WELCOME TO JIM ROSE REMEMBERS RADIO
March 10, 2008 [Monday]
Issue #475

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ALL THE NEWS THAT IS NEWS

MERCURY NEWS LAY-OFF The San Jose Mercury News cuts 50 employees to save money. It also replaces 2 section editors. Sixteen jobs disappear through buy-outs. Fifteen newsroom staff members are laid-off, plus 19 in other departments. Five newsroom employees accept buy-outs. Mercury News also ousts editorial page editor Stephen Wright in favor of associate editor Barbara Marshman who is with the paper since 1988. The business editor, Rebecca Salner, leaves as Stephen Trousdale steps up to the plate. Stephen comes from the Contra Costa Times in 2006. Parent company MediaNews also lets 107 employees go at both the Oakland Tribune & the Contra Costa Times through buyouts which is 10% of their combined staff. MediaNews' home base is Denver, CO.

WKRN-TV CUTS STAFF In Nashville, TN, Mondo Times affiliate WKRN-TV ABC CH2 trims its staff and does away with its weekend morning newscasts. Gwen Kinsey, WKRN President & GM, says The layoffs were a result of a changing media environment. Saturday and Sunday morning newscasts were canceled due to a minimum audience there. Not only have we laid off a couple of people, but we also reassigned some people and asked them to do different jobs. Kinsey does not mention exactly how many lose their jobs but many of the folks on the weekend morning news continue at the station. In December 2007, WKRN has 144 employees. Matthew Zelkind is News Director of WKRN-TV CH2.

DOLLY PARTON IS NOSHOW Because of back problems Country Superstar Dolly Parton cancels her U.S. tour but she keeps her SXSW showcase open. However, this week she pulls out of the world's biggest music conference which is held in Austin, TX in March 2008. Dolly's new album Backwoods Dolly releases on February 26th and debuts at #2 on Billboard's Country Charts. This is Parton's 1st Country CD in 17 years. It releases on Dolly's own label. The album quickly becomes her 4th highest charting album of all-time, plus her best 1st week sales week since Honky Tonk Angels in 1993. So far there is no replacement for her performance at the Austin Music Hall on March 14th.

MIKE SHANNON (Dallas-Mesquite, TX) In an email in November, 2005, GODBEY wrote, "I've kind of lost track of all since I went back on active duty with the Air Force in 1980. Was saddened to view the "obit" list since I knew most of the personalities listed there. (I was glad to see that I was not listed!)" RON GODBEY, former WBAP-TV/KXAS-TV weatherman in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, died Sunday, March 2 of esophageal cancer at age 73. GODBEY worked at the stations from the early 1970s until January 8, 1976, when he resigned to run against Olin "Tiger" Teague for the 6th Congressional seat, representing north and central Texas in Washington, DC, a race RON lost by only 6,000 votes. Although GODBEY was replaced by current KXAS-TV chief meteorologist David Finfrock, RON returned to the station in May, 1976. GODBEY was best known for hosting Channel 5's early morning farm show, along with WBAP-AM's morning weather reports. Along with longtime weather legend Harold Taft, GODBEY co-authored the book, "Texas Weather," in 1975. RON was also an accomplished pilot and attorney, and also worked briefly as a weatherman at WFAA-TV. Later, GODBEY moved to New Mexico and resumed his interest in politics there. He served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1999 until he resigned in August 2004. He represented District 22, which covers parts of Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties. "RON GODBEY'S service and dedication to New Mexico will be remembered," NM governor Bill Richardson said. "Representative GODBEY was a man of conviction, who shunned partisan politics in favor of doing what he believed was right for the state. My condolences go out to the GODBEY family." During his tenure in the state legislature, RON worked to pass criminal justice legislation such as strengthened DWI penalties, lengthy sex-offender probation and truth in sentencing. He also sponsored legislation to ban cockfighting in New Mexico. In an email to www.knus99.com in November, 2005, GODBEY wrote, "I've kind of lost track of all since I went back on active duty with the Air Force in 1980. Was saddened to view the "obit" list since I knew most of the personalities listed there. (I was glad to see that I was not listed!)" RON died at a San Angelo hospital, said his daughter, Julie Godbey Thompson of LaPorte, Texas. GODBEY was buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. (Thanks to the Associated Press, The Cibola County (NM) Beacon, and "easttxtv" of Radio-Info.com for much of this information.)

