93.7 The Beat Houston replaces 93.7 The Arrow KKRW

Classic Rocker 93.7 The Arrow KKRW is dead, The Beat KQBT takes over as Houston's newest urban station

So instead of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy on 93.7, from now on you will probably hear Holy Grail by Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake. Just whatever you do, don't let Timberlake get near Reliant Stadium and Janet Jackson again!

That's because after 20 years, 93.7 The Arrow KKRW has flipped to an urban format with Beyonce as the first song. Fitting for Houston. 93.7 The Beat KQBT “H-Town’s Real Hip Hop and R&B” will target a heavy female audience with the likes of Rihanna, Jay Z, Drake, Chris Brown, Beyoncé and Miguel.

**************************
UPDATE
The Breakfast Club takes over 93.7 The Beat KQBT mornings

93.7 The Beat KQBT announced its lineup:
5am-9am The Breakfast Club
9am-2pm: UB Rodriguez
2pm-6pm: Rudy Rush
6pm-10pm: Devi Dev
10pm-2am: Chris Michaels

**************************

And the new station was taking swipes at market leader 97.9 The Box KBXX from the get go.

I was sent this 93.7 The Beat Houston logo
before the change - it appeared on IHeartRadio.

"93.7 The Beat is ready to write a new chapter in Houston radio history. We’re defining what real hip hop and R&B is," said Eddie Martiny, President and Market Manager, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, Houston. "Many of the biggest stars in this format live in Houston, so to move the station in this direction was a natural choice. In addition, The Beat format will perfectly complement the five other radio stations in our cluster by making us more attractive and diverse to our advertising community."

The process started New Year's Eve day 2013 at 10am. As I blogged earlier, the station started playing a wide variety of music from Miley Cyrus, Eminem to Oingo Boingo with pre-recorded announcements heralding the end of The Arrow and that a new station would arrive at noon (SEE THE LAST THREE SONGS THE ARROW PLAYED).

"Is it just me or do the Led Zeppelin songs on 93.7 sound different today," KKRW program director Steve Fixx asked mikemcguff.com.

This means longtime Houston rock DJs like Colonel St. James and Steve Fixx of KLOL fame won't have a radio home. Same for morning show newcomer JC Corcoran and mid-day jock Kelly Ryan.

"In late July, just four months after I began the new job in Texas, corporate dropped a bomb, telling me they weren't hiring a producer or co-host to build a show here as we'd agreed," JC Corcoran posted on his Facebook page. "In October I began hearing loud rumors. Last night when we returned to Houston from Christmas break I got the call. Today, a classic rock station with a twenty-year heritage is no more. We've all been let go. The station will be "stunting" for the next few days before revealing the new format. I'd just been nominated for "Employee of the Quarter." Seriously. Next week I'll continue on with the ten-to-noon show on 590 The Man in St. Louis while we try and figure out what's next. Good riddance, 2013."

LISTEN TO THE OFFICIAL 12/31/2013 NOON CHANGE BELOW:


"I had a great run at The Arrow," Colonel St. James posted on Facebook the afternoon after the format flip. "I left Clear Channel on very good terms, and I really wouldn't mind going back to work for them, if the opportunity was right. For now, I'm looking for a new adventure, so if you hear of something, please contact me. Oh, and it doesn't necessarily have to be in radio. All I can say is, I wish my friends at Clear Channel the best of luck with their new station. I hope to back on the air soon, and with your continued support and prayers, and if it's His will, I shall be! Thank you all so very much! God bless and Happy New Year!"

RadioInsight reported Sunday that 937TheBeatHouston.com was registered by Clear Channel. But talk of 93.7 The Arrow's demise has been around for much longer.

The rumors all started back in November. All Access reported Houston could be getting a new urban radio station.

Speculation on a now defunct radio board began that classic rocker 93.7 The Arrow KKRW would be the station to flip formats - if the rumors were true. Semantics would be the reason for that. All Access used the word "targeting" which is why people thought "The Arrow" would be the one...talk about a bulls eye [insert rim shot] or a total miss [insert audience gasp].

While several radio sources told me they heard this rumor getting hotter and hotter, a Clear Channel Houston marketing representative told me back then that they were not "aware of" KKRW flipping to an urban format.

According to the newly minted Nielsen Audio's (replacing Arbitron) November 2013 Portable People Meter 12+ numbers, The Arrow ranks 17th with a 2.3 share. That's down from a 3.6 in July (cue radio pros telling me 12+ numbers don't mean anything but that's all I have access to). Classic Rock competitor 106.9/107.5 The Eagle KGLK came in at number 10 with a 3.7 share in November.

"It's a good move for KKRW," Vice President, Market Manager for Cox Media Group Mark Krieschen told mikemcguff.com after the format flip. "It makes sense for that station considering where they are at in the ratings and it is a big day for us (107.5 and 106.9 The Eagle). The strategy for our cluster began when we hired Dean and Rog."

The Cox Media Group later put The Eagle's signal on both 107.5 and 106.9 - killing off 106.9 The Zone - to improve the station's signal all across Houston.

"Lots of people thought we were crazy to make both of those moves and it worked out for us and we are happy about it," Krieschen told me.

Now, for those not in Houston, our market's top three stations usually include Radio One's 97.9 The Box KBXX and Magic 102 KMJQ. Those are two urban stations that seem entrenched in the top of the radio ratings and totally unchallenged.

