With Greggo due to join the KESN/103.3 FM "ESPN Radio" lineup Monday night, the former KTCK/1310 AM "The Ticket" personality did a guest shot on Randy Galloway's Galloway and Co. on Friday afternoon. Williams was pretty candid about the problems that led to his dismissal from the Ticket. If you missed it, here's audio. Williams comes on pretty quickly after the audio starts.
--Robert Philpot
Just got a couple of e-mails about Dallas-based DJ Tom Joyner's visit to SeaWorld Orlando during the recent Tom Joyner Family Reunion. The Tom Joyner Morning Show can be heard locally on KSOC/94.5 FM "K-Soul," but you won't see pictures like these -- the first of Joyner with Shamu the Killer Whale, the second of Joyner and co-host Sybil Wilkes with Shamu. -- Robert Philpot
Just got an e-mail from Gary Thompson, program director of KDBN/93.3 FM "The Bone," with a little more info on Pugs & Kelly joining the station on Monday. "Their new show will be a mix of compelling talk, callers and rock," the attached release says, indicated that there will still be music in the afternoon on what is after all a music station (and one that, to me, is sounding revitalized these days).
P&K will be on from 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Thompson, who has been doing afternoons, will move to the 6-9 a.m. slot till he finds a morning show to replace the recently departed Cindy Scull and Robert Miguel. Middayer Alexis shifts slightly, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as does evening guy Jeff Davis, who will handle 6-11 p.m.
For the full Pugs & Kelly release, go here.
--Robert Philpot
Just heard an announcement on KDBN/93.3 FM "The Bone' that Pugs and Kelly, who mysteriously vanished from KLLI/105.3 FM several weeks ago, will be joining the Bone on Monday, taking the 2 to 6 p.m. slot. Unclear at this point how that affects the rest of the lineup, which currently doesn't have a permanent morning show (as if anything is permanent in radio), but I have an e-mail out to program director Gary Thompson to see what he says.
--Robert Philpot
Greg Williams, for former co-host of The Hardline on KTCK/1310 AM "The Ticket," became one of the bigger radio mysteries of 2007 when he vanished from the station, with little explanation from ... well, anyone. For months, rumors have circulated that Williams would turn up at rival KESN/103.3 FM, better-known as ESPN Radio. Those rumors have finally come to fruition: KESN just sent confirmation that Williams will start Sept. 8, joining RJ Choppy in the 7-10 p.m. slot. Williams will also appear on the Sept. 5 of Randy Galloway's Galloway & Company. Here's the full release.
--Robert Philpot
Coupla things from this morning's AllAccess. Yes, this is lazy of me, but I have many other things on my plate, so it's also faster. --Robert Philpot
--Dan Potter Joins KRMG As News Director
This rumor was already out there pretty strongly, but KLLI/105.3 program director Gavin Spittle just sent word confirming it: Come Aug. 25, the duo of Ben and Skin will take over the midday slot on Live 105.3. They'll be on from 10:30 or 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, depending on who you listen to.
It's still kind of a mystery what happened to former midday hosts Pugs & Kelly on KLLI/105.3 FM "Live 105.3," but you gotta give the station a little credit: Spittle went on the air recently to announce that the show was no longer part of the lineup. Usually, you don't get that much -- you just notice that a radio/TV personality has disappeared, without comment from the station unless they're prodded by a reporter (who usually can't get much of a comment, but can at least get acknowledgment that a personality is gone -- most of the time, anyway).
--Robert Philpot
Country station KPLX/99.5 FM "The Wolf" is going through some changes, including a new morning show. Reader tipped me about this a couple hours ago, but it took me a while to track something down online -- and so far, calls to folks at the Wolf and parent company Cumulus haven't been returned. But here's the whole cut-and-paste from link-unfriendly AllAccess.com. -- Robert Philpot
Variety reports that Howard Stern is producing a remake of Rock 'n' Roll High School. Speaking of Howard Stern, here's some news about him and a Dixie Chick.
--Robert Philpot
Spring Arbitron ratings for radio are in, via Radio & Records. Regional Mexican KESS/107.9 FM continues to be strong at No. 1 -- but not as strong as it was in the winter book. It's still up from a year ago. This is the first time I can recall a station getting No. 1 here with less than a 5 share, which represents a percentage of the listening audience, in the broad 12-and-over category.
KHKS/106.1 FM "KISS-FM" continues to contend for the top spot, but once-mighty KKDA/104.5 FM "K104" is struggling. And iPods and other alternate forms of listening to music seem to be having their effects -- that's a whole bunch of music stations down there below a 2.0 share.
The big question many people will have, of course, is how the recent format flip of KTYS/96.7 FM from country "The Texas Twister" to oldies "Platinum 96.7" has affected the station's ratings. But the effects of that flip won't be reflected in this ratings period, which covers roughly April through June.
--Robert Philpot
