while Steve provides the blunt, sometimes aggressively humorous bad cop role. He is often serious at first, unless the letter is totally outrageous and then afterwards, will get a little more humorous and raunchy.

Well... this was the Strawberry Letter for today:

Hello Steve, Shirley, and Morning Crew. I am a 39 yr old woman with a wonderful husband. He is a God fearing man, that is an excellent provider, and the best husband that any woman could ask for. He is the most unselfish person that I have ever met. We desperately want to start a family but this past summer I was diagnosed with diabetes and ended up in ICU with a blood sugar of 980. The nursed said that I should have been in a coma. Well because of this the doctor told us that we really should try to wait a while before we try to conceive. I also have PCOS (Polysystic Ovary Snydrome) which is already an issue and now this. I feel like less than a wife because I can not give my husband the one thing that he wants the most. He is very supportive and never pressures me about this but, I really want to start a family with my husband. I feel terrible about this situation.

As someone who UNDERSTANDS this situation, I was immediately interested in what Steve and Shirley were going to say. Shirley said that the woman should be more focused on getting herself healthy and worry about having a baby later. Her tone was a bit annoying, but at least her point was well-taken.

Now Steve's response:

"Lady, what the hell, you don't need no baby. What do you want us to say? You ain't even ask a question! You don't need no baby. Adopt an abused circus animal. You already got posturepedic(PCOS), whatever it is, you ain't even asking us anything. Your husband ain't putting no pressure on you, why you putting it on yourself?""Have jungle sex three nights a week and tell your husband that if yall have a baby, you can't do that no more. What you trying to have a baby for? Your blood sugar was 980!? That's almost a 1000! You don't need a 10000 of anything. Hell, you don't need 1000 eyelashes! Then you already got that PCOS, I don't even know what that is, probably some woman's issue. Why don't you adopt a white baby to flip the script. Why not just let somebody live in yall house. Why you write us? Why you draggin us down into this?"

Dear Mr. Harvey,

Congratulations on being the father of four children. I’m sure that they are the apple of your eye, your pride and joy, and your very reason for doing what you do. I’ve heard you from time to time referencing them with a glimmer of pride in your voice, and I know that you are a great father by the way you speak of them. Now, that being said, I wonder if you have ever likened your precious babies, two of which are only one year younger than I, to abused circus animals?

I ask this question because on today’s show, that is exactly what you prescribed to a woman who was struggling with infertility and who reached out to you. I ask you, as you look into the eyes of your children, do you ever honestly feel that they would be better equated to a week of “hot jungle love”, as you put it. I pose that question because you told this same writer that she should convince her husband that it was better to have sex than to yearn for offspring for fear that they might “ruin it”. Do you see where I’m going with this?

...I was disappointed this morning Mr. Harvey. As someone who is claiming to be a relationship guru, expert, or overall oracle for women to seek out for advice and support, you disgraced yourself this morning. You made yourself out to be an insensitive man of lowly moral character in whom none of us, perhaps not even your own daughters, should confide in for anything of substance...

>>Read more of the response letter to Steve Harvey

As I have said in other post; why does anyone take advice from Steve Harvey, let alone relationship advice.

Also I wonder if Clear Channel has a backup plan if for some reason Steve Harvey puts his foot in his mouth and has to be taken off the air. Didn't they learn their lesson with the Star and Buc Wild Morning show???

January 16, 2010

Donnie Simpson may be leaving his longtime radio station 95.5 WPGC-FM

For months now rumors have been surfacing that Donnie Simpson will leave WPGC and be replaced by afternoon personality Big Tigger in the mornings at 95.5 'PGC.

Today's edition of the Washington Post reports on the contracts negotiations that would bring Donnie's 30 plus year radio career to an end, although we would think temporarily, by March 11th. The Donnie Simpson story was scooped first by the website DCRTV.com first; a great source by the way of news on TV and radio in the D.C. area; with a mention in the Washington Post's story.

Source: Washington Post reporter Paul Farhi -Iconic morning-radio personality Donnie Simpson has begun negotiating the termination of his WPGC-FM contract -- a move that could end his 32-year career on Washington airwaves, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Simpson, 55, known for his golden-throated voice and easy-going personality, has been one of the most popular DJs in the Washington region for decades. His weekday program has been a morning wake-up call for more than a generation; he has also been instrumental in introducing a long list of R&B and soul artists via his radio program and "Video Soul," the interview and performance program he hosted on Black Entertainment Television for almost 15 years. (Simpson occasionally appears on BET, hosting its annual Walk of Fame awards.)

Simpson joined WPGC (95.5) in 1993, after a long stint at WKYS-FM (93.9).

The unwinding of his contract would keep him off local airwaves for at least a year under terms of its "non-compete" provisions.

Contacted this week about the negotiations, the station managers and Simpson declined to discuss them publicly.

