Media Frenzy

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

It seems Paul Finebaum’s show has been “snaked” out of the Mobile market – at least for a little while.

Kenny “Snake” Stabler’s new daily sports/talk radio program “The Ultimate Sports Show” found a place on the Port City’s airwaves beginning March 26. Unfortunately for Finebaum’s show, that spot is on WPMI 710 AM at precisely the time his show airs. On the plus side, it seems Finebaum’s show quickly landed a new home on WNSP 105.5 FM, but he won’t be going head-to-head with The Snake.

There had been some speculation that Finebaum’s tenure with Clear Channel stations might be in danger when he left WERC, 960 AM in Birmingham last month, taking his show to WJOX, a high-powered FM station in “The Magic City.”

WPMI programming director Scott O’Brien confirmed the switch from Finebaum’s to Stabler’s show, saying Finebaum’s last day on the air was March 23. O’Brien said he was not aware of all the details involving Stabler’s show statewide, but added that the former University of Alabama and Oakland Raider quarterback would have a place on Clear Channel stations in several Alabama markets.

“Kenny described the program as one that’s going to take calls and have special guests and will discuss all types of sports. Obviously they will deal heavily with football, but they’ll also discuss baseball, basketball and even NASCAR,” O’Brien said.

The show airs from 2-6 p.m. weekdays.

Stabler has been a regular on Alabama football broadcasts for some time. Stabler and his co-host Chris Stewart began hosting “The Ultimate Sports Show” on WERC, 960 AM, in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago. O’Brien said now that the show is carried in Mobile, Stabler will do much of his broadcasting from here. Stewart will usually broadcast from WERC, so the two will frequently not be in studio together.

“The show will originate live from Mobile and Birmingham. I believe Kenny has a studio downtown and Chris will be doing it in a studio at WERC. It takes some getting used to not having your co-host there,” O’Brien said. “Take it from me, it is easier to do with the co-host there, but it’s just a matter of getting comfortable with it.”

Meanwhile, WNSP’s Tim Camp said his station is in the midst of wrapping up a deal to broadcast Finebaum’s show on a delayed basis weekdays from 6-10 p.m. Camp said WNSP’s “Sports Drive” show routinely outperformed Finebaum’s show in the local ratings, justifying moving Finebaum to a later time slot.

“We were not going to pre-empt ‘Sports Drive’ for Finebaum. ‘Sports Drive’ kicked his butt at that time, so it didn’t make sense,” Camp said.

Camp said they are working on some technical issues with getting Finebaum’s show in a delayed format, so it won’t be back on the air locally until the second Monday in April.

“He elected to leave Clear Channel, so from the standpoint of an independent broadcaster, I’m glad to give him a chance to get back on the air in Mobile,” Camp said.

Stabler’s new show will not affect his status with the Crimson Tide Sports Network, which he has done color commentary for over the past several years. When reached for this article, Finebaum declined to comment on the situation.

New anchor arrives

WPMI-TV’s new anchor started this week, filling one of the positions created when Peter Albrecht, Drexel Gilbert and Kim McCrea were abruptly fired recently.

Greg Peterson, a former anchor from KMTV in Omaha was hired to anchor the station’s 5, 6 and 10 p.m. shows. Peterson has as said the “golf 12 months a year” was a big factor in his decision to head south. Peterson’s contract at KMTV was not renewed this past December after nearly five years at the station. Much like Albrecht, Peterson was fired along with his co-anchor. He has been on “vacation” for the past three months.

Peterson’s biography says he is a 25-year veteran of anchoring local television. The Omaha market is the nation’s 75th largest, while Mobile-Pensacola ranks 59th. However, this market is unusual in that it is split between two cities with almost completely separate media.

WPMI station manager Bob Franklin made the decision to fire the anchors March 9, in an abrupt move attributed to the station’s continued last-place finishes in the local ratings.

More WPMI changes

According to WPMI insiders, reporter Nicole Patrick and morning anchor Sandra Shaw have turned in their notice at the NBC affiliate. Both are apparently moving to other areas.

Patrick’s husband has taken a job in California and she has given the station a 45-day notice. Shaw, we are told, has taken a job with a station in Baltimore and will be switching to reporting the weather.

Changes at WZEW

Amanda “The Low Rent Diva” has left WZEW 92.1 FM and has been replaced by Leeanna Matteson on the station’s evening shifts Thursday-Saturday 7 p.m. to midnight. Matteson is known to many Mobile area listeners for her work on “The Uncle Henry Show,” which airs weekday mornings on WPMI 710 AM. Matteson handled production for the show, but was frequently on-air serving as a foil for the acerbic Uncle Henry.

Runaway McBryde back

Further proof that anyone who was once in radio in Mobile soon will be again is on-again-off-again-on-again host Shane McBryde. McBryde is now hosting an early morning show on Kicks 104.1 FM and 660 AM Sundays at 6:30. It is a public affairs show, and a recent airing included an interview with Mobile County Commissioner Steve Nodine.

McBryde has had several stints on the local airwaves, including most recently as co-host on WABB AM’s morning show. He abruptly quit that show, leaving after one broadcast. McBryde also used to host a public affairs show on what was then WNTM 710 AM.

NY Times loveletter

Mobile was featured lovingly in The New York Times’ “Escapes” section March 23. Titled “You Can Call It the Little Easy,” the article by John Motyka extols the virtues of Mobile’s similarity to New Orleans and the bonus of having a beach. The article should prove a nice shot in the arm for tourism. It can be read at http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/travel/escapes/23American.html

Leprechaun lives on

The Crichton Leprechaun continues to garner impressive awards. The much-watched and oft-laughed-about news story reported last year by WPMI-TV’s Brian Johnson has now been voted number 22 on VH1’s “Top 40 Internet Superstars.”

Although it is listed as the “Alabama Leprechaun,” we all know who gets credit for this never-ending embarrassment. Will it ever go away?

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

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