2 SEP 08: RADIO VACUUM
It was, as they say on those dramatic TV newsmagazine shows, a day like any other day. I was sitting at the computer with the radio on - in this case on WBOJ-FM "103.7 The Truth." The new Christian station actually is playing some commercials for Columbus car dealers. See, that proves the salespeople keep that "false witness" commandment.
But the other day, I heard something on The Truth in the late morning which surprised me - a voice saying, "This is Al Haynes." I guess because it's a Christian station, it would sound pride-filled to call him "the legendary Al Haynes...."
But wait a minute - Al Haynes?! On THIS station?! I thought he was working at WRLD "Boomer 95.3." In fact, the station web site says he still does. Is he jogging from the Chuck McClure Building on 13th Avenue over to WBOJ on Wynnton Road for exercise?
The Al Haynes online biography says he's active in his church. So he may well feel at home on a Christian radio station like The Truth. But admittedly, hearing him there was a shock. He's been associated with pop-rock stations such as WCGQ and Boomer 95.3 - where the most Christian song he might have played is "Turn Turn Turn."
So what's going on here? Has Al Haynes jumped from the former Archway Broadcasting ship, as new ownership takes over? Well, not exactly. It appears the new owners at PMB Broadcasting have some sort of partnership with the owners of WBOJ. When the links at The Truth's web site include inspirational thoughts from Bear O'Brian, that's a clue.
The staff page on The Truth's web site lists "Managing Partner Jim Martin" at the top. That's the same Jim Martin who's in the process of buying Archway stations such as Boomer 95.3 and WCGQ. This seems a bit like allowing Donald Trump to open a satellite office inside your business.
River City Broadcasting is still listed as the owner of WBOJ. But if Jim Martin is a "Managing Partner," you have to wonder how long that will last. Compared to Clear Channel, owning four radio stations looks downright low-power.
This discovery admittedly disappoints me, because WBOJ is an independent station - not connected to the three big Columbus radio chains. I hoped the owners would think outside the box a bit. Instead, they might have opened the box to allow another owner to gobble it up with a vacuum cleaner.
I'd been pondering recently whether WBOJ-FM might try to buy WSHE-AM, which Clear Channel has designated for sale. They're at matching spots on the dial, and River City Broadcasting could make money by putting radio ministries on the AM station. I once heard a boss say that's the easiest way to make money in radio -- go religious, and watch pastors line up to pay money for preaching time.
That buyout could still happen, but at this point it appears a sale might be part of a deal to make a growing conglomerate bigger. And something doesn't seem quite right about a contemporary Christian station sharing a staff and building with one playing Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl."
We hope you had an enjoyable Labor Day - and let's see what made news on the holiday:
+ Chick-Fil-A handed out free three-packs of chicken strips to anyone wearing a football jersey. Boy, did I get a shock - the server at Peachtree Mall told me I was the first person to show up in a Kansas shirt.
+ The annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon on WRBL ended with more than $244,000 in local pledges. That amount was almost even with the total of two years ago [5 Sep 06]. You'd think the total would be higher - if only from the viewers avoiding the WLTZ 6:00 Report.
(Some female friends of mine did an "instant analysis" of the local telethon. They concluded Jennifer Serda's dressy outfit looked great. Harmony Mendoza looked good. And Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield.... well, maybe she should have anchored the late news instead of Tim Reid.)
+ Dozens more people took shelter in the Columbus area from Hurricane Gustav. The evening news went to one motel, and found a family of 25 holding a holiday cookout. At times like these, you can tell the people who have money from the ones who don't.
+ The Tulane University football team joined the evacuees, by fleeing to Birmingham to prepare for Saturday's game against Alabama. Why didn't they come to Columbus, too? We actually have a high school with "Green Wave" in its nickname.
+ The Columbus Catfish rolled over Rome 5-2, to win their final baseball game before moving to Kentucky. How many local residents think the joke will be on the management - when it discovers people in Bowling Green actually bowl indoors like everybody else?
+ Instant Message to ABC News correspondent Dan Harris: I couldn't help but think of you Monday. About one of your reports in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina, when you accidentally called the mayor of New Orleans for a moment "Nay Reagan." That was SO Freudian....
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