"I guess it is game on," Radio One Regional Vice President Doug Abernethy told mikemcguff.com after the format change. "This is not the first time that we have had an assault on our company. We have withstood Hot 97, Power, jazz in addition to flank attacks. So we will enter this latest challenge battle tested. We take this as a compliment to our success. It is people that make or break a station and we have an all star line up of talented individuals in every phase of the urban game. Our company was built on a foundation of serving our community and being African American owned we won't lose focus of our solid foundation in which we built well branded urban stations in Houston."

Other companies have tried and failed to compete with Radio One's Houston urban stations. But Clear Channel owns KKRW, so that means you have an entire radio powerhouse behind this new Houston urban station.

People are asking why we need another urban station. If you think about this way, you have two stations at the top of the ratings for a sizable hip-hop loving audience. If Clear Channel pulls away just some of those listeners and gains new ones, then it will probably be doing better than it was with classic rock as the format.

This could be an interesting radio war. Stay tuned.

Official Clear Channel release:

Houston, Texas – December 31, 2013 – Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Houston announced today the launch of a new radio station, 93.7 The Beat, H-Town’s REAL Hip Hop and R&B, effective immediately.

93.7 The Beat will feature music from today's biggest artists including Kanye West, Drake, Chris Brown, J.Cole, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Houston’s own Beyonce and more. The Beat will give Houston listeners one of a kind access to up-close artist experiences, exclusive premieres, world-class on air personalities and opportunities to be part of bigger than life events and promotions.

"93.7 The Beat is ready to write a new chapter in Houston radio history. We’re defining what real hip hop and R&B is," said Eddie Martiny, President and Market Manager, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, Houston. "Many of the biggest stars in this format live in Houston, so to move the station in this direction was a natural choice. In addition, The Beat format will perfectly complement the five other radio stations in our cluster by making us more attractive and diverse to our advertising community."

Fans can listen to 93.7 The Beat, via the station's website, www.937thebeathouston.com, as well as on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's all-in-one digital radio service. iHeartRadio delivers everything listeners want in one free, fully-integrated service: instant access to more than 1,500 of the nation's most popular live broadcast and digital-only radio stations from 150 cities, plus user-created custom stations inspired by favorite artists and songs. iHeartRadio also offers listeners a "Perfect For" feature which allows users to choose from thousands of curated stations based on a range of moods and activities. New - iHeartRadio Talk feature offers on-demand listener-created talk content alongside popular news, celebrity and entertainment “audiosodes.” iHeartRadio Talk also features “Daily Pulse,” a customizable Talk channel featuring the most up-to-date news and culture highlights, to which users can add or remove content that is most important to them.

Follow 93.7 the Beat on Facebook: www.facebook.com/937thebeat
Follow 93.7 the Beat on Twitter: @937thebeat
Follow 93.7 the Beat on Instagram: @937thebeat

93.7 Houston call sign history according to Wikipedia.

KBNO - 12/1963 (the 1970 film Brewster McCloud featured an advertisement on a bus billboard)
KRLY - Fall 1974 (Disco 94, Love 94, Y94)
KLTR-FM - 3/20/1984 (Lite Rock 93.7)
KLTR - 3/2/1986 (K-Lite 93.7)
KKRW - 12/20/1993 (Arrow 93.7 70's Rock Hits, 93.7 The Arrow, Classic Rock 93.7 The Arrow, Houston's Classic Rock 93.7 The Arrow, Now With the Most Classic Rock... Guaranteed... 93.7 The Arrow)

*updated with new KQBT calls 1/21//2014

93.7 The Arrow KKRW stunting for format flip

Bye, bye 93.7 The Arrow KKRW and 2013

UPDATE
93.7 The Beat Houston replaces 93.7 The Arrow KKRW

Fans of 93.7 The Arrow KKRW will have a sad end to 2013 as the 20 year radio station is currently flipping formats.

How do I know? The classic rocker is playing Miley Cyrus as I am writing this. It has had announcements starting at 10am saying change is coming at noon today. [LISTEN LIVE]

Another recording said The Arrow will not exist after noon today in Houston.

"Is it just me or do the Led Zeppelin songs on 93.7 sound different today," KKRW program director Steve Fixx asked mikemcguff.com.

The last three Arrow songs played before 10am were:

Old Time Rock & Roll
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band

Frankenstein
Edgar Winter Group

The Boys are Back in Town
Thin Lizzy

Followed by the following annoucement that change was coming.


The next songs were:

It's the End of the World as We Know It
REM

Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus

Rumor is the new 93.7 will be an urban station to compete with 97.9 The Box KBXX.

STAY TUNED FOR THE BEAT.

UPDATE
93.7 The Beat Houston replaces 93.7 The Arrow KKRW

93.7 The Beat logo that appeared
on Iheartradio before the format flip.

J.C. Corcoran, 93.7 The Arrow's new morning man

93.7 The Arrow KKRW gets new morning man J.C. Corcoran

J.C. Corcoran

We saw longtime team Walton and Johnson let go from 93.7 The Arrow KKRW last December, and now the station is getting a new guy for the morning show St. Louis Media is reporting.

J.C. Corcoran, an almost 30 year St. Louis radio shock jock, is coming to Houston and will appear on KKRW mornings as well as 740 KTRH and 950 KPRC the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

[Listen to Corcoran's work here]

An earlier article says Corcoran worked at 13 St. Louis radio and TV stations during his 28 years. The newspaper says he was let go from KTRS AM 550 last April.

Apparently Corcoran is credited with changing St. Louis radio upon his arrival. His "shock jock" persona opened the door for commentary on politics and news. Something that wasn't done in that market before.

After Walton and Johnson were let go, program director Steve Fixx moved from afternoon drive to replace the team in the mornings. Guess he will be shifted yet again.

