Media Frenzy

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

“Hound Dawg” passes

The man known as the “Hound Dawg” died last week, leaving many grieving listeners and former co-workers.

Dennis Wayne Stacy, known on the airwaves as the “Hound Dawg” died at Providence Hospital Oct. 1 after suffering a fall recently. Stacy had worked on various radio programs in the Mobile-Pensacola market for a quarter century and was probably best known for his afternoon stint on WABB in the ‘80s as part of “Leslie and the Hound Dawg.”

Stacy had most recently been employed at Clear Channel’s Lite Mix 99.9 hosting a Saturday night program featuring primarily disco music. Stacy had been recovering from a stroke before his fall.

“He was very popular during his days as the afternoon deejay on WABB FM,” fellow Lite Mix host Chris Smith recalled. “I was a teenager back then, and used to call the Hound Dawg on the request line. In those days before satellite radio and the Internet, we thought deejays were celebrities. A few years later, I was hired by WABB and was pleased to find that Dennis was a genuinely nice guy.”

Stacey also worked at Cool 107, 96.1 – The Rocket, Newsradio 710 AM and 95-KSJ during his years in the Mobile market. He was 54.

New backdrops

This may be something that only interests me, but I had been wondering when the RSA Tower would be added to the skyline backdrops used on local newscasts. I had wondered when they might decide to include a picture of the RSA, since it has long been Mobile’s tallest structure, but was unfinished.

All three stations are now using shots with the mostly complete RSA in the skyline. It still looks like aphids have eaten the top of it, but that should change in the coming months.

Just to show I’m not the only goof who worries about such things, WPMI chief meteorologist David Glen says many viewers have asked him the same question. He said the station decided to wait until the spire was added.

“It was really going to be tough trying to constantly update the background while it was under construction,” Glen explained. “I had even had viewers ask me about when we would have the RSA in the background. So, during the past few months, I was showing different backdrops of downtown that were not around the RSA waiting for the time that we could finally work it in there.”

See, I’m not the only one.

Bridal mag debuts

Gulf Coast Bride magazine will enter the local publishing scene at the end of the year, bringing a 25,000-circulation, glossy publication aimed at – you guessed it – brides.

The magazine is based out of Fairhope and the publishers plan to have 17,000 copies on newsstands, and will distribute the rest through mail, bridal shows and retailers, according to Sean Lough, director of sales.

Lough said the publishers have worked together before in other businesses, but this is their first publication. Gulf Coast Bride will publish three times a year.

“Gulf Coast Bride will become required reading for affluent and stylish brides, mothers, and professionals. It will also be an indispensable instrument in assisting brides with the important decisions that must be made,” Lough said.

Danborn in AP promotion

Former Mobile (then) Register reporter Joe Danborn has reportedly received a promotion in his current work for the Associated Press. Danborn has been working out of the Columbus, Ohio AP office and has been bumped up to the New York office.

Where’s the faux?

Since we last reported on the Press-Register’s efforts to produce its own versions of Lagniappe and Mobile Bay Monthly, things appear to have come a bit unraveled on Water Street. The “fauxternative’ newspaper originally slated to rear its head before BayFest is nowhere to be seen and those in the know say the project seems to have lost its steam.

As we reported previously, the man originally hired to head up the “niche” publications has left the P-R’s employ and insiders say the things seem to have run into trouble generating interest from advertisers.

At press time however, a member of our rat pack informed us that they were interviewing new candidates to take over the faux.

Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.

Archives