tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91739584133873937152011-11-27T17:53:16.065-06:00Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-72810807569860162572010-01-01T20:46:00.000-06:002010-01-04T20:50:59.362-06:00

That's all for this blog site. The new CRM blog site is incorporated into the new Chicagoland Radio Media website, which is now active. This blog site will stay up for archive purposes only. Come visit over at the new site now!!!

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-19026740505200623322009-12-22T02:25:00.005-06:002009-12-22T11:15:56.143-06:00

It's been six months (almost to the day) since the last blog entry on here. I'm sorry for neglecting this site for so long, but it is all for a good reason. Since time is a precious commodity, the spare time I used to give to the CRM Blog site had to placed elsewhere. Some of that time went into making the main CRM Message Board even better and more information-filled than ever before. Some of

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-703916350385116952009-06-24T14:52:00.002-05:002009-06-24T15:02:00.985-05:00

Chicago lost another legendary media personality last night. John Callaway passed away at age 72 from a heart that failed him. Ironically, he was known in the industry as having one of the biggest, kindest hearts around. Many people know Mr. Callaway as that "interview man" from WTTW/Channel 11. He was so much more than that and for much longer than many people realize. He was a very important

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-45045430735669604222009-06-23T12:54:00.003-05:002009-06-23T13:31:41.621-05:00

One of Chicago's finest rock jocks, who sadly is not on the air right now, was James VanOsdol. One of the factors that made him so good was that he knew the music he played inside & out. He was also quite the aficionado of local Chicago artists, from those who where performing their craft in smokey bars at nights to those who made it the national stages. For the last few years, JVO has been

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-59520016010545373422009-06-12T22:51:00.006-05:002009-06-20T18:21:49.465-05:00

This evening, Crain's Ed Sherman reported that ChicagoSportsWebio's CEO had been bouncing checks this week. That CEO then fired Mike North, North's wife BeBe and Jeff Schwartz from the company. This is a HUGE story for a Friday night (or any night for that matter). As Mike North would say: "Whoooooah!Right away, I have to say, big-time kudos to Ed Sherman. He has been doing a tremendous job that

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-31413156542269996272009-05-30T18:32:00.003-05:002009-05-30T18:42:20.280-05:00

It's true. I am officially a "Twit" now. I did something I rarely do and gave into peer pressure. I went and joined Twitter. I'll try not to post too much about my wife Demi Moore or my BFF Gayle King, though. I'll also not do the typical Twitter garbage and post up my every action of the day. It will just be the nonsensical ramblings of a nonsensical mind. At least until I get bored of doing so,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-50577092066024501602009-03-22T17:03:00.002-05:002009-03-22T17:16:12.659-05:00

The 2009 South By Southwest Music fest is over. I have one day to decompress from the event before rejoining the real world tomorrow. It is an experience like no other. A seemingly non-stop rock & roll party of band after band after band, giving their all and trying to make a name for themselves. As one would expect, there are plenty of great bands, as well as 10 times that many who are not quite

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-72854757730753762352009-02-04T14:29:00.002-06:002009-02-04T14:45:38.457-06:00

Chicago radio legend, Eddie Schwartz passed away last night. He was 3 months shy of his 63rd birthday.Perhaps best known as the long-time overnight voice of WGN-AM, "Chicago Ed" entertained thousands of 3rd shifters, night owls & insomniacs, gaining possibly the largest following of any overnight host in this town's history. Prior to his WGN years, he also worked nights at WIND-AM. For a few

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-64878506249425371552009-02-03T07:41:00.004-06:002009-02-03T08:00:25.698-06:00

Bill McMahon, a radio person from the Pacific Northwest wrote a blog the other day about Clear Channel and its pushing of the Ryan Seacrest syndicated show. It is a very good read and worthy of checking out. You can see it at the link below:The Problem With Ryan Seacrest

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-68596355890306665312009-01-20T16:15:00.003-06:002009-01-20T16:33:33.845-06:00

A new hopeA new hope for our countryA new hope for our worldA new hope for our futureA new hope for a more peaceful existenceA new hope for prosperityA new hope for repairing the damage doneA new hope for advancing AmericaA new hope for advancing humankindA new hope for feeling proud of ourselves againA new hope has filled the airAfter 8 years of hopelessness...A new hope.