I emailed with Walton and Johnson in early January. The radio duo told me they are still hoping to get back on Houston radio soon.

"We suspect some political pressure from Washington, and orders for drastic cuts from Bain Capital (whom they owe over 10 billion dollars) are part of KKRW ending the show on that station," W&J told mikemcguff.com in the email. "We still had a year and a half remaining on the current contract. They had just had to pay a performance bonus the month before, so we know it wasn't performance based since we had no warning. And they dropped the bomb on Dec 6th going into the holidays when most of the executive types and decision makers are on vacation, it's a tough time to get a major move like this approved."

You can still listen to Walton and Johnson's show (still broadcast from Houston) on other market radio station through waltonandjohnson.com.

Corcoran will start at Clear Channel Houston March 18 [updated with official Clear Channel Houston release below] 21st. His website is jcontheline.com.

UPDATE 3/4/2013 7:54am:
Official Clear Channel release sent to me after I posted originally gives more details. Here it is:

93.7 The Arrow KKRW, Houston’s Classic Rock Station, announced today that JC Corcoran will join the station as its new Morning Show Host. Corcoran will host weekday mornings from 5:30-10 a.m. CT, beginning March 18th, 2013.

In addition to The Arrow Morning Show, Corcoran will be a contributor to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Houston’s talk stations, KTRH and KPRC. Prior to joining the Houston market, he spent the last twenty-nine years in St. Louis as a radio personality at various stations including KSHE, KSD, KIHT and KMOX. While in St. Louis, Corcoran also served as an Entertainment Editor and Commentator at NBC, CBS and Fox television stations as well as columnist at St. Louis Sports Magazine. Corcoran’s previous radio experience also includes stops at DC101 in Washington, D.C., 97Rock in Buffalo, N.Y and The Loop in Chicago.

“After being on-air in the Midwest for so long it’s exciting to now have the opportunity to connect with people in an entirely new region,” said Corcoran.

“We’re excited to have JC on our team,’ said Marc Sherman, VP/Programming, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Houston. “He’ll bring a fun, new approach to The Arrow that our audience will definitely enjoy.”

Fans can listen to 93.7 The Arrow KKRW on the station’s website, 937thearrow.com, as well as on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s all-in-one digital radio service. iHeartRadio delivers everything listeners want in one free, fully-integrated service: instant access to more than 1,500 of the nation’s most popular live broadcast and digital-only radio stations from 150 cities, plus user-created custom stations inspired by favorite artists and songs. iHeartRadio also offers listeners a new “Perfect For” feature which allows users to choose from thousands of curated stations based on a range of moods and activities.

93.7 The Arrow adds to Walton and Johnson Show

93.7 The Arrow (KKRW), Houston’s Classic Rock, announced that the long-running Walton and Johnson Show is adding a new Morning Show Producer. Ken Webster Jr., formerly of the nationally syndicated Mancow Show in Chicago, joins the program effective immediately.

The Walton and Johnson Show is a unique, twisted take on current
events with a heavy dose of politically incorrect opinion, airing weekdays from 5:30-10:00 a.m. on 93.7 The Arrow and syndicated in 11 other markets across the country.

“We are thrilled to bring in someone with Kenny’s credentials,” said Arrow Program Director Steve Fixx. “He’s helped create a lot of compelling and amusing content in the past and has a style that will fit in perfectly with Walton and Johnson’s brand of infotainment.“

Webster is a 10 year veteran from the Mancow Show in Chicago, where he served as a producer and on-air talent. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago, he has also worked in marketing and promotions for HBO and with the Cartoon Network as an audio editor and content developer for Adult Swim.

"It's an honor to be working with the legendary Walton & Johnson Show,” said Webster. “They have had a fiercely loyal audience for nearly 30 years and we have some big plans keeping them entertained.”

Hosts John Walton, Steve Johnson and Producer Josh Reno, along with a supporting cast of Billy Ed, Mr. Eaux and Mr. Kenneth are all excited about the new addition to the crew.

“We looked far and wide for the best morning show producer in America and Ken is it,” said Walton. “Take that Mancow!”

“Kenny knows the show is so spontaneous and all over the road, which we like because we have short attention spans that...,” said Johnson before getting distracted.

The 93.7 The Arrow programming line-up features:
• The Walton and Johnson Show with from 5:30-10:00 a.m.
• Kelly Ryan from 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
• Steve Fixx from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Colonel St. James from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight

Classic rock fans can listen to 93.7 The Arrow on the station’s website, 937thearrow.com, as well as on iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio mobile app.

Clear Channel Houston owns and operates KBME-AM, KKRW-FM, KODA-FM, KPRC-AM, KTBZ-
FM, KTRH-AM and is part of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.

(This post was taken from a release sent to me from Clear Channel Houston)

Walton and Johnson off 93.7 The Arrow KKRW

UPDATE 3/4/2013
J.C. Corcoran, 93.7 The Arrow's new morning man

Wouldn't you know the one day I am shooting an interview for my Rock 101 KLOL documentary, with no internet access, that's the day one of the station's former morning shows makes news.

It's the Radio Gawds, not that duo, the other one, Walton and Johnson.

It appears W&J, and the associated cast of characters, are no longer on the air in Houston at 93.7 KKRW The Arrow. I started getting concerned emails from the show's fans early this morning.

Luckily Craig Hlavaty of The Houston Press saw my tweet about it and got on the case. He found out, and I've also heard the same from others, that Walton and Johnson are gone, longtime Houston rocker Steve Fixx takes their slot and the night guy, the legendary Colonel St. James, moves to Fixx's afternoon slot. So you see KLOL still lives on since all of these guys are former Rock 101 jocks.

