May 27.cwk

Airwaves: May 27, 2011

More Dees, please

I had a chance to see Rick Dees host the Rapture comedy concert at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro last week ... the day of the supposed end of the world. Dees was in top form as were the comedians, who had my wife and I in stitches throughout the evening.

Dees has long been one of my favorite morning personalities, so it was great to hear he was coming back to radio via Hot 92.3 FM earlier this month. Problem is, I rarely hear him, due to the fact that he seems to hardly speak on his own show.

Certainly there are a few bits that make it through, but it is not the show that Dees is known for ... a show in which he truly relates with his audience. The version currently on Hot almost sounds canned. So I am sending this open message to Hot management as well as owner Clear Channel: what are you thinking? Putting one of the best morning personalities back on the air and then restricting his on-air time? Are you nuts? That would be like telling Charlie Tuna to shut up. Or if they were alive, telling Robert W. Morgan or the Real Don Steele to tone it down.

I’ll give you a hint: the stations that did tell Morgan, Steele and Tuna to tone it down didn’t make it. Hot: Let Rick do his schtick. Or let me program the station.

Local Girl

Lisa Ann Walter has taken on the 4-7 PM slot Saturdays and Sundays on KFI (640 AM), replacing Frost (Frosty) Stilwell, who left the station to pursue other opportunities.
Says KFI programmer Robin Bertolucci, “Lisa Ann is funny as hell and whip smart. It’s great to hear a strong female voice on KFI!”

Author of The Best Thing About My Ass is That It’s Behind Me, Walter is a resident of Sherman Oaks. Her book is described as what you get when you drop a longtime self-loather into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood ... a hysterical but brutally honest look at the impossible standard for perfection for which so many strive.

She’s also the creator and a judge on the Oxygen cable television program Dance Your Ass Off, which like ABC Television’s Dancing with the Stars pairs contestants with professional dancers. The twist on her show is that the contestants also compete to lose weight.

On KFI she ties her sense of humor to the issues of the day. Give her a listen this weekend and tell me what you think.

iPod HD Radio Update

Thanks to reader VL Brunton, I just received information regarding the Gigaware iPod HD dongles, which allow your iPod Touch or iPhone to tune in digital (FM only) HD Radio streams. On other iPods, it will act as an analog-only FM tuner but not receive HD signals. Two versions are available, one for $35 that basically mounts to the bottom of the Touch or phone, and another for $40 that has plugs in but has an inline wire control.

The update has to do with the software that controls the HD tuner app. Previously you had to leave the screen on all the time or the radio would turn off; now the app works as it should. Other minor bug fixes were included as well, which according to Brunton makes the item finally worthy of recommending. Problem is, it appears to be in the clearance rack, so quantities may be limited. As of today, though, it is available online at radioshack.com as well as my local stores ... as always, your mileage may vary.

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