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-82364150446830841992009-01-18T20:01:00.004-06:002009-01-18T20:24:30.862-06:00

Presenting the Larzie Awards for Chicago Media-Themed Blogs & Websites for 2008:(Obviously, I leave any CRM related site out of the running here...)Best Radio-Themed Blog/Website:Rick Kaempfer's Chicago Radio SpotlightThis site features Rick Kaempfer, a 20+ year veteran of Chicago radio, interviewing different Chicago radio personalities (both past & present) each weekend. Rick is an excellent

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-21625179448693661732009-01-18T19:32:00.003-06:002009-01-18T20:21:49.162-06:00

Presenting the Larzie Awards for Chicago Print Media for 2008:Newspaper of the Year:Chicago TribuneHard to pick a winner here, since all of the local newspapers have been acting like losers this past year. With the Sun-Times becoming wafer-thin and simply waiting around to die (or be bought-out), there is no way to pick them as a winner, even though my favorite columnists still work there. As

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-89720538608731405632009-01-18T18:59:00.003-06:002009-01-18T20:26:00.219-06:00

Presenting the Larzie Awards for Chicago Television for 2008:Best Newscast - Evenings:WLS/ABC7For the second year in a row, my winner is also the big ratings winner in this category: ABC7. Chicago's ABC outlet, WLS-TV, has consistently had the best overall newscast and is the benchmark all others aspire to be. Ron Magers is still the top in class for anchormen. Mark Giangreco is the most

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-44589992898202847632009-01-18T18:32:00.003-06:002009-01-18T18:58:33.883-06:00

Presenting the Larzie Awards for Chicago Radio for 2008:FM Station of the Year:WVAZ 102.7 WVAZ, more affectionately known as V103, is a rare radio station. They are consistently toward the top of the ratings and have been able to do so by staying loyal to their listeners' desires. They have found a way to connect to the African-American community without playing any rap or hip-hop. They have done

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-41037182041782310352009-01-18T18:02:00.005-06:002009-01-22T21:46:10.412-06:00

Presenting the Larzie Awards for Music for 2008:Single of the Year:Once again, there was a large amount of great singles released in 2008, even though there was not a lot of great albums released. Here are my top 5 singles of the year:1. Viva La Vida – ColdplayA lush, haunting song that builds up the aural pressure and never lets go. The most haunting song of the year, that would continue to echo

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-85181696145147108302009-01-18T17:55:00.004-06:002009-01-18T20:57:11.631-06:00

Presenting the 2nd Annual Larzie Awards for 2008!That's right Ladies & Gentlemen! The long wait is over and it is now time for the 2nd annual Larzie Awards! Yet another bogus award that nobody was really waiting for! Once again, it's time to look over the year just past and announce my picks for the best in Music, Radio, TV, Print Media and more!Just as I did last year, I want to again say that I

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-91130207396404292142008-12-22T22:06:00.002-06:002008-12-22T22:15:24.755-06:00

There are dozens of new sites added to the link lists as of today. Additionally, incorrect links have been repaired and dead sites removed. There is even a new link section: Personality Site Links, featuring websites of Chicago radio & TV personalities. Over the next couple of weeks, plenty more will get added to the lists, too. Click away!Links, links, and more links!

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-57875854218481416242008-12-05T23:46:00.006-06:002008-12-06T00:02:21.179-06:00

To retailers, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving were they hope to make tremendous profits from holiday shoppers. To the rest of the country and on the rest of the year, Black Friday usually means something bad has happened to a company or organization at the end of a work week. Friday tends to be the day of the week when mass layoffs & firings happen. Today was Black Friday for Chicago

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-41993358310217290252008-12-05T13:25:00.002-06:002008-12-05T13:27:44.892-06:00

A sad day for Chicago radio and the state of radio as a whole.Aloha Stever.

