99XWatch.org

Another in a long series of wrong predictions...

Still tuning into dave fm afternoons to hear Toucher and Rich?  Well here's another prediction:

The original of this is on the "New Morning X Page" (with an old URL) along with a video posted on YouTube.  While I'm somewhat annoyed at Cumulus' hyping the new show by keeping the team secret, I'm not so annoyed that I won't play into their hands.

Update 9/26/2006 1:31 PM

Here is the press release for the Monday morning show.  Rodney Ho takes his own guess at the above substituting Yvonne Monet for my Jamie Massey guess. 

99X has an updated "cast" page too.

Update September 29, 2006 7:02 PM

Changed "serious" to "series" in the title, while repeating the phrase "I suck" over and over again.

The New Morning X

The name is official.  Here's the press release.

Jenners to Co-Host New "Morning X"

Rob Jenners

A reader sent me a link to Rob Jenners' MySpace page:

I have recently accepted a job in Atlanta co-hosting a show (details to follow soon, stay tuned)! Jenners taking a step up!! Until we get our show on the air and everything is running, feel free to contact me here on MySpace.

99XWatch.org yesterday repeated reports that Roberts would be "the stunt guy."

Steve is suggesting this morning on the the air that the new show will be using the name "Morning X".  "...until next week when we being a new chapter.  Someone say new?  New Morning X?". 

Superheroes, Star Wars and TV show Lost

Radio Talk reports that the new stunt guy for the new morning show is Rob Jenners, formerly of Big 105.9 in Miami.  According to a fan site:

Rob Jenners left The Paul and Young Ron Show on August 4th 2006. He left to be an on air personality on a radio show up in Atlanta

...

Robert Jenners started on the show as an intern and work his way up to an intrigual [sic] member of The Paul and Young Ron Show.

Jenners' favorites topics are: Superheroes, Star Wars and TV show Lost.

Update 9/28/2006 8:41 AM

Rob Jenners' MySpace page contradicts this report, saying that he will be "a co-host."

So Dark the con of man

Why did Sebastian capitalize the first letters in "Super Delightful" in his recently removed blog posting?  Perhaps the answer is here?

Last Day for Axel & Leslie Show

From Sebastian's Blog:

Today's the last day of the Axel and Leslie Show, featuring Sebastian, Jamie, and Debra. Next week is a special blend of retrospective shows featuring the person synonymous with retro in Atlanta. After that, I have a faint inkling of the future. I know it will be Super Delightful, but I don't know how much they'll want my input, or if I'll want to remain under the potential content requirements.

Update September 22, 2006, 7:54 AM
Here's audio of Axel and Leslie talking about it (433KB, 1:53).  The implication is clearly that Leslie will remain a part of the new morning show. Axel will be returning to afternoons on Monday.

Update September 22, 2006 9:31 AM
Sebastian emailed to clarify his blog, writing:  "I don't have any special inside knowledge, and 'content restrictions' was just a jab at myself for my generally needing to be reigned back in anything I do publicly."

Update September 22, 2006 6:06 PM
Sebastian took down his blog so I'm removing the link.  I also cleaned up my last update.

Calandro-thon

Calandro is throwing a charity fundraiser on September 29, 2006.  From a "press release":

The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society’s Team in Training (http://www.lls.org) is a quality organization I’m proud to be a part of and represent. I’m way behind on my fund-raising, so hopefully with the cooperation of Budweiser, Carolyn’s Gourmet Café, and whomever I can get to attend The 3CL Philanthropic Throwdown, I can get the funds I need in one fell swoop. Anything I make over my goal goes to Heart for Africa (http://www.heartforafrica.org), in an effort to impress Some Girl.

Leave it to Calandro to turn wooing a chick and self-promotion into a charitable event.  Never-the-less, the last Calandro event had lots of interesting people, so the staff* at 99XWatch.org will be there.  Besides, it's for a good cause.