The W&J guys also gave a rambling left wing blame statement to Craig.

After you reading this blog, you have followed W&J from their time at mornings on 950 KPRC Radio Mojo to 93.7 The Arrow.

Walton and Johnson gave a much longer response about that move and other things to David Barron of the Houston Chronicle:

We were never allowed to air our actual show (that other markets were having record success with) and even then we roundly vanquished the Cox station head to head direct competition for about two years solid even though they spent a couple million dollars in TV ads and promotion while CC spent not one dime in defense. Cox did not start winning some measurement periods until they discovered the wonderful wrinkle in Arbitron’s PPL technology of putting duplicate programming on two stations and having it measured and reported as one. Admittedly a brilliant strategy if you have an extra station to give up. READ THE REST

To put this on a national persepctive, Walton and Johnson are not the only ones out on the street this holiday season. Clear Channel has done nationwide layoffs this time throughout the years. I am hearing other Clear Channel Houston employees have been let go too. All Access is keeping a running tab of cut victims across the US. We learn there that W&J producer Josh Reno is gone too.

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The Breakfast Club takes over 93.7 The Beat mornings; plus call letter news

93.7 The Beat KQBT will air The Breakfast Club from Power 105.1 WWPR as new morning show

DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God of The Breakfast Club.

Clear Channel Houston confirmed to me Friday evening that nationally syndicated The Breakfast Club will be 93.7 The Beat's new morning show.

Billed as "The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show," The Breakfast Club is the highly acclaimed morning drive show on Power 105.1 WWPR New York, and is heard on stations across the country. Hosts DJ Envy, Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God can also be seen on shows airing on MTV2 and VH1.

The show starts in Houston January 21st.

UPDATE
93.7 The Beat announced its lineup:
5am-9am The Breakfast Club
9am-2pm: UB Rodriguez
2pm-6pm: Rudy Rush
6pm-10pm: Devi Dev
10pm-2am: Chris Michaels

If you're not a radio geek, you probably won't care about this, but there have been questions on whether 93.7 The Beat will keep the old 93.7 The Arrow call letters KKRW.

 As the old Arbitron diary method doesn't apply to Houston anymore, call letters are less important. Clear Channel tells me it will keep the KKRW call letters for 93.7 The Beat.

UPDATE 1/21/2014
I was originally told by Clear Channel the call letters for 93.7 The Beat would remain KKRW, but the station's Twitter account let me know they are now KQBT.

Top 10 mikemcguff posts of all time

The top 10 posts ever, as chosen by readers, on mikemcguff.com


So who in the Houston media world has made my blog's top 10 posts of all time category? You've seen me mention the list, but never post it. So in honor of mikemcguff.com's 10 year existence, here are the top posts of the last decade! And to no one's surprise, Houston TV and radio are dominate with one exception.

The reason these posts are in the top 10 is by page views, so they are what readers clicked on the most.

1. Why is Sharron Melton a KTRK abc13 'field anchor' now?
No duh...huh? I've admitted the August 2014 post about Sharron Melton becoming a KTRK abc13 'field anchor' has been my number 1 post of all time for a while now. And it still remains there by leaps and bounds. From what I understand after leaving channel 13, Melton is still in Houston, but has not popped up on another station...yet.

2. Casey Curry is pregnant
There seems to be a trend of former KTRK abc13 morning folks appearing in my top spots of all time. Based on your reaction, KTRK abc13 meteorologist Casey Curry's birth announcement was akin to the royal family declaring the coming arrival of an heir to the throne. You couldn't stop reading! So I kept updating you through the whole event. Windsor "Winnie" Curry Hahn was born January 30, 2014.

3. KPRC 2's Dominique Sachse gets engaged in Rome
And speaking of Houston TV royalty, the October 2011 news of KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse's engagement to Nick Florescu was a can't miss read around here too. The popular couple officially tied the knot in May of 2012. Pastor Joel Osteen of Houston's Lakewood Church performed the ceremony.

4. 93.7 The Beat Houston replaces 93.7 The Arrow KKRW
I always thought that the then named Clear Channel Houston (now IHeartMedia) switched classic rocker 93.7 The Arrow KKRW to 93.7 The Beat KQBT just to mess with Radio One's 97.9 KBXX because the latter company took on 740 KTRH with News 92 KROI. Then people will tell me to take off my tinfoil hat. Either way, things in the Houston radio ratings world haven't been the same since. I personally will remember my family waiting for me to get off the computer on New Year's Eve Day 2013 as I live blogged the big 93.7 format flip. Oh, the sacrifice of the blog.

5. Casey Curry takes a fall on KTRK abc13's 11am newscast
It just happened last month (September 2015), but when Casey Curry took a fall on KTRK abc13's new set live on TV, the post almost immediately made my top 10 list. The mega-popular meteorologist has lots of concerned fans. I'm no chief weather guesser, but I can predict Curry will return with lots of warm well wishes from channel 13 viewers.

6. Casey Curry and Travis Herzog to switch places on KTRK abc13
I know, enough about Casey Curry, but I can't help it if she's the one you want to read about non-stop! When station management swapped her schedule with mid-day met Travis Herzog in July 2015, viewers stormed my blog looking for details.

7. Elita Loresca joins KTRK abc13 after LA's KNBC 4
Clearly Elita Loresca made a big splash when she arrived at Houston's KTRK abc13 in June of 2015. Just before the Bayou City, she was working mornings in Los Angeles at KNBC NBC4's “Today in LA.” I still have loyal Southern California TV viewers on my blog looking for information about her.