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-64386613877700668992008-11-06T17:53:00.004-06:002008-11-06T18:45:49.293-06:00

Barack Obama has been elected as our 44th President of the United States. For so many reasons, I am elated by this positive turn of events for our nation. I'm honored to have been part of and a witness to this historic moment. In times past, I have written long columns, think-pieces and blogs during election periods for a few political sites. One of mine, entitled "A Depressed American," written

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-38322081293863039412008-09-23T22:11:00.005-05:002008-09-24T06:53:41.101-05:00

Robert Feder Exits Our MorningsIn his column today, Robert Feder announced he was going to be leaving the Chicago Sun-Times sometime in the next few weeks. In the column, he eloquently described his reasons for walking away from what has been his "dream job." You can read his goodbye letter to his readers at this link here: Feder: Columnist's 'dream come true' nears the end .As a reader of his

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-20394653831019745682008-09-20T16:19:00.004-05:002008-09-20T17:50:26.172-05:00

Eddie Vedder Goes "All The Way"Eddie Vedder is the lead singer of the world famous alternative band, Pearl Jam and native of Evanston, IL. Even though he spends much of personal time at his homes on the west coast, he also happens to be a life-long Chicago Bulls & Chicago Cubs fan. The Pearl Jam song "Black, Red, Yellow" is about the Chicago Bulls championship teams. Now he's written a song about

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-58347521411636792872008-08-07T02:37:00.006-05:002008-08-07T03:09:32.645-05:00

Now that he was able to wave his magic wand and get the US Government to approve a monopoly, even though that very same US Government has laws that prevent monopolies, Mel Karmazin is thinking about selling the company. Here's the quote from the NY Times this week:And then again, Mr. Karmazin hinted he may try to sell Sirius-XM, like he has the ventures he has run before. "I'm not a visionary;

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-66923069950199634032008-08-01T20:41:00.007-05:002008-08-01T22:25:35.826-05:00

WKQX has decided to once again "fix" its morning show. Q101.1 announced today that it was ending "The Morning Fix" and firing the two remaining on-air members of the show. The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal broke the story this morning and WKQX issued a statement about the change later.While I was not a huge fan of "The Morning Fix," this announcement is a somewhat sad one. Not surprising, by

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-47317424365790115032008-07-28T07:04:00.003-05:002008-07-28T07:39:08.094-05:00

In my blog from a few days ago, I complained about product placement coming to Fox32's newscasts, as it had to other Fox newscasts in other parts of the country. The New York Times reported this last week and named Chicago's WFLD as one of the stations accepting money from McDonalds for sneaking in its logo & products. In Sunday's column by the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal, WFLD's Vice

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-84738818917576110452008-07-26T12:09:00.003-05:002008-07-28T07:42:09.591-05:00

No offense to July 3rd or 4th, but the greatest fireworks display of the year is neither of those nights. It's tonight, as the City of Chicago, along with WXRT radio present Venetian Night 2008.The light show begins about 8:30, not up in the sky, but at eye level, just above the lake. About 3 dozen large boats will be decorated with lights, props and drunken dancers as they parade along the

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-13944952944290871402008-07-25T14:13:00.003-05:002008-07-28T07:41:13.318-05:00

According to the New York Times and TelevisionBroadcast.com this week, Chicago's Fox32 newscasts are now using product placement from McDonalds on their broadcasts, with cups of Mickey D's coffee sitting on the desks in front of the morning news anchors.This doesn't sit well with me (not the coffee itself, the product placement of it). Product placement has been part of movies for many years and

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-38690496035693782042008-07-01T00:16:00.003-05:002008-07-01T00:32:27.311-05:00

Greater Media is a publishing & radio station company with stations in a handful of larger markets (not Chicago, though). Greater Media President & CEO, Peter Smyth, writes a monthly column on the Greater Media website. For radio people, this month's new column is an interesting read! Entitled "Why Doesn't Washington Like Free Radio?," he talks about the strange goings on in Washington, with the

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-58719641595834799592008-06-29T16:24:00.005-05:002008-06-29T16:41:15.311-05:00

Recycled RadioA few weeks back, over on the CRM Message Board site, a person asked a question in response to people who keep asking to hear the same radio personalities again and again and not anybody new. The person, "regionear," had this to say:Chicago radio is so "inbred" Does it always have to be someone from another Chicago station?I was going to post a short response, but decided to hold

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-53365557521817512692008-06-23T07:05:00.000-05:002008-06-23T07:56:17.903-05:00

