November 22, 2005

Radio Dots & Dashes (Nov. 22 Edition)

Will Durst (Courtesy WillDurst.com)Fledgling Bay Area progressive talker KQKE/960 ("The Quake") is expected to announce shortly that it will shake up its morning show,
giving the job to comedian Will Durst (photo, right) and former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, who will be joined by longtime local radio hero Paul Wells (a/k/a "Lobster").

The live program will replace the syndicated Jerry Springer morning program on The Quake the first week of January 2006.

BRUNO BACK ON TICKET ... ER, "KNBR/1050" — After some clamoring from listeners, KNBR/1050 (legally KTCT in San Mateo, as if that makes any difference any more) has brought back Tony Bruno via satellite for mornings. Formerly with Fox Sports Radio, Bruno is the linchpin of the morning show at The Ticket 1540 (KMPC) in Los Angeles, which is syndicated nationwide by Sporting News Radio.

Bruno will also continue to appear regularly with Gary Radnich on big sister KNBR/680.

DOGHOUSE HEADING TO BIG APPLE? — Unconfirmed by CBS/Infinity, but sounding like it's a done deal, serial rumor-mongers J.V. and Elvis (a/k/a "The Doghouse") announced to their 106.9 Free FM (KIFR) audience that they're on the way to WXRK/New York (K-Rock), which will also become a "Free FM" once Howard Stern vacates the premises.

The Dogs have been keeping Adam Carolla's seat warm temporarily — at least in San Francisco — until the former "Man Show" host debuts on a handful of West Coast stations after the new year. Formerly with Wild 94.9 (KYLD) here before being famously fired, J.V. and Elvis will allegedly take over the midday gig, following David Lee Roth, at K-Rock, according to a report in Radio & Records.

WHO, WHAT AND WHERE — The fabled KJAZ call letters, once signifying the illustrious Alameda jazz station founded by Pat Henry, which ran from 1959 until 1995, now belong to a country station — that's right, a country music station called KJAZ — in Thorndale, Texas. Whatever. ... Beloved radio god and talented cartoonist Bobby Ocean (ex-KKIS, KFRC and K-101 locally) is plying the satellite skywaves on XM Radio's "The 70s" (XM 7). Osh can also be heard as the imaging voice on countless stations across this great nation...

Mike Amatori, superstar production director at KGO/810 and KSFO/560, has added a Crystal Award Of Excellence in the Communicator Awards audio competition for his "Gene and The Jackass" promo. He also picked up an honorable mention for a piece entitled "Gene and Emeril," promoting the Gene Burns "Dining Around" program on KGO. By unofficial count, that's five Addys, one National IBOC promo win, two Silver Mics and one Communicator for the talented Mr. Mike...

Apropos of nothing, the U.S. Postal Service is raising the price of a First Class postage stamp to 39 cents in January, and who better to honor with a commemorative stamp of that denomination than the man who made being 39 years old trendy -- Jack Benny. An online petition is being circulated on the International Jack Benny Fan Club website.

With Kevin The Rat (nom de radieux of Kevin Radich) moving on from the Rise Guys morning show on KHTK/1140 in Sacramento, an opportunity has opened up for former A's and Giants scrub and KNBR fill-in guy F.P. Santangelo, who has signed a two-year pact with the capitol city's mighty sports flamethrower. Look for Radich to rebound in the Bay Area, where he has extensive roots.