8. KPRC 2's Anthony Yanez heading to KNBC LA
Speaking of Los Angles TV weather, it broke many Houston TV viewers' hearts when KPRC 2 morning met Anthony Yanez announced in October 2014 he was heading west to Loresca's old stomping ground of KNBC NBC4. KPRC knew it had to gently send him off with an ad campaign that lasted till January 2015 when he officially signed off in Houston. KPRC morning weekender Britta Merwin took Yanez's spot in Houston.

9. Jane Slater & Mark Elfenbein off 105.3 The Fan KRLD's “Elf & Slater”
What! A Dallas-Fort Worth post made my top 10 of all time list? Oh the horror! Just kidding, DFW is my second biggest area in terms of readers. This was very true in September 2013 when Jane Slater and Mark Elfenbein of 105.3 The Fan KRLD mid-day show “Elf & Slater” were taken off the air. DFW sports fans were outraged apparently.

10. Katherine Whaley leaving KHOU 11
If I were a real journalist/writer, I would take a page from Bill Carter's The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night and write a book about the KHOU 11 morning traffic job. It seems like a compelling story right off the soap opera screen! First, you have popular traffic man Darby Douglas who is seemingly let go overnight in 2009 which makes channel 11 viewers madder than being stuck on 290 in afternoon rush hour. Then Katherine Whaley takes his place and develops a following of her own. Suddenly in the summer of 2014, we get notice the erstwhile traffic man Douglas is back and Whaley will become a channel 11 reporter. So, a few months later, Whaley heads for the exit ramp and to no one's surprise lands at KTRK abc13 where longtime traffic dude Don Nelson is ready to change career lanes himself and retire. Maybe one day you'll be able to read my self-published insider tell-all "The Morning Drive: Douglas, His Hair, Whaley and KHOU 11's battle for Houston commuters."

Coming up...in the last 10 years, which Houston media members were "Googled" the most to get to my blog? Even I was shocked by this one.

Walton and Johnson to KPRC AM 950 replacing Joe Pags

Walton and Johnson returning to Houston radio...again

Walton and Johnson

Well I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that ousted 93.7 The Arrow KKRW morning team Walton and Johnson will return to Clear Channel Houston at the newly re-branded KPRC AM 950.

Earlier this afternoon, I posted that longtime San Antonio based 950am morning man Joe Pags was parting ways with his Houston show.

Now the Walton and Johnson Facebook page says the show is returning Tuesday at 5:30am in Houston. It just so happens that all of KPRC's online sites say tune in Tuesday at 5:30am to hear a new show. Coincidence?

Now most people know that Walton and Johnson broadcast from Houston to a bunch of different radio stations in the region. Since December 2012, when they were let go from 93.7 The Arrow, they've still been living in broadcasting from Houston to the other cities, just not to a local station. From what I understand, they were still even broadcasting from Clear Channel Houston under a lease agreement.

So now the two are probably returning to their home pre-Arrow which was 950 KPRC. When the longtime morning duo showed up on KPRC in 2007, the station even totally re-branded to the 9-5-0 Radio Mojo. It's ironic that now the duo is returning, the station just re-branded to KPRC AM 950 last month.

UPDATE 4/30/2013 8AM
OFFICIAL WORD FROM CLEAR CHANNEL HOUSTON:

950 KPRC ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF THE WALTON & JOHNSON SHOW

Houston, Texas – April 30, 2013 – 950 KPRC, Houston's More Stimulating Talk Radio, announced today the return of The Walton & Johnson Show, beginning today, Tuesday, April 30. The Walton & Johnson Show will broadcast weekdays from 5:30-10:00 a.m.

The Walton & Johnson Radio Show is one of the most respected and universally imitated radio programs in the nation. The show offers listeners a unique mix of "stream of consciousness,"opinionated and compelling talk, celebrity guests, musical elements, fictional characters,famous impersonations and skits. The show features John Walton and Steve Johnson, who are affectionately known as the Radio “Gawds” by their dedicated listeners and advertisers.

"We are thrilled to have Walton & Johnson back on KPRC," said Bryan Erickson, Director of AM Programming, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Houston. "They have a proven track record of great ratings and we look forward to them continuing that success on KPRC.”

KPRC AM 950's updated programming line-up:
• Walton & Johnson from 5:30-10:00 a.m.
• The Glenn Beck Show from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Michael Garfield from 12-2:00 p.m.
• Matt Patrick from 2-5:00 p.m.
• Janine Turner from 5-7:00 p.m.
• Outlaw Dave from 7-9:00 p.m.


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Top mikemcguff blog posts for 2014

The 2014 number one post, in a matter of months, is now my most read post of all time!

Happy New Year! Here are the top Houston media stories of 2014 by page views on mikemcguff.com (although in years past, a Dallas story has been tops). So that means you decided this list by reading these posts the most throughout the year. And the number one story this year is even bigger than just 2014!

10. Courtney Zavala to leave KPRC 2 and TV
In November, popular weekend morning KPRC 2 anchor Courtney Zavala told me she was giving up TV to spend time with her family after juggling a crazy broadcast schedule.

9. Britta Merwin joins KPRC 2 as meteorologist
Last May, Britta Merwin came out of TV retirement to join KPRC 2. She had last worked at KCRA Sacramento. Merwin replaced Idolina Peralez. This week we found out Merwin is replacing the KNBC Los Angeles bound morning meteorologist Anthony Yanez.