The great George Carlin has passed away. One of the finest stand-up comedians, and many lists consider him to be THE finest ever, Mr. Carlin kept a few generations of audiences laughing, thinking and viewing life in a way that seemed different at first, but so obvious later. He was a brilliant observational comic, who enjoyed pushing the envelope of comedy. Sadly, as brilliant as his brain was,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-92185533457617762682008-06-17T12:44:00.002-05:002008-06-17T13:03:40.371-05:00

Don Cornelius, the one-time Chicago DJ, who went on to star on & own the highly successful TV show, Soul Train, has sold his show. At one time, Cornelius was one of the most influential men in the music business. If you were a recording artist in the 70's and wanted to reach the urban or hip white audience, Don Cornelius was the man to know. A 3 minute slot on Soul Train meant huge sales & bigger

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-21169365773831551942008-06-13T11:11:00.000-05:002008-06-17T13:42:30.258-05:00

This is something most thinking human beings knew already, but a study this week revealed that Radio generates billions of dollars for the Music Industry. The study was done by former Stanford economics professor, Dr. James Dertouzos, who found that radio airplay brings in between $1.5 billion to $2.4 billion in annual music sales to the Recording Industry. The study, entitled "Sales vs Spins"

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-67542881966075668932008-06-08T17:17:00.002-05:002008-06-08T17:37:56.454-05:00

I've done it. I've taken the plunge. I tried resisting the temptation and the many months of invitations, but I finally gave in. I went and joined Facebook. There is now a Chicagoland RadioandMedia page (that's how it's spelled on there) in Facebook. The CRM MySpace page is still active and will continue to be updated, but I've grown tired of the inane bulletins & messages about "I just bought

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-79470887103384482192008-06-07T13:51:00.004-05:002008-06-07T14:35:18.322-05:00

There is a new book out called Shock Jocks: Hate Speech and Talk Radio. Let me say right here that if you are a fan of right-wing talk radio, DO NOT CONTINUE READING THIS POST. I'll wait a minute for you guys to leave...Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...They gone? OK, then. Where was I? Oh yes. Shock Jocks: Hate Speech and Talk Radio, the new book by Rory O'Connor, with Aaron Cutler. The book is written by

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-24388207947422986612008-06-05T20:23:00.002-05:002008-06-05T21:02:15.555-05:00

Critics said it would not happen. Detractors said it would not happen. Vegas odds-makers said it would not happen. Comedians said it would not happen. Even fans said it would not happen. But it did. The new version of Van Halen actually completed a full tour without imploding. They plenty of chances to self destruct:-- Firing original bassist Michael Anthony because of his friendship with former

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-65912663063163590902008-06-04T23:21:00.003-05:002008-06-04T23:41:31.005-05:00

There is another book out now* that talks about Clear Channel's impact on media industries, both the good and the bad -- mostly the bad. (*All day today, sites have been talking about this book as a brand new release, but it has been available somewhat since April. It's widely available now.) The following description comes from Radio Ink today:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-72164912974752774322008-06-03T23:55:00.001-05:002008-06-05T00:32:01.953-05:00

Here's a shocker for you Chicago music fans: Marty Casey has LEFT The Lovehammers. Bigger shock: He is the new lead singer for former 80's hair band, L.A. Guns. Marty Casey had been co-writing songs with L.A. Guns when the lead singer decided to quit. Marty was asked to take over as the band leader and he accepted. He writes all about his decision to leave his childhood friends and join an

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-34076933794266889422008-06-02T13:09:00.005-05:002008-12-11T21:01:11.434-06:00

Blog of the day goes to Inside Radio founder and radio industry vet, Jerry Del Colliano. On his blog site today he wrote a piece called "The Best Run Radio Group," which is highly recommended reading if you work in radio or any major industry.You can read this blog by clicking HERE.Jerry's blog site, "Inside Music Media" is in my lists of blogs on the side bar and is worth checking out

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-2975017804232575332008-06-01T11:13:00.002-05:002008-06-01T11:21:58.878-05:00

Time for another "pick to click!" This time, it's just for laughs... really. Monday starts the 11th annual Chicago Improv Festival -- the Funniest Week in Chicago. With Chicago being the true home of Improvisational Comedy (Yeah, bite me, Toronto), it make sense that this terrific fest be held here each year. Of the past 10 years that it has been going on here, some years have been incredible,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-8559649324805707352008-05-31T10:54:00.007-05:002008-06-01T00:00:00.278-05:00

