WIP Upholds Sanctity of Marriage

Here is Dan Gross, embattled by commenters on all sides, braving the public eye to report on a controversy about an advertisment on 610 WIP (emphasis mine):

If you’re looking to cheat on your spouse, you won’t get any help from sports-radio 610 WIP. It took only two days for the station to yank ads from the Ashley Madison Agency, a Web site designed to help married people discreetly cheat, from its airwaves.

“As soon as I became aware of the ads, I made the decision to immediately pull them,” says Marc Rayfield, senior VP and market manager for CBS Radio. “They were running in both New York and Los Angeles, but my own sense of judgment told me that they do not belong on the radio in Philadelphia,” Rayfield tells us.

Site president Noel Biderman voices the radio spots in which he says he’s speaking to those who are “living a life of quiet despair.” As Pachelbel’s “Canon” plays in the background, Biderman boasts that in its seven years, Ashley Madison has connected millions of people for “risk-free” affairs, and guarantees success.

Yeah, I know what you’re saying: What’s too lowbrow for 610 WIP? And since when would ‘IP care about the sanctity of marriage?! It’s not really all that strange; even the mafia has an honor code.

WIP bans ‘cheating’ ad [Dan Gross, 3rd item]

Phillies Somehow Not On TV Today

Yes, we can put a man on the moon — or we could, at one time — and we can order cable with 1000 channels but we can’t get the Phillies on TV today. Jason Weitzel notes it’s the first non-televised game since June 10, 2006; the game isn’t on TV today because it’s during the window on Saturdays when Fox has exclusive broadcast rights. Fox isn’t televising the exciting Phillies-Giants matchup, naturally, so we’re all out of luck here in Philly.

So you’ll have to kick it old school: Baseball on the radio! 1210 AM at 4 p.m. The Phils are a game back in the division still, but Jimmy Rollins returned last night. True to form, the reigning MVP hit a two-run homer and an RBI double as the Phils rallied for a 7-4 win.

Update: Ah, you didn’t want to see this one anyway.

Colbert To Appear On DeBella

I just got this press release forwarded to me from two different people. The comments, respectively, were:

• Horrifying.
• Ugh.

Indeed.

Clinton On, Uh, Preston & Steve

On Friday, Hillary Clinton attempted to one-up Barack Obama by going on the Preston & Steve Show! The WMMR morning show is one of the inexplicable successes of Philadelphia radio, and they probably had Clinton on to be on “The Cleavage Corner”. (Even more inexplicable: Radio’s obsession with hot girls that you, the listener, can’t see.)

After the jump, Clinton talks with Preston and Steve about all the hot babes on the WMMR website! Or something like that.

More »

WHAT To Broadcast Hottest Artists Of 1994

WHAT, the longtime black radio station that fired all its employees last week, is coming back on the air. (Mary Mason’s coming back, too, but to some other channel.)

WHAT, though, is changing its format. To music. On an AM radio station. And here’s what it’ll play:

Program director Alvin Clay, a local music producer, said WHAT would appeal to a wide range of people. “We’re playing to the demographic” - college-age and post-college age - “and not to ethnicity,” he said. Artists would include the Roots, the Killers, Stone Temple Pilots, Kanye West and local bands.

Just think: We can re-start the “STP is biting off of Pearl Jam” debate and probably listen to Green Day’s “Basket Case.” Thanks, WHAT!

WHAT-AM to program ‘alternative’ playlist [Inquirer]
Legendary Black Talk Radio Station Reformatted To At Long Last Include Stone Temple Pilots [Philebrity]
Magazine cover via Grow-a-Brain

WHYY Sends Out Greatest Press Release Of All Time

ELKINS PARK RESIDENT INTERNS AT WHYY

Bernard Langer, 19, of Elkins Park, is currently interning in the Radio News department at WHYY 91FM. A sophomore at Vassar College, Langer is an avid WHYY listener, and views the internship as an opportunity to get involved in an organization he believes in.

Under the direction of Elisabeth Perez-Luna, WHYY’s Radio News Director, Langer conducts phone interviews, attends and records local press conferences, and writes scripts for radio broadcasts.

For Langer, attending press conferences and writing scripts is an extremely rewarding experience. Recently, Langer was pleasantly surprised to hear his script about gambling in Philadelphia on the radio while driving home from the station.