8. KPRC 2 hires fmr. beauty queen, Sharron Melton vs Lily Jang and more
This old post from 2012 popped up because of one of the names in the title. Can you guess who? If not, scroll down to the top post for the details.

7. Casey Curry is pregnant
Once again, not a post from 2014, but when abc 13 KTRK morning meteorologist Casey Curry is mentioned, this number one 2013 entry still pops up at number 7 for this year. Curry's baby girl was born in January 2014.

6. Adela Uchida gone from abc13 KTRK with expanded weekend news on the way?
As KTRK abc13 added a half hour to its 10pm weekend newscast in January, anchor Adela Uchida left the station. She quickly joined News 92 KROI. When that station flipped to Boom 92.1 classic hip hop, Uchida announced she will join KEYE Austin.

5. KHOU 11 anchor Ron Trevino arrested; charged with DWI
In March, KHOU 11 reported, its own morning anchor, Ron Trevino, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. In June, Trevino's DWI case was dismissed.

4. Corey Foley leaves The Bull 100.3 KILT; plus other changes
Angry The New Bull @ 100.3 KILT listeners started emailing me in April about the fact Corey Foley left the CBS country morning show. Partner Greg Thunder remained and Cowboy Dave moved to nights. By November, Greg Thunder had left the station too. Will the morning duo reunite somewhere?

3. Katherine Whaley leaving KHOU 11
In June, KHOU announced it was re-hiring Darby Douglas for morning traffic. That meant his replacement, Katherine Whaley, was going to report. The call of the commute was clearly too much, so Whaley bolted for the comfort of KTRK abc13's chroma key traffic wall. She debuted on the Disney/ABC Television Group doing evening traffic, but many of my readers suspect she will eventually replace longtime morning man Don Nelson. One of many changes that could be possible in 2015 for channel 13.

2. 93.7 The Beat Houston replaces 93.7 The Arrow KKRW
Exactly a year ago, I was attached to my computer for hours (much to my wife's New Year's Eve chagrin) blogging about the death of classic rocker 93.7 The Arrow KKRW. The station that emerged from its low rated ashes was urban formatted 93.7 The Beat KQBT. Houston radio ratings were never the same afterwards. Clear Channel IHeart Media knew how to shake things up with this move. I think this event eventually killed News 92 KROI. In my top 2013 post, I predicted this one would make 2014's top 10...nailed that one!

1. Why is Sharron Melton a KTRK abc13 'field anchor' now?

Sharron Melton

And the number one 2014 mikemcguff.com blog post is...[insert drum roll here]...the re-assignment of KTRK abc13 morning anchor Sharron Melton to field anchor.

 I got flack from readers for asking what a field anchor is in my original post. Yes, I get it is something from years ago where an anchor was in the field, you know, anchoring the news. This is not what Melton is doing. She is doing the job as a morning reporter. Sounds like a contractual thing.

And she is getting rave reviews as a reporter too.

 But not only is this late August post my number one item for the year, it is also the number one post of all time on my blog. And I have been publishing since 2005! So in a matter of months, Melton's post has shot up to my most read post...EVER. I have NEVER received so much angry email about a Houston media figure (Please don't blame me, I had nothing to do with her move!). I can just imagine what the station must be getting from her very devoted fans. So far, Melton's presumed morning anchor replacement is weekender Samica Knight.

Here is to a great 2015 for the Houston TV, radio, newspaper and digital crowd! It makes a decade for this little free media blog plugging along on blogger.com. This year it hit a high of 130,000 monthly unique readers in July! (more than a million readers overall for the year) Thank you.

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Rock 101 KLOL billboard becomes symbol

Hooray for Clear Channel in making the decision to kill Rock 101 KLOL in 2004. Smart move as Houston is still talking about it five years later. Remember the Facebook group I recently told you about?

It seems the base of a billboard on US 290 between W. Little York and Gessner was uncovered recently and guess what was under there? That's right a Rock 101 KLOL billboard. Now you can see photos of it all over Flickr. The station will not die.

Why did Clear Channel kill Rock 101? I've been told it was because you had 93.7 The Arrow KKRW which was classic rock on one side and on the other was alternative 94.5 The Buzz KTBZ. Rock 101 was stuck in the middle and kind of played music from both formats. The company realized that it had too many stations playing the same music. Which one was the one to die? The one that played what the other two did. Never mind that Rock 101 was a 30 year heritage station with a lot of history and a sense of community. Sure the station sucked in later years, but listeners were hopeful and still loyal. I was told the station was still making money too.

I have nothing against Mega 101. But it should have been Mega 93.7 in my opinion. Does anyone really care about 93.7 The Arrow? It gets listened to because it is one of the few places to play classic rock, but it has no real emotional connection with listeners like Rock 101 did. I suspect the 101.1 target looked viable for a Mega format because it was close on the dial to 102.9 FM.

Clear Channel does not own KLOL anymore. CBS now does. CBS should take a dead station like Mix 96.5 (it also recently acquired) and change that to Mega 96.5. Then bring back Rock 101. Just don't make it suck this time like Rock 103.7 KIOL please. The new Rock 101 should have a fresh coat of paint and updated image/music.

I would like someone to put on an event where all the old Rock 101 DJs come together and tell stories from back in the day. Local bands could play. The cost of the ticket to get in would pay for the event and also be donated to The Stevens and Pruett Ranch charity. Heck, maybe old Rock 101 advertisers would like to foot the bill. I think an event could get some buzz in the media and online too (that would make sponsors happy). Maybe I will work on this if this post generates any interest.

Maybe we should take some of the money from the event and buy a billboard across from the CBS studios that says "Bring Back Rock 101!"