Liz Phair Returns To "Guyville"On June 24th, one of Chicago's most beloved artists is returning to her roots, literally & figuratively. Liz Phair is coming back home for a huge concert and an expanded re-issue of her out-of-print debut CD. Over time, Liz Phair's first album, "Exile In Guyville," has been called one of the most influential and best albums of all time. When it was released in June

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-64416075305767126892008-05-29T23:56:00.001-05:002008-05-29T23:59:54.002-05:00

One of the best comedic character actors of all time has passed away. Harvey Korman was 81 and died from complications from an aneurysm that ruptured four months ago.Korman was born here in Chicago, IL, but became famous making us laugh from TV shows & movies shot in Hollywood, CA. His resume was incredibly vast, from serious acting roles, to musicals to doing voices for animated shows. He'll

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-38477209980406905792008-05-29T22:39:00.002-05:002008-05-29T22:45:17.358-05:00

I just realized it's been over a month with no new material on here! Sorry about that, folks. No excuses here. It just slipped my mind while I was busy doing other projects. I will have lots of new stuff up here soon including a couple of "picks to click" (a local rocker coming back home and a laugh fest that is actually funny) and some original writings on the media industry I started working on

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-5266258164405980952008-04-19T16:46:00.003-05:002008-04-19T16:56:22.636-05:00

Every year there seems to be more & more multi-day music festivals happening around the country. The biggest one is of course Lollapalooza, which gets the lion's share of "buzz" talk, but there is also SXSW, Coachella, Bonnaroo, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Austin City Limits Festival, Rocklahoma (mentioned here about a month or so ago) and so many more. My favorite one is a traveling &

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-56615800233036032392008-04-19T15:45:00.003-05:002008-04-19T17:53:14.009-05:00

One of NBC's finest television shows is coming back -- strong. "Friday Night Lights" is returning for the 2008/2009 TV season. The show was all but dead in the water just a few months ago. After mostly poor promotion and too many time slot moves, the show never found much of an audience. The worst move happened when NBC decided to air it on Friday nights. One might think that it was symmetry,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-78087102148771730492008-03-26T12:39:00.004-05:002008-03-26T12:46:02.369-05:00

Steven Pearlstein, the Business Columnist for the Washington Post, said in his column today many of the same things I said in my blog earlier. For example, this is from his column today:It took some doing -- and more than a year of "investigation" -- for the Justice Department to come up with its undisclosed evidence and tortured logic to justify this strikingly anti-consumer decision. As

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-2716821441762416912008-03-24T21:22:00.002-05:002008-03-24T21:29:56.013-05:00

What seemed like an incredible long shot when it was first proposed has come to pass: The only two satellite radio companies in America have been given permission to merge into one. XM Radio & Sirius Radio will soon be one company with the bulky name of XM-Sirius Radio (until a new name can be agreed upon) before not too long. The Department of Justice, ignoring past decisions & obvious evidence,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-87965485202257078282008-03-10T15:02:00.002-05:002008-03-10T15:08:31.855-05:00

Just a few short years ago, then NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer went after the Music & Radio industry with an incredible furor. He claimed almost every contact between the record labels and the radio stations was 1950's style payola. Most record labels, after complaining about his findings, his techniques, his motivation and his conclusions, ended up paying many millions of dollars to quietly

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-76721792684217273872008-03-05T22:06:00.003-06:002008-03-05T22:46:58.555-06:00

It's that time of year when many of the big Summer music festivals are announcing lineups. There's Coachella with Roger Waters in CA, there's Bonnaroo with Pearl Jam & Metallica in TN, there's Rock On The Range with the reunited Stone Temple Pilots in OH, Lollapalooza in IL, and now there's... Rocklahoma in OK (of course). The 2008 Rocklahoma Festival is the 80's Metal band version of the big

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-72669061182046701042008-02-29T19:26:00.003-06:002008-03-01T13:49:08.957-06:00

It's a sad day at WLS-AM & WZZN-FM. Numerous staffers were fired today with no real advanced notice. Citadel Broadcasting bought these two stations from ABC last year. Did I say bought? I meant overpaid for a large stake in the stations. ABC Radio (Disney) still owns a huge portion of them and sucks up much of the profits if/when profits actually occur. Citadel revealed today that the company

