Conglomerates, Brandmeier and The FCC

19° - mostly cloudy at 9:13am

Me and the boys living the bachelor lifestyle last few days with my wife out of town; makes one wonder how single parents pull it off day after day.

Calendar: couple of dates coming up yet this month: President's Day next Monday (2/18); and there is a February 29th (a Friday) this month too...a "leap day". Any special music/programming features around these dates? BTW: Spring book begins April 3rd.

Surfing the blogs: Chicago AM drive producer-writer-author Rick Kaempfer sums up Jim Cramer's recent comments on radio:

"The conglomerates will have to sell and then local operators have a chance to reclaim a lost medium. At least that's my hope..."

I've had the same passing thought; Rick's blog here.

Tipped by Rick: Mr. Kaempfer points me to Robert Feder's column in the Chicago Sun-Times. Feder writing about "the pride of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin", Jonathan Brandmeier. It was 25 years ago that Johnny B hit the Chicago airwaves. Read here.

Legal Stuff: The FCC yesterday opened its comment period (until March 14th) for proposed new radio rules that will - among other things:

• Whether radio and television stations should be required to maintain and consult with permanent advisory boards of officials and other leaders;
  
  
• Whether radio stations should be required to fill out, place in their public files, post on the Internet and submit to the FCC the same type of standardized disclosure form information about programming and “ascertainment” that will soon be required of television stations;
  
  
• Whether radio and television stations should be required to maintain main studios within the corporate limits of their communities of license rather than be allowed to locate those main studios some distance from their cities of license; and
  
  
• Whether the FCC should reinstitute renewal processing guidelines that are based on quantitative minimums for different types of programming.

Details here. No doubt your ownership is aware but sometimes stuff like this doesn't trickle down. Added: Many of the FCC's current proposals, if adopted, could make tight budgets even tighter.

Thank you - to SBR Creative Media's John Bradley who had some kind words about this blog in a recent email.

Also to WKLH/Milwaukee Rock 'N Roll Roots host Steve Palec, who's been kind enough to link me from his blog (do check it out!).

Have a good night.