Category Archives: Media

11K strong and growing effort to Save Live 100.5

Save Live 100.5Since our last post about the return of the radio carousel to Birmingham, AL for Live 100.5 FM, more than 11,000 more people have joined the group on Facebook set up to attempt to save the radio station from a pending format change (though as of this post less than 1,200 have signed an online petition asking for Citadel Broadcasting to change its mind). It’s been helped along by pleas on Twitter courtesy of artists like Sara BareillesIngrid Michaelson, and Pete Yorn .

The URL for the new station, an FM-simulcast of WAPI-AM, has already been secured (incidentally one day after parent company Citadel Broadcasting presented its reorganization plan to creditors due to its bankruptcy filing back in December). It also already established its own presence on Facebook via a regular personal profile.

Fans of the station’s current format will want to know that a concert has been organized for this Wednesday, February 17 beginning at 8 p.m. at WorkPlay on Birmingham’s Southside. The music venue has shared its thoughts about the situation on its website as of this afternoon. The lineup for the show includes Will Hoge, Matthew MayfieldThe Enemy Lovers and DJ CO CO with proceeds benefiting the Jimmie Hale Mission and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.

There also appears to be a group organizing to be at the start line and then along the Mercedes Marathon route tomorrow (Sunday) morning holding up signs to inform more people about the situation at the radio station.

The word on the street is that Live 100.5 FM will cease original programming in its current format when tomorrow’s broadcast of Reg’s Coffee House is finished at 2 p.m. CT.

The Radio Carousel returns, unfortunately, for Live 100.5

UPDATE, 2.14.2010: A newer post includes more information, including background and plans for a concert later this week.

Live 100.5‘s days may be numbered. Former station program director Dave Rossi hinted at what many local alternative music fans are talking about today yesterday via his Facebook status:

“The corporate sharks are circling and the end is near for yet another great radio station….or so I hear.”

A new Facebook group, Save Live 100.5, seems to have confirmed it with their creation earlier today. It currently has 850 members as of the initial posting of this piece.

Citadel Broadcasting, the station’s owner and the nation’s third largest owner of radio stations, filed for bankruptcy protection in late December. There is no official word as of yet, though advertisers with the station have stated on the Facebook group page that they’ve already been informed of the format change.

The station’s lineup includes Reg’s Coffee House, hosted by Scott Register. The station launched in August 2008 and then Terminal contributor Whitney Sides Mitchell had some fun covering its launch for us.

WBHM goes for another One and Done on Thursday

WBHM logoFans of Birmingham’s public radio station, WBHM, have a couple of reasons to be paying close attention to the station in the coming weeks. First of all, their successful One and Done! fundraising campaign returns this Thursday, October 22. They’re asking supporters to consider making their donations in advance (maybe even online if they’re so inclined).

They’ve also announced changes to their weekday evening and weekend lineup (available for viewing in PDF format) beginning on November 14. Yes, if you’re noticing something too, you may want to check out the frequently asked questions about the changes.

We’re interested in hearing what you think about the changes.

Why change the South’s largest magazine?

Southern Living's October 2009 cover.That’s a question that readers and former employees of Time Inc.’s Southern Progress Corporation‘s Southern Living magazine have probably been asking for a while now. The new look of “the South’s largest magazine” was unveiled via mailboxes and newsstands recently.

One other major change for the magazine recently; for the first time in SL’s history, the editor in chief is a woman. Eleanor Griffin’s got one goal in mind according to an interview recently conducted by Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi, School of Journalism – staying Southern.

Check out the full interview with Eleanor Griffin, where she answers some pressing questions, on Husni’s website, Mr. Magazine.

Bham News’ owner says ‘no layoff’ policy ends in February

Earlier today Editor & Publisher reported that the parent company of Birmingham’s daily newspaper (The Birmingham News), Advance Publications, let their staffers at their numerous newspapers know that the company’s long-standing “no layoff” policy was going to be no more as of February 2010.

Local media blog Media of Birmingham is reporting that employees with at least five years at the paper were offered buyouts with the news being shared by Wade Kwon via Twitter this afternoon.

Former Lipstick editor wins awards

We figured with all of the talk about skirt! that we needed to let you know what was up with one the folks who used to be at Lipstick.

Laurel Mills was no doubt ecstatic last month when the winners of the 59th annual Green Eyeshade Awards, were announced. The awards are given out by the Society of Professional Journalists and acknowledge excellence in journalism in 11 Southeastern states. This year there were 17 finalists from Alabama; Mills won two of the awards in the Print – Nondaily Division for pieces written while she was serving as the managing editor of Lipstick Magazine, which folded in February 2009.

Serious commentary award for “Lauren,” published in the magazine’s May 2008 issue.

Humorous commentary award for “This One Time at Camp …,” published in the magazine’s July 2008 issue.

Farewell The Vulcan, 105.5 FM goes “legacy”

1055-logoThis morning folks expecting to hear Lex & Terry as they were getting ready for work on 105.5 The Vulcan were surprised to instead be listening to the Steve and Leah Morning Show being simulcast from WERC 960 AM.

The change is not a temporary one as the station’s owner, ClearChannel Communications, posted this press release on the new website for 105.5 FM this morning. This marks the most recent change in the history of the frequency. It had most recently been a gospel station, consistently ranking as one of the top 10 stations in the market for almost three years until its format was changed in December 2006.