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-88349964543483837312008-02-04T11:49:00.000-06:002008-02-04T11:57:02.692-06:00

Three thoughts about Super Bowl XLII:Thought #1: It's my nature to normally cheer for the underdog, but in last night's Super Bowl, I was pulling for the New England Patriots to win. Had the Pats done so, it would have been historic – a probable once in a lifetime event. Who doesn't want to experience history? Also, the New York Giants, a team I normally like, barely slipped into the playoffs as

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-4595019437504646502008-02-01T13:30:00.000-06:002008-02-01T13:38:38.991-06:00

Mel Taylor, a Philadelphia-based media man, who has been involved with all aspects of radio & TV, and who now helps companies improve their web presence, also has a blog site. Yesterday he wrote a blog about how local media will have to quickly embrace & improve their Internet identities of be forced to face a harsh reality. Highly recommended reading! Click on the link below:Mel Taylor: Local

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-27302655413269445502008-01-31T17:59:00.000-06:002008-01-31T18:11:37.417-06:00

In a couple of my posts below, I talk a lot about the Chicago music scene of the past and how the present scene pales in comparison. In the new issue of the Chicago Reader (out in newsstands, stores & establishments tonight), author Deanna Isaacs writes about Paul Natkin and his Chicago Music Commission, who are trying to get the Chicago music scene some well deserved publicity and recognition.

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-18036323052898854392008-01-25T00:06:00.000-06:002008-01-31T15:14:53.333-06:00

For your listening pleasure, here are some MP3s of some of the great local bands mentioned in my earlier post. Most of these are ultra-rare songs that you will probably not find available anywhere else! To the best of my knowledge, none of these are available anywhere in the MP3 format, either.Enjoy!!!Pezband (with Off Broadway's Cliff Johnson on lead vocals! RARE DEMO) – Ally Sally (1976)Tantrum

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-32115880555648259792008-01-24T22:15:00.000-06:002008-01-24T22:23:04.920-06:00

WHEN RADIO ROCKED LOCALLYPart 1: Local Playlists vs. National PlaylistsThe current state of radio is one of nationalism. With just a handful of corporations owning the vast majority of this country's radio stations, every market's radio stations now sound alike. A person can move from Detroit to Cleveland, from Orlando to Austin, from Phoenix to Denver, from Milwaukee to Boise and still find

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-70625596602901526542008-01-20T11:30:00.000-06:002008-01-25T09:41:37.822-06:00

There were a lot of high-profile deaths this weekend, mostly from what many would consider B-list celebrities. -- "Bob Newhart Show" & sitcom star, Suzanne Pleshette died at age 70.-- Character actor ("The Brady Bunch" & "All In The Family") & animated voice actor (Magilla Gorilla & Drooper from the Banana Splits), Allan Melvin passed at age 84.-- Eugene Sawyer, Chicago's second ever

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-70421803438686012632008-01-17T12:52:00.000-06:002008-01-17T16:37:21.132-06:00

I have a few new blogs in the works for this site, but in the meantime, I thought I'd give a shout-out to another media blogger, Terence "T-Dog" Henderson and his blogsite, The T Dog Media Blog. Last night, he posted a blog up that took at hard look at the embarrassment that is the CBS2 newscast. It's worth reading! You can see for yourself at the link below:T Dog's Think Tank: The mess at

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-77507322117473277202007-12-30T18:37:00.001-06:002007-12-30T19:53:46.697-06:00

Happy New Year, everybody! 2007 is just hours away from being over. For those of you looking for some rockin' New Years music for your party, I'm offering 3 samples for you. All are versions of the famous NYE song, Auld Lang Syne, but these are not the sleepy Guy Lombardo version. These rock. (Note: Windows Media Player needed to hear these.)First, up is a version by New Jersey garage rockers,

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-18285518566412539942007-12-29T15:21:00.000-06:002007-12-29T15:36:56.846-06:00