If you liked Rock 101, pass this link to your friends please.

RELATED
- KLOL and KHMX are with CBS
- Rock 101 KLOL DJ Dayna Steele writes book
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- 97.1 The Eagle KEGL Dallas, Fort Worth gets rock back (It can happen)

Steve Fixx rocks the energy world

Former 93.7 The Arrow and Rock 101 KLOL DJ Steve Fixx leaves radio world

We seem to be losing a lot of Houston media members to the PR world. The latest is longtime Houston radio rocker Steve Fixx.

Fixx started at 101 KLOL in 1996 and was on the air through the end of 2013 on 93.7 The Arrow KKRW (he also served as program director for the Clear Channel IHeartRadio station).

You might remember Fixx had a soundbite that yelled his last name when he came on the mic. I had to ask him, where did that come from?

"I was working in Austin (98.9 KUTZ) and a co-worker, Sharkmann, would jokingly yell my first name when I came on his show," Fixx told mikemcguff.com. "I wanted to uniquely define myself when I got to KLOL, so I asked our talented imaging person, Victor Lisle, to create the audio piece you've heard since where he yells 'Fixx!' It ended up being my on-air signature as well as a rim shot for horrible jokes."

Well, Fixx has given up the microphone to be Senior Manager of Internal Communications at Direct Energy.

"I coach our senior executives to be effective communicators and help our employees get important messages," Fixx said. "Plus, I go up to people and force them to listen to Bob Seger’s ‘Old Time Rock and Roll' every hour whether they want to or not. So, not much has changed."

Fixx says he had been considering a move to the energy business for quite some time.

“Being part of Houston radio was 14 of the best years of my career, the only problem is I did it for 16,” joked Steve. “All kidding aside, I had a lot of great and memorable experiences. I got to meet and sing with my favorite band, ‘The Police,’ interview everyone from Bill Cosby to Ozzy Osbourne and work with and manage some outstanding people. However, what I might value most of all is each person in the Houston area who took the time to listen. It’s hugely flattering when people say they like something you did or you made them laugh.”

Jumping from the media to corporate communications is a big topic for readers of the blog. Fixx says value the skills you've been developing throughout your media career.

"I am very happy where I am now and I love the people I work with,” says Steve. “A lot of those in the media don't realize how valuable their skill set is. While communication techniques might come naturally to them, that's not the case for a lot of people in other industries. A great idea isn't worth much if others don’t understand what you’re talking about. Simply put, people need help getting their point across and media and digital people know how.”

You can find Fixx on most social media accounts with his on-air name. You can also email him at stevefixx [@] gmail.com.

"I'm happy to take your questions and compliments," Fixx said. "However, I'm not accepting any complaints until early 2024.”

In the last few months in Houston alone, we've seen KPRC 2's Mary Benton and Amanda Perez leave for the other side. KTRK abc13 special projects producer Justin Sternberg even joined Fixx in an Internal Communications role at Direct Energy.

Doug Harris aka Jr. Mintz elected Houston Film Critics Society president

Broadcast Veteran Celebrates 35 years of Jr. Mintz Movie Reviews


HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 6, 2019) — Broadcast marketing and promotions specialist Doug Harris has been elected president of Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) to serve a two year term extending to 2021.

The announcement coincides with the 35th anniversary of his movie review features, scripted and voiced under the alias of Jr. Mintz.

His film critic “side hustle” took off after an invitation from 101 KLOL afternoon host Harvey Kojan (aka Dr. K) to review films for the heritage AOR’s audience. KLOL’s GM, Pat Fant (now of RFC Media) is credited with creating his signature sign off, “When a movie stinks, you’ll smell it first with Jr. Mintz.”

Since those days, Jr. Mintz reviews have aired on The Buzz (KTBZ-FM), The New 93Q (KKBQ-FM) and News 92 FM.

A seven year regular on the “Dean and Rog Show” in Houston (on The Arrow then The Eagle), Mintz enjoyed eight years in syndication with the Connecticut Radio Network and was heard daily on eight New England stations.

An inductee of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Harris/Mintz now shares his opinions on NASA’s digital radio station, Third Rock Radio.

About The Houston Film Critics Society

The thirty-seven members of the Houston Film Critics Society are working film journalists on television, radio, online and in traditional print. Together, they reach millions of people each week across the country with their critiques and commentaries on film and their active efforts to promote the appreciation of film in the Houston community.

HOUSTON FILM CRITICS SOCIETY ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

Doug Harris to serve two-year term as president, Travis Leamons and Dr Donna Copeland to serve new roles

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 6, 2019) — At the Houston Film Critics Society’s (HFCS) first meeting of 2019, the membership approved an uncontested slate of new officers who will immediately begin serving terms that will extend to early 2021.

Doug Harris was elected as the organization’s president and Travis Leamons as vice-president. Lisa Elin was reconfirmed as the group’s secretary while Dr. Donna Copeland will assume the duties of treasurer, previously handled by Travis Leamons.

HFCS member Mark Schumann has been appointed communications director for the organization.

After three consecutive terms, outgoing HFCS President Joshua Starnes will shift his focus to overseeing the group’s ongoing recognition of independent filmmakers and the annual presentation of the Texas Independent Film Awards. In tribute to his service, the HFCS presented him with a personalized director’s chair at their January meeting.

“This is going to be an incredible year for the HFCS,” Harris predicts. “We wrapped up 2018 with a spectacular, sold out awards show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, began work on a revitalized website, and launched two new scholarship programs to recognize and support the next generation of filmmakers and journalists. Most importantly, our members collectively viewed over 10,000 films last year.”

