Radio

Current TV sub and radio host David Shuster is no coward when it comes to using the p-word. “This is the first time in nearly four years that I’ve used the word ‘pimp’ (or any derivation of it) on-air,” he wrote on Facebook over the weekend, referencing the infamous program that initially got him suspended from MSNBC when he said then-presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton was pimping her daughter, Chelsea, on the campaign trail.  “Anyway, the segment we did tonight was the funniest of the week,” he continued. “Pay particular attention, if you like, to the double entendres. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

This use of pimping didn’t involve Chelsea Clinton, now a special correspondent for NBC’s “Rock Center.” This involved prostitutes pimping for GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul.

‘Pimpin’ for Paul’: David Shuster reveals Nevada prostitutes who have the hots for Ron Paul – Countd current.com. “The working girls at the Moonlite Ranch, who reportedly love a good caucus, met and decided to endorse Paul’s candidacy.”

Our favorite reaction comes from a Shuster Facebook friend who writes, “Love ya D….but really?”

Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.

While many are speculating that Mark Plotkin’s exit from WTOP has something to do with the new all-news station in town, 99.1 WNEW, we are hearing a much different story. We have heard from inside WTOP that the station’s “hand was forced” to terminate Plotkin. WaPo’s Erik Wemple confirmed with WTOP head boss, Jim Farley, that Plotkin was let go by the radio station.

Earlier this month, WTOP ran a story on it’s website reporting on a “screaming match” between D.C. Councilman Kwame Brown and Plotkin. A former colleague of Plotkin’s says that the political analyst’s temper was of major concern. We were told, “the worst kept secret in the building is that Mark has severe anger issues.” Another veteran of Washington D.C. radio reports that Plotkin “has a reputation of being a total motherfucker.” We have heard that Plotkin’s legendary temper dates way back to his days at WAMU where he displayed “major temper issues” and was considered “a loose cannon.”

We wrote Plotkin for comment.

Mark Plotkin and WTOP are parting ways. Jim Farley, Vice President of News and Programming for WTOP, has confirmed to WaPo‘s Erik Wemple that Plotkin is no longer with the station. Farley also confirms that the decision was made by WTOP. Radio journalists around town are already suspecting that 99.1 WNEW, the new all-news station in town, is licking their chops at the opportunity to snatch up Plotkin. One radio executive wondered if he had already been talking to WNEW, which prompted his release from WTOP. FishbowlDC has reached out to Steve Swenson, Senior Vice President and Market Manager for CBS Radio Washington, D.C. for a comment.

Developing…

 

 

Host of NPR’s Fresh Air, Terry Gross, will be tonight’s guest on The Colbert Report.

Terry had Stephen Colbert in the hot seat last year, so this is his chance for blood. Though no one can know what precisely will come from this epic meeting — Will Stephen get any interview tips? Does Terry like answering questions as much as asking them? – we think it’ll be entertaining.

For behind the scenes details, check out @npr and @nprfreshair on Twitter and search the hash tag #freshaironcolbert.

WaPo had an interesting take on WTOP  in Paul Farhi‘s Jan. 10 obituary on longtime radio personality Bill Trumbull. The obit said Chris Core, Trumbull’s former on-air partner on WMAL for 20 years, is now on WTOP…1050AM. Which would be fine if that were true.

The station, 1050 AM, is La Mera Mera, a regional Mexican music station. WTOP is on 103.5 FM, 103.9 FM and 107.7 FM.  WTOP hasn’t been on the AM dial IN YEARS.

Congrats WaPo, or something like that.

It seems even Rush Limbaugh is tiring of Politico Mike Allen‘s shtick. Allen’s interview with Governor Rick Perry of Texas is making waves for all the wrong reasons. When Allen asked Perry about a campaign source who talked about how disorganized they were, Perry bristled and repeatedly asked the reporter, “You got a name?” On Tuesday’s broadcast, Limbaugh applauded Perry for standing firm and not allowing himself to be badgered by Allen. The radio host said many claim Perry “looks slow”, but he insists it isn’t true. He suggested Allen could be inventing things for a story. While Allen insists that he obtained the information from a source inside the Perry campaign, Limbaugh says, “There doesn’t have to be anybody saying anything. The journalist can simply think something and then put that in the mouth or in the words of some person who doesn’t exist and say it’s ‘a critic.’” Limbaugh continues the half-praise of Perry and half-assault on Allen’s media credentials for several minutes and then gives us a brutal rendition of the exchange.

Listen to Rush Limbaugh’s Mike Allen Impression

Poor Allen. Staring at your interview subject the way a squirrel stares at a ringing telephone is an interesting interview technique, but sadly, not very effective.

SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S., a non-partisan channel dedicated to the “Politics of the United States” hosts Tim Farley and Julie Mason, who will broadcast live coverage from the Polk County Convention Complex in Iowa throughout the day until 11 p.m., including a special edition of “The Press Pool” hosted by Mason, a veteran White House correspondent, from noon – 3 p.m. Mason will be joined on-site by Chicago Sun Times White House Correspondent Lynn Sweet, Politico‘s Mike Allen (who’s deep in the Des Moines Fishbowl) and LAT‘s James Oliphant.

