Radio

Buzz Aldrin and Rick Amato (right). (Photo by Chris Golson / wsRadio.com)

Washington Times political talk-show host Rick Amato made some broadcast history last week after taking his program live aboard the first Zeppelin to fly above American skies in over 70 years.

While discussing the Zeppelin, Amato admitted that he was uncertain about the specs of the Zeppelin. Luckily, Amoto had a surprise guest to fill the audience in on the deets - Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Plante with Tammy Haddad

Joe Scarborough may be losing his DC radio affiliate as Chris Plante returns to 630 WMAL on Monday, October 19th. Chris will reclaim his 9am to noon slot currently being filled by The Joe Scarborough Show.

In an email to staff, management says "It is unclear at this writing whether or not The Joe Scarborough Show will continue in some capacity at night/weekends etc."

DC's radio legend Diane Rehm celebrated a 30th anniversary in style last evening at the Andrew M. Mellon Auditorium. Former CBS newsman Roger Mudd served as the master of ceremonies and friends and colleagues gave speeches to commemorate this milestone.

NPR's Scott Simon and Susan Stamberg, PBS' Gwen Ifill and Jim Lehrer, Bloomberg's Margaret Carlson, WaPo's David Ignatius and Mother Jones' David Corn, as well as Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) and Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA), were all in attendance.

"I have a wonderful job... It's the best job in the whole world," Rehm was quoted today in the Post.

Check out Politico Click's coverage here and WaPo's here.

Tune in to This Just In! over the weekend to hear "Team Gavin" (Patrick, his Yeas and Nays replacement Kiki Ryan and me, his FishbowlDC follow-on) as we discuss the evolution of journalism and the impact of social media on the news industry.

From our friends at This Just In!:

On this week's all new This Just In!, featuring Patrick Gavin (Politico), Matt Dornic (FishBowlDC) and Kiki Ryan (Examiner's Yeas & Nays), -- Trading notebooks and typewriters for Blackberrys and Twitter, these leaders of DC's new media scene weigh in on the impact of social networking and whether they should be considered journalists. From the First Lady's fashion choices to Washington's hottest parties, nothing is off the record in this revealing conversation with the people who have DC publicists holding their breath.

This Just In! is produced by The George Washington University's Global Media Institute and the Newseum. Hosted by veteran journalist Sam Litzinger, the weekly one-hour program airs every Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on XM's Public Radio Channel 133 and Sundays at 7 p.m. ET on 1500 AM Federal News Radio in Washington, D.C.

A teaser of this week's episode is available here.
Past episodes are available at the Institute's Web site here.

NPR CEO and President Vivian Schiller announced this week that Ron Schiller has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President for Development of NPR and President of the NPR Foundation.

The press release is explicit- "they are no related."

He begins in the position October 15th, succeeding Mark Vogelzang, and will lead NPR's fundraising programs. Press release after the jump...

Photo from NPR.

continued...

SIRIUS XM: Joe Mathieu will anchor POTUS tonight and will be joined by Tim Farley tomorrow from 10:30amET to 1pmET. Live coverage will continue throughout the day and will include reporting on the 5:30pmET burial. There's also a special tribute of audio clips to Senator Kennedy on the website.

Air America Washington: WZAA 1050AM will carry the Funeral live from Boston Saturday. Also online at www.airamericawashington.com.

Citadel Broadcasting's True Oldies 105.9 FM just flipped to 105.9 the Edge (Rock Format).

President Obama will sit down with conservative radio host Michael Smerconish at the White House tomorrow, Politico's Playbook reports this morning. Smerconish will also broadcast his afternoon show from the White House- the first radio show of this presidency to broadcast live from 1600, Mike Allen notes.

Smerconish said today: "I am proud and excited to be the first radio broadcaster on the watch of this President to be invited into the White House to interview the President of the United States and include telephone calls from my listeners... There are no ground rules. I am not prescreening with the White House on what the subject matter will be. I run my radio program with dignity and respect for this president and other public officials. I do not intend to take calls from listeners who want to offer platitudes, nor take cheap shots against the President. I used the last portion of today's program to seek out listeners with pointed direct and substantive questions about Health Care. We're looking for questions that have not already been asked."

HuffPo reports that "days after calling Howard Dean a "bloodsucking leftist" who could only be stopped with "a stake through his heart," CNN host Lou Dobbs reached out to the former Democratic National Committee Chairman to invite him on his radio show. Dean declined the offer, according to a source close to the one-time presidential candidate".

Don't use email.

The WTOP political commentator may be the only journo in DC who does not use computers. Yes, you read that correctly- Mark Plotkin does not do computers, email, certainly isn't on Facebook, doesn't Tweet, no blackberry, no iPhone...

We hear his newsroom regularly jokes, "Funny... he doesn't LOOK Amish..."