Posted by Bud on March 02, 2010 at 14:28:02:
From Robert Feder @ Vocalo:
Robservations on the media beat:
- It's not the full-fledged comeback their fans have been hoping for, but Ed Volkman and Joe Bohannon will be reunited on Chicago radio next week for the first time in 16 months. The durable duo, who ended their 20-year run on CBS Radio rhythmic Top 40 WBBM-FM (96.3) in November 2008, will turn up as guest hosts on Citadel Broadcasting news/talk WLS-AM (890). They'll be filling in one day next week for afternoon personality Roe Conn. Also slated to fill in for Conn another day will be the four hosts of CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2's 'Monsters and Money in the Morning' - Mike North, Dan Jiggetts, Terry Savage and Mike Hegedus.
- Oprah Winfrey's best friend, Gayle King, has been picked up for radio syndication in a deal announced Monday between Chicago-based Harpo Radio and Westwood One. King will continue to host her two-hour daily talk show (which is already carried by Sirius XM Satellite Radio) and add the five-hour 'Gayle King Evening,' an entertainment program featuring 'music, guests and topical conversation.' Also included in the Westwood One deal will be a daily feature and a three-hour weekend show with Oprah's favorite medic, Dr. Mehmet Oz.
- Mancow Muller, who reflected on his latest banishment from Chicago radio Monday on WTTW-Channel 11's 'Chicago Tonight' ('This city used to embrace talent. It doesn't anymore,' he told Phil Ponce), travels to New York to appear Wednesday on the set of 'Fox & Friends,' the Fox News Channel morning show on which he once was a regular commentator. Muller continues to host his syndicated morning show for Talk Radio Network.
- Ginger Zee, the weekend weather personality who joined NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 in 2006 from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Mich., made her debut Saturday as a fill-in forecaster on NBC's 'Today' show. 'Sitting on the 'Today' show couch at the end of the show made me smile, and I have not stopped,' she told the Grand Rapids Press.
- Kudos to Mike Thomas for his candid and insightful profile of broadcaster-for-hire Bruce Wolf in Sunday's Sun-Times. For readers of this blog who found themselves either fascinated or enraged by Wolf's long-running series of 'what about me?' rants, digressions and self-serving plugs, it pretty much explained everything.
- Hoping to drum up interest in their upcoming annual convention, the National Association of Broadcasters has reached out with a special offer: For anyone reading this blog, they're willing to waive the $150 registration fee for the 2010 NAB Show, which runs from April 10 to 15 in Las Vegas. The free exhibits-only pass includes access to the opening keynote and state of the industry address, info sessions, exhibits and more. Register for the broadcast management conference by going to nabshow.com/register and using the code A913.