Caucus results coverage will begin at 7 p.m. Farley and Mason will be joined by John Decker and Adam Belmar from the SiriusXM studios in Washington, DC. Wrap-up reports will air on January 4.

Want more SiriusXM political coverage? Try SiriusXM Patriot’s Iowa coverage, which includes a live Cam & Company from NRANews.com hosted by Cam Edwards on January 3 from 9 p.m. – midnight. NRANews.com’s Cameron Gray will report on the day’s happenings live from Iowa, with SiriusXM Patriot hosts Andrew Wilkow, David Webb and Mike Church offering analysis.

Commenters on websites are known for straying from the topic at hand and devolving into their own little worlds. It’s common and expected. But they usually start off addressing the story that spawns their vitriol. Not the case when the subject is the TSA, especially at a time when so many people are traveling and have just recently interacted with their friendly neighborhood groper.

NPR ran a simple Christmas Eve story on how TSA employees at LAX formed a choir to sing Christmas songs to passengers in line for their colonoscopies and full-body x-rays. Fairly innocuous and certainly a “feel good” story…except to those who felt compelled to comment.

The first comment on the story is “This comment has been removed because it did not meet the NPR.org Community Discussion Rules” and it only went downhill from there.

There’s not one single positive, nice or friendly comment on the story. A sampling: 1. “Write and call your Congressman and Senator and demand your taxpayer dollars not be used to pay for this stupid public relations stunt. Tell them to do the damn job they are paid to do and sing on your own damn time out of our sight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 2. “It’s a p.r. stunt. They’re trying to change the subject, when we’re trying to tell them to keep their hands off. They’re hoping we’ll think they’re nice and jolly for singing these songs, so we’ll forget that what they’re doing to us is wring and humiliating, and accept it.” 3. “Grope your bells!
Grope your bells! Grope you all today! Oh what fun it is to ride in a strip search required plane. Hey!”

Sure, what TSA does can feel like a trip to the proctologist during a lube shortage sometimes, but to take time out of your Christmas day, when most of the comments were posted, to spew absolute hatred for people doing their jobs seems like a bit much. But it is funny.

(A Sprinkling of Things we Think you Ought to Know…)

FLOTUS-In-Training – ABC News did a profile on both Ann Romney and Callista Gingrich last night. (It took me a full five minutes before I realized I wasn’t watching The Walking Dead.) They pulled out this gem of a quote from Newt Gingrich on how his wife views herself: “She actually describes herself as being a cross between Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush with just a slight bit of Jackie Kennedy tossed in.” Wow. We were going to say a cross between Tammy Faye Baker and The Joker, but that’s just us.

NEW PD for WTOP – Washington, D.C. powerhouse radio station, WTOP, added to its lineup today as they announced Laurie Cantillo will join them as their Program Director. Cantillo most recently worked for talk radio station WABC in New York City. This marks a major change in the way that WTOP will operate. Up until this decision, VP of News and Programming, Jim Farley, has always called the shots at station. WTOP created the position of Program Director just for Cantillo. This is a move that will put Farley in charge of the station’s efforts to evolve and grow on the mobile medium.

Twitter Trouble – Roll Call’s Harvard fellow Christina Bellantoni shook up the Twitterverse with this message last night:

Wait for it … Christine O’Donnell plans to announce her presidential announcement tonight on Hannity.

— Christina Bellantoni (@cbellantoni) December 13, 2011

Could it be? Were Republicans ready to throw Christine O’Donnell into the primary? Not even close. After shockwaves rippled through Bellantoni’s Twitter, she quickly corrected herself to say:

Yes, I meant O’Donnell making her ENDORSEMENT tonight. Sorry for the false alarm. — Christina Bellantoni (@cbellantoni) December 13, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

National Security Correspondent Rachel Martin will step in to host “Weekend Edition Sunday” beginning in January, as Audie Cornish heads to “All Things Considered” for 2012. (Remember: Audie is on a one-year assignment with ATC while Michele Norris is not hosting through the inauguration. She stepped down temporarily because her husband, Broderick Johnson, took a job working as a senior adviser for President Obama’s reelection campaign.)

About Rachel: For the last year and a half, Rachel has been NPR’s National Security Correspondent, providing coverage of military and intelligence issues. Her reporting this year has included what they’re describing as a vivid portrait of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and a series on women in the military.

Rachel has been a foreign correspondent for NPR based in Berlin, and before that she reported extensively from Afghanistan and later from Iraq where she covered the U.S. troop surge and the so-called Sunni awakening in Anbar province. Rachel got her start at KQED in San Francisco as producer and reporter. She was part of the team that launched NPR’s morning news show – the gone but not forgotten Bryant Park Project. She also formerly covered the White House for ABC.

She frequently guest hosts NPR programs, too – as she did just recently for the weekend version of “All Things Considered.”