*Me

Lawsuit Update

September 13, was the latest deadline for answers in Barnes vs. TJ&L.  Here's a brief run down of the developments.

Cumulus and Unihost have retained David Stewart, an Intellectual Property Attorney from Alston and Bird, one of Atlanta's premier firms, to represent them.   He has requested and received an extension (agreed to by Barnes' attorney) till 9/25/2006 to respond.  Toucher's attorney has requested and received a 9/25/2006 extension.

Leslie and Jimmy's attorney has filed a motion to dismiss with regard to the defamation complaint.  According to the motion:

[Barnes'] Complaint is devoid of any of the alleged defamatory statements Defendants Baron and Fram are believed to have uttered. Accordingly, even accepting Plaintiffs allegations as true, Plaintiffs failure to set forth even the substance of any alleged defamatory statement sufficient to give Defendants Baron and Fram notice of the basis for the claim and permit Defendants Baron and Fram to form a responsive pleading.

The premise of this being that every time an alleged defamation is mentioned in Barnes' complaint -- e.g. "captain back acne" -- it is coming from Fred Toucher.  The motion asks that the judge dismiss the case or in the alternate require that Barnes' attorneys amend the complaint "setting fourth a more definite statement as to the defamation claim."

Signs

OK...here's some wild speculation:  Toucher and Rich may be syndicating into Atlanta in the next couple of weeks.

Rodney Ho writes on Radio Talk:

Out of the blue this weekend, former 99Xer Crash Clark emailed me, apologizing for yelling at me in fairly blue terms a few weeks back for disclosing his precarious financial situation.

Crash is a big hearted guy and I had little doubt that he would cool down and mend fences with Rodney.  What is interesting to me is the timing.  Why, all of a sudden, would Crash write a letter of apology to Rodney Ho?  Consider the following:

• Toucher's last day at 99X was March 17, 2006.  While I don't know when the non-compete became effective, but six months from Toucher's last day is September 17, 2006.
• Tomorrow, September 18, 2006 dave  fm will announce its "fall lineup", on the heels of Barnes' recent departure.
• Toucher and Crash have a built in fan base in Atlanta. 
• WBCN, Toucher and Rich's current station, is owned by the same parent as dave fm -- CBS Radio.  It's one of the pioneers of major market drive time syndication.

It should be noted that this contradicts much of what was said to Rodney Ho by dave fm PD Michelle Engel.  Ho paraphrases Engel by writing that part of the rational behind Steve Barne's departure from dave was that "[Barnes is] a personality-based morning host who likes to gab and Dave is now opting for less talk, more music."

Update September 18, 2006 1:03 PM
I added the "same parent" company bullet point.  Sometimes I forget that not everyone follows these things as closely as I do.  I also added "on the heels of Barnes' recent depature."

One radio insider suggests that it wouldn't make much sense for dave to bring on Toucher and Rich unless they wanted to alter their target demo, which tends to be female and on the older end of the 18-34 market.  Point well taken. I guess it remains to be seen how deep Monday's changes go.

Update September 18, 2006 7:39 PM
Crash assures me that while he'd love to have the show syndicated in Atlanta, he doesn't have any knowledge of plans to do so.  He felt he owed Rodney an apology, and the timing is a conincidence.

Barnes Fired?

From Radio-Info.com, Rodney Ho posts:

I hear that Barnes and Eric were fired today. Need to confirm from someone official.

Update 9/13/2006, 4:30 PM
Rodney expands on this in Radio-Talk post:

Not surprisingly, ratings-challenged Dave FM has split up with Steve Barnes, the morning co-host, after two years. Barnes, who successfully helmed the Morning X at 99X for a decade until 2003, teamed up with Holly Firfer of CNN in 2004 and for the first six months showed promising ratings growth. But the station has seen a steady decline the past year and the future for Barnes looked grim in recent weeks. He has sued his former employer for slander and copyright infringement and got a black eye from giving away his dog.