WILD BILL RILEY (San Antonio, TX) Anyone who grew up in & around San Antonio during the 60’s & 70’s remembers the legendary presence & pipes of Ken Carter. A wonderful sense of humor & great news instincts, he will be remembered by many. Wild Bill Riley

NIELS MARTIN (UK) Hello, May I suggest our website for a possible inclusion on your website at www.jimroseremembersradio.com Our website: www.bbc6.com Description: The bbc channels. Please feel free to get a link back immediately using this form: www.bbc6.com/add.html  To link to us, you may use the following information: Website: www.bbc6.com  Title: BBC channels Description: The bbc channels. Many thanks for your reply. Niels Martin

BOB CROWLEY (DFW-Arlington, TX) Subject: USA Network.Jim; Saw Frank Haley's comment on USA Network being sold. I haven't spoken to Bob Morrison, but several others have told me the deal. The operation is being 'merged' into the I-R-N Radio operation in Memphis. The Dallas staff, about 15 people, are told their jobs are over in a week. They are given the opportunity to 'submit a resume' to IRN. John Scott, Denis Martyn, Katie Robin, Bob Leonard and the others have been kicked to the curb. (That's more than a century of experience for those five alone!) Bob told me they didn't even tell him; he read about it at an on-line discussion board. Bob

NICK ST. JOHN (TX) Just a short note here after reading all the nice comments about me. Bob Crowley, I was surprised that you actually knew quite a bit about the inside stories about why I'd get fired from different stations, usually after getting the #1 ratings. I'd do something that would get everyone going to work or school the next day asking if anybody heard what "Nick St. John did on the radio yesterday"...which would get me the top ratings but the "salesman/general manager" would freak out and fire my a**. That happened quite a few times. Anyway, Bob thanks for the memories. Yes, I'm still alive (but who knows for how long?) and have been hearing from Sam Kindrick and Barbara Marullo recently. One of the recent total shocks was being turned on to Jay Pennington's website...Remembering KEZL 104.5...where he actually has recordings of me and some of the other jocks doing our radio shows...just click and listen to KEXL 30 to 35 years ago or so. Will try to stay in touch occasionally as possible. Thanks again, Nick

CHUCK CASHMERE (San Diego, CA) Let's make it happen...!!!!!! Jim I now have two videos on my space. www.myspace.com/chuckcashmere from my new cd I Am Legend (A Tribute to Our Military) the cd also contains an edited version of General Douglas MacArthur's final public speech...Honor Duty Country...He was a visionary...almost predicting our current dilemma, Hope the guys can check out the videos....Thanks CC

JOHN CALLERMAN (Krum, TX) Didn't mention in my intro that I worked at KILT in the newsroom for six months in '66. I was outside newsman when Brad Messer and Jim Carola, among others, were anchors. Am I the only one who remembers KILT's November election coverage in 1966 and the impromptu party that broke out after six hours of straight election-reporting on our Top 40 station? I had intended to stay longer in Houston, but the opportunity to move to Boston metro (which came out of the blue from a good friend, Pete Taylor - who never worked in Texas, by the way) was too tempting to turn down. After marrying a schoolteacher, we preferred smalltown living and I became the news department at WMIX in Mt. Vernon, Ill. worked there for 11 years before moving across the street to the daily newspaper where I retired as executive editor after 19 years. Moved to Krum, TX, where, in 2002, Roy Lemons started a weekly newspaper and I've volunteered to cover city council, school board and write a column, dubbed "The Krumudgeon," purely on a hobby basis. After hearing an Illinois station owner tell an Illinois News Broadcasters Association convention about "psychic pay," I've often wondered how widespread the term was.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856-1950) A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it; it would be h*** on earth.

Jim Rose and Tejas
Houston, Texas
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