>>Read more

Funeral Set For Teddy Pendergrass

Funeral arrangements are set for R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who died in suburban Philadelphia earlier this week.

A public viewing is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 22 at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. The funeral will be held there the next day with burial at West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Best known as the singer of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes and many other hit records as a solo artist, Pendergrass died of colon cancer Wednesday at the age of 59.

Pendergrass was left paralyzed from the waist down following a 1982 car crash, but continued to record music and founded the Teddy Pendergrass Alliance to provide support for people with spinal cord injuries.

January 13, 2010

iheartradio, Clear Channel's Digital Music and Radio App Sells All of its Ads

Another sign of where radio is headed. It's not satellite or HD radio; it's radio on your phone that has caused advertisers to flock to iheartradio. iheartradio is primed and ready when internet access becomes standard in the dashboard of your car.

This question remains: How will other radio companies(i.e. minority owned companies like Radio One and Inner City Broadcasting, and others), outside of Clear Channel and CBS Radio compete in this new media environment for advertising dollars?

- Clear Channel Radio said Wednesday that it has completely sold out January's display ad inventory for iheartradio, its digital music and radio app across both its web and mobile platforms. Led by Fox and the CW, advertisers have bought all of the premium ad opportunities available this month.

"Clear Channel Radio is always able to deliver new elements for our digital campaigns. That, backed with their large distribution base, popular radio personalities, and music variety, creates the perfect solution for reaching our audiences," said Fox Broadcasting Senior VP/Marketing Laurel Bernard. "When we need to reach beyond our own platform to target our viewers, Clear Channel Radio continues to be an excellent choice."

"Not only is our mobile audience contributing meaningfully to our total listenership, but iheartradio has also proven to be an effective platform for our ad partners, allowing them to stay connected with our audiences wherever they are," said Clear Channel Executive VP Evan Harrison. "We continue to see aggressive adoption by forward-thinking advertisers like the CW and Fox."

Separately, the company announced the take rate for its new Android app is already outpacing the early downloads on both the iPhone and BlackBerry, and that iheartradio is up and running on Google's Nexus One.

Source: Radio Online

January 11, 2010

Rickey Smiley Morning Show Adds Three

Syndication One (Radio One's syndication company) announced today that the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, has been added to Cumulus Urban’s WEAS E93 FM in Savannah, GA, WMNX 97.3 FM in Wilmington, NC and WYNN 106.3 FM in Florence, SC.

“The Rickey Smiley Morning Show is exciting and entertaining from start to finish,” says Doug Davis, Program Director Power 100.3. “It is the best Urban syndicated product in radio today. Our listeners love the show and love Rickey.”

Cumulus VP of Urban Programming, Jim Kennedy adds, “This is an impact program that hits the ground from day one. The only people more excited than I am about adding Rickey Smiley are my programmers in Savannah, Florence, and Wilmington. They have been literally counting down the days.”

Source: Radio Syndication Talk

How long will it be before Rickey Smiley comes to 100.3 The Beat in Philadelphia?

Karen Vaughn Moves On to Radio One Cleveland as APD and MD

Karen Vaughn has been named Assistant Program Director and Music Director at Urban WENZ and Urban AC WZAK in Cleveland. Karen has worked in major markets including, Philadelphia, PA, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and the long time midday host at WHQT Hot 105 in Miami.

She also blogs at "Working Divas.blogspot.com". She joins the Radio One station with Operations Manager Colby Colb. The two worked previously together at Power 99.

January 8, 2010

Star and Buc Wild Have Joined Shovio.com

New York radio on air personalities Star and Buc Wild are joining Shovio.com on Monday, January 11. Star AKA Troi Torain is already an internet hit on Vlad TV with his younger brother Timothy Joseph, will be joined by radio sidekick White Trash Helene on the new internet venture.

OK, so what is Shovio?

Shovio is the first live, two-way broadcasting network. It has the look of TV, the spontaneity of talk-radio, and the omnipresence of the internet rolled into one revolutionary presentation. (Their words, not mine.)

The show hosts communicate live with their audience and the interaction is seen by millions of viewers. Shovio is the first company to deliver two-way broadcasting to desktops and mobile phones. Check out a preview on this new live internet video channel.

An interesting concept that seems to bring together internet radio streaming and webcam technology.

Pandora is bringing Internet Radio to Cars

Mobile technologies have now really made in-roads in the sacred place of one's automobile. Listeners waiting to hear their favorite song on radio is becoming a thing of the past, now they can sing along to their owned customized radio station.

At Pandora, executives hope the deal will help expand the way its fans think of the service. "Maybe a year ago people would have said Pandora is a computer thing," said co-founder Tim Westergren. Now, "they're beginning to realize that Internet radio is an anytime, anywhere thing."