Langer has yet to determine his concentration at Vassar College, however, his affinity for WHYY has been cemented during his internship. As an intern at WHYY, Langer has not only expanded his knowledge of the radio news industry, he has also made a meaningful contribution to WHYY.

###

WHYY what a diverse community has in common. WHYY, through television, radio and other communications services, makes our region a better place, connecting each of us to the world’s richest ideas and all of us to each other.

Update: Oh! WHYY sent over photographic evidence, too.

Leftovers: Phillies’ Season Officially Over

• Oh, yeah: Training camp began today. Finally. Who are the Phillies again? [Comcast SportsNet]

• A Berks diner has put up signs asking patrons to order in Pennsylvania Dutch. (Ba-zing!) Here’s an honest tip: “Coffee” is pronounced “koffee.” Y’know, in case you’re having trouble. [AP/Philly.com]

• WMMR: Tied with WDAS at the top of the Arbitron ratings in the key 25-to-54 demographic. And Preston & Steve are to thank. Among all listeners over 12, B101 and KYW 1060 are 1-2. But of course. [Inquirer]

• Hey, more Bulletin news! Herb Denenberg’s column today trots out an already-debunked myth about the New York Times in today’s paper. And calls them “stupid.” Ooh, be kind, guys. [Bulletin]

• Hospital patients are the victim of one medication mistake per day on average, says a study. If you need me, I’ll be covering myself in bubble wrap, thank you very much. [Inquirer]

Mascot Monday Has Totally Gone Nuts

While this isn’t quite at the level of the minute-and-a-half Phillie Phanatic Mascot Monday, this is seriously effed up. Today’s Mascot Monday features a giant sun, freakin’ Santa Claus and the return of Jennaphr Frederick:

Some thoughts about today’s Mascot Monday after the jump.

More »

Leftovers: 7 IP, 0 R, 14 K

• Phillies pitching prospect Cole Hamels (at left, with some sort of Mega Man-like arm cannon) tossed seven innings of shutout ball yesterday at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He also struck out seven in his first game at the Phils’ AAA affiliate. Uhm, can you come up here quick? Or, rather, now? [Inquirer]

• Sirius satellite radio offers devices that transmit the sound to a nearby radio. All you have to do is tune in to 88.1 FM. Unfortunately, this sometimes interferes with real radio stations operating on that band in, say, passing cars. And Christian radio and NPR enthusiasts are pissed. [AP/Philly.com]

• A long day at the baseball park is proven worthwhile due to a Cecil Martin jersey spotting. And not even on Cecil Martin himself! [Dils]

• President Bush has taken time out from important things like war and running the country to tell us that we should only sing the national anthem in English. Because if you sing the anthem in Spanish, Russian, Gaelic or Pig Latin, the terrorists have won. [AP/CNN.com]

• A top Vatican official urged all good Catholics to boycott the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie. Also being asked to boycott it? Those of us with good taste. [AP/Yahoo!]

Leftovers: Snitchin’ Ain’t Bitchin’

• Ex-Rick Mariano lawyer Nino Tinari is now a consultant with Philip Chartock’s defense team, who are now saying Mariano was simply a thief and not someone who could have been bribed. There are so many stories that you just can’t make up today. It’s been too much. [Inky]

• Despite all this, here’s the headline of the day: “NFL Great’s Relative Admits Having Sex With Student.” Yes, and it’s George Halas’ great-nephew. That’s a bit of a stretch. [NBC 10]

• How do you publicize next month’s Phillymag issue? Why, you publish the article about Donald Trump online, because what we really need is to read more about him! The kicker, though: The article’s effing detailed, well-sourced and actually just tremendously interesting. One of the better things I’ve read in a while. Yes, I know. Black is white, and down is up. I can’t figure out what the hell’s going on, either. [Phillymag]

• Ex-MTV jock Chris Booker is headed to Q102, and the straight ladies and the gay men scream. Meanwhile, everyone else is like, “Holy shit! Q102 still exists?” [Inky]

• This story has everything: A ridiculous interpretation of spelling bee rules, a lot of angry parents, a lot of angry parent backlash and a newspaper editor accusing another newspaper of doing hack jobs on the spelling bee his paper sponsored. It’s the scandal of the century in the Lehigh Valley! [A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago]

• A woman in Bucks County has topped that whole newsstand stealing thing: She stole a whole house. She didn’t get a crane to pick it up or anything, though — check fraud is not nearly as cool. [AP/Inky]