Brief biographies of the new HFCS officers follow below:

Doug Harris (president) has reviewed movies in Houston for over 30 years as “Jr. Mintz”. His work first appeared in 1983 on Rock 101 KLOL, and subsequently on 94.5 The Buzz, The New 93Q, and News 92 FM. A regular for seven years on the “Dean and Rog Show” (93.7 The
Arrow, then 107.5 The Eagle), Mintz also enjoyed eight years in syndication with the Connecticut Radio Network and was heard daily on eight New England stations. A member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and Broadcast Film Critics Association, as well as a founding
member of the Houston Film Critics Society, he now shares his opinions on NASA’s digital radio station, Third Rock Radio.

Travis Leamons (vice-president) is a critic, cinephile, fitness enthusiast and avid collector of physical media (with more than 4,000 titles). He has written about film for more than a decade for outlets Inside Pulse, Examiner, BackstageOL, and Birth.Movies.Death. He also hosted over 100 episodes of the Houston Film Critics Society's weekly podcast “The Critics Circle”.

Lisa Elin (secretary) holds a degree in writing and is a certified coach specializing in cinema therapy and positive psychology. She’s been a member of the reviewing press since 2009 and weaves these concepts into her work, appearing in a variety of outlets including Reel Happiness, Examiner, We Got This Covered, and the HFCS podcast “The Critics Circle”. She also designs brain games for movie lovers.

Dr. Donna R. Copeland (treasurer) is a retired clinical psychologist who took a right turn in becoming a film critic seven years ago. Her reviews can be seen online at TexasArtFilm.net and on her blog at Dr. Donna’s Movie Reviews.

Best TV Reporter falls, Chita Johnson on Family Feud and more

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Anonymous commenters on the attack

Study finds most anonymous online comments to be uncivil

It's been an interesting few weeks around here concerning blog commenters. On my own blog, I've been called an idiot, a Nazi and those are just some of the nicer things.

Last week, I learned about the so-called Michael Berry Brigade in my comments section and was also personally blamed for 93.7 The Arrow KKRW becoming 93.7 The Beat KQBT. Remember Houston radio listeners, don't anger me or I might flip the format of your favorite station with a few keyboard strokes.

No one ever said online commenters were brainiacs? So just to be clear, I really do not have the power to change radio station formats. Changing television anchors? Now that's a different story...

One thing we do know is that commenters are mostly anonymous here and other online places. Now a University of Houston researcher has found that anonymity is key in empowering the name calling.

In the study, Virtuous or Vitriolic: The Effect of Anonymity on Civility in Online Newspaper Reader Comment Boards, UH assistant professor Arthur D. Santana found a significant correlation between anonymity and civility. Poring over thousands of online comments, Santana found that 53.3% of anonymous comments included language that was vulgar, racist, profane or hateful. However only 28.7% of non-anonymous comments were found to be uncivil. Sound the breaking news alert.

Can you imagine having to read thousands of newspaper site reader comments? Instead, I would have volunteered for the study on adult male reactions to Justin Bieber music if given a choice. Do you think I could become a Belieber?

"Anonymity has a long history in journalism dating back to the beginning of U.S. newspapers," Santana said in a release. "In the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin used the pseudonym Silence Dogood to get his opinion published after being denied several times with his real name. It has long been seen as a valuable way to express an opinion, however unpopular."

In today's politically correct world, where one unpopular comment could get you canned from your job, the tradition continues.

Santana, a former journalist at newspapers like the San Antonio Express-News, The Seattle Times and The Washington Post, says the "online disinhibition effect" is at play. The effect predicts when people's identity is hidden, their actions or words have no consequences, thus their inhibitions drop. So under the cloak of online anonymity, people are more likely to behave in ways that they ordinarily would not if their identity was intact.

So on my blog that means obsessing over KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse in the comments section - even if the post is not about her. Although maybe you know someone in your office who does this openly in real life too.

"One of the benefits of online anonymity is that it allows people to express their views, uninhibited, especially if it is an unpopular opinion," Santana said. "It's when commenting descends into hateful language, threats or racism that the conversation breaks down and any benefits of constructive dialogue goes away."

A constructive dialogue doesn't seem to be on many Houston TV and newspaper online commenters' minds from what I've seen over the years.

Some of Santana's findings:
- Non-anonymous commenters were nearly three times as likely to post civil comments.
- 44% of non-anonymous commenters posted civil comments following news articles compared to 15% of anonymous commenters.
- Vexed with an overwhelming number of uncivil comments that threaten to undermine the value of their commenting forums, newspapers are increasingly disallowing anonymity by making readers sign in with their Facebook account; 48.9% of the 137 largest U.S. newspapers have disallowed anonymity in their commenting forums, 41.6% allow anonymity and 9.4% do not have forums.
- Comparing comments following a racialized topic and a non-racialized topic, Santana observed that comments that followed the racialized topic were significantly more likely to be uncivil.

"These findings should be of interest to those newspapers that allow anonymity and that have expressed frustration with rampant incivility and ad hominem attacks in their commenting forums," Santana said. "Particularly those that follow sensitive news topics."

The study mentions how news organizations like the Huffington Post hope banning anonymous commenting will allow more people to join the conversation.

"Incivility serves as a barrier," Santana said. "People don’t want to enter the fray when there are a bunch of bullies in the room. Why would you want to join a conversation when everyone is shouting at each other? It’s possible to be forceful, robust and emotional in your argument, but when even a small minority of people resort to hateful or even intimidating language, others are reluctant to join a conversation."

Read the study for yourself here.