Source Wall Street Journal
Pandora Inc. has struck a deal with electronics maker Pioneer Corp. that promises to make it easier for drivers to listen to its personalized radio service in cars—bringing Internet radio one step closer to snagging a built-in spot on dashboards. The development represents a direct challenge to broadcasters of satellite and traditional radio, who have long dreaded the arrival of Internet radio in cars.

Starting in March, Pioneer will sell a navigation and entertainment device that allows Pandora users who stream the service on their Apple Inc. iPhones to easily access Pandora in their cars. The $1,200 navigation system, announced today at the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, will detect iPhones and iPod touches that have Pandora installed, and put the consumer's Pandora settings on the navigation screen. That will allow drivers to hear their favorite Pandora radio channels. Read more

How will your local radio station, other Internet streaming stations and Sirius/XM Satellite radio respond? Compeitition should make for better radio; but that remains to be seen.

January 5, 2010

Keith Sweat Back Home Hosting the 'Quiet Storm' on 107.5 WBLS

Source: By David Hinckley DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

"The Quiet Storm," which has been heard nightly on WBLS (107.5 FM) for more than a quarter-century, is one of the great music radio ideas of all time, and as Keith Sweat takes over the host chair Monday night, he says he knows it.

"I grew up listening to Frankie Crocker and the WBLS family," says Harlem native Sweat, who over the next two decades went on to build a stellar music career on multimillion-sellers like "Make It Last Forever." "So I feel like I definitely have a sense of the station and the audience.

"For this show, I'll be doing what I do, and both WBLS and I will be keeping 'Quiet Storm' basically as it is. I'm not trying to fix what hasn't been broken."

Sweat's hiring, which comes a while after longtime host and "Quiet Storm" originator Vaughan Harper departed, will be seen by some as WBLS trying to replicate the success of morning host Steve Harvey in the evening.

That fits in with a trend some find disturbing, a pattern of making radio less local and more homogenous. It leads to stations that sound the same everywhere.

But Sweat, like Harvey, is not a famous artist who thinks of radio as an easy little side project.

Since early 2007, Sweat notes, he's been hosting "Keith Sweat Hotel," an evening show now heard on 50 stations. He says he's learned a lot about radio in that time.

"I started thinking about radio a few years ago as something that would make sense for my career," he says. "Like the way I branched out from recording into production. There's been a lot to learn in radio, but audiences seem to like what I do. It's been a good look for me."

His basic approach to radio, he says, is that "I try to build a personal relationship with the audience, the same as I've always done in my concerts.

"Everybody wants to feel good about life, and that's what I try to help them do. If someone has had a bad day, I want them to feel the next day will be a better one. If they've had a perfect day, I want them to feel there will be more of those."

As for the local part, he and WBLS both stress that "Quiet Storm" will be a separate broadcast from "Keith Sweat Hotel," though there obviously will be some overlap in music and personality.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/04/2010-01-04_new_storm_front_brings_in_rb_star_sweat.html#ixzz0bjqne0Eh

January 4, 2010

Black Radio Lives on in the U.K. on Radio 1 BBC

The other Radio One in the radio industry is from the BBC. Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the BBC which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock or interviews. It is aimed primarily at the 15–29 age group. Radio 1 was launched at 7:00am on 30 September 1967 as a direct response to the popularity of offshore pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline, which had been outlawed by Act of Parliament.

One of the stations Radio 1 features is Hip Hop and RnB station Radio1Xtra. From what I sampled, their playlist is decidedly British with an occasional American hit. You know they love Rihanna. I found it very entertaining especially their breaks and interaction with callers. However what makes this station unusual is the fact that they promote themselves as BLACK! You would never catch an urban station stateside promoting themselves as a Black radio station especially in a PPM ratings world.

Here's a sample of the imaging they use for their different programs.

"The best black music from the UK"

"The newest black music and hottest UK talent"

You can take a listen to Radio1Xtra here.

Overall the BBC's Radio 1 definitely seems plugged into mobile technologies by providing various listening options. You can also catch the BBC main Top 40 station "Radio 1" on Sirius satellite radio.

January 2, 2010

An interview with V-103's Frank and Wanda in the Morning Producer, Nina Brown

Hotlanta Buzz talks with Nina Brown, the morning producer of the "Frank and Wanda in the Morning" Show on WVEE V-103 in Atlanta.

Nina's story is inspiring and unique in this day and time in radio. Why? This can really only happen when radio stations make room for local hosts in their program schedule, which CBS Radio does at V-103. For my money V-103 is the premiere urban radio station in the country for that very reason.

January 1, 2010

Urban Radio Nation Music Stations

Finetune Urban Free Form Radio - Hip Hop, R&B, Soul & Alternative

Click ► for your choice
♪ Finetune Urban Block Party Music Channel = Anything Hip Hop, R&B, and Soul - "Hear it Here" ♫

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