Newspaper of the Year - Chicago Sun-Times. Despite the Conrad Black scandal, this paper has constantly turned out quality. It has the best columnists, the best sports section in town (even with the controversial Jay Mariotti on staff), a sense of humor and thanks in part to its many suburban papers that the Sun-Times News Group owns, a great presence with both urban & suburban news. The tabloid

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-1111564147681792912007-12-29T15:03:00.000-06:002007-12-29T15:21:10.806-06:00

Best Newscast - Evenings - WLS/ABC7. The winner is also the big ratings winner in this category: ABC7. Even with the ABC network having had lackluster prime time ratings for the last few years, Chicago's ABC outlet, WLS-TV, has had the best overall newscast and is the benchmark all others aspire to be. Ron Magers is the anchorman's anchorman and Kathy Brock and Cheryl Burton are perfect co-hosts

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-74357054444619804882007-12-29T14:44:00.000-06:002007-12-29T15:19:33.683-06:00

FM Station of the Year - WXRT-FMAM Station of the Year - WGN-AM Why did these two stations win this award? They both have some things huge in common: they both kept a strong local connection and they both maintained a deep connection to their listeners. WGN is Chicago. They are completely local, from ownership to staffers. They talk about Chicago and keep Chicago informed & entertained.

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-69312912709975204962007-12-29T14:31:00.000-06:002007-12-29T14:43:33.121-06:00

Biggest Disappointment of the Year The Eagles – Long Road Out Of Eden. This was an easy choice for me. As a big Eagles fan from way back, I had high hopes for these new tunes by the biggest band of the 70's. Those hopes were crushed after a couple of listens to the new double-album. Sure... The amazing harmonies are still in tact. I have no problem with album vocally. However, the writing and

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-72790073076057005962007-12-29T14:09:00.000-06:002007-12-29T14:25:13.429-06:00

Local Release of the Year- Johnny Monaco - OverratedJohnny Monaco was the long-time lead guitarist for Chicago's Enuff Z'Nuff and, for most of this decade, has been the touring version of the band's lead vocalist. Having just left the band (which is in disarray anyway), he finally finished his long project of a full-length solo debut. And what an amazing debut it is! For the most part, Monaco

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-28100389169816287722007-12-29T13:54:00.000-06:002007-12-29T14:27:38.003-06:00

Single of the YearThis was difficult to do, only because there was a large amount of great singles released in 2007, even though there was not a lot of great albums released. Here are my top 5 singles of the year:1. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms RaceBig sound, big hooks. This song was inescapable in the first half of 2007. These Chicago boys won the hearts and ears of

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-56432631813074690822007-12-29T13:45:00.000-06:002007-12-29T13:53:49.305-06:00

Presenting the 1st Annual Larzie Awards for 2007!I wanted to do this last year, but scrapped the idea at the last minute because it would have taken up too much space on the regular CRM board, but now with the Blog site up & running, I now have the room to do this. So... I'm happy to announce the start of a new tradition: the annual Larzie Awards! (Note: the lousy name could be changed by the

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-13919264958568857632007-12-29T00:05:00.000-06:002007-12-29T00:07:39.787-06:00

Maybe it's me, but I seem to have noticed over the course of the last few years, that we seem to lose a lot of people, especially those much to young to go, around the holidays. What should be a joyous time, seems to get tempered by sad realities. Last year at this time, it was Allan Stagg that left us. This week, it was Mark Sullivan and Terry Armour.These two individuals were very different

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-82764684125709063772007-12-19T22:30:00.002-06:002007-12-19T22:39:45.623-06:00

What’s Wrong With Chicago Radio? Nothing Really. One of the comments that seems to come up often on the CRM message board is about how bad Chicago radio is. Not just a specific complaint, but a general blanket statement about the state of radio in the Chicago market. I spent the last year taking a closer look at that comment to see if it was indeed true. What I found is the exact opposite.

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9173958413387393715.post-29986681534176139632007-12-09T12:30:00.000-06:002007-12-09T15:57:40.516-06:00

So... Why A Blogsite?? Hello folks! This is a new addition and extension to the CRM family. You may be wondering why this "sister" site to the regular message board ChicagolandRadioAndMedia.com is here. This site was created for more lengthy postings than what a message board normally has. It can allow me to be more self-indulgent, if I am so inclined, and let me ramble on longer about media

Larzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176356981089816726noreply@blogger.com9