Greater Media

It was not easy for his company to sell its Philadelphia cable-television system to Comcast Corp., but in the end there was little choice, said Greater Media Inc. president Frank Kabela. The company was too small to invest in the expensive new technology now required to compete in the cable business, Kabela said after the sale of Greater Media subsidiary Greater Philadelphia Cablevision was announced yesterday. He acknowledged that the companies had talked about such a deal for several years.

Greater Media Inc. yesterday said it planned to sell its cable systems, which serve 240,000 subscribers, including households in Center City, South Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. The closely held East Brunswick, N.J., company said it intended to concentrate on building its radio and newspaper businesses. Greater Media president Frank Kabela said the decision was prompted by the company's view that the greatest opportunity in the cable-television industry will be available to the largest operators.

GREATER MEDIA, parent company of 97.5 the Fanatic, has issued an apology on behalf of sports-talk host Tom Byrne. We reported yesterday that Byrne was arrested early Monday after allegedly assaulting a cab driver to whom he had refused to pay a $5 fare, according to a police report. "Tom deeply regrets his behavior on Sunday night and realizes that it was inexcusable," Greater Media spokeswoman Heidi Raphael emailed last night. "He also extends his sincere apology to the cab driver and would like to make amends if possible.

Last December, officials from Greater Philadelphia Cablevision convinced City Council to approve a 15-year franchise renewal more than 18 months before the existing agreement expired. Two months later, Comcast announced it would buy its competitor and the company's Greater Media cable franchise for about $300 million. Yesterday, Councilman Michael Nutter criticized Greater Media for a "deficient presentation" last year. "In the final analysis, they used City Council to enhance the value of their franchise," by getting a new, 15-year agreement before the sale, Nutter said.

Have a hankering to witness the excitement, the drama, the romance that is the city budget hearings? No? Well, then, how about to see your elected officials on the job? Either way, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the budget hearings is now available to cable television subscribers in the city. The city's three cable systems - Comcast, Wade and Greater Media - are pooling resources to air the hearings live from City Hall. Coverage runs Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. until the hearings end for the day (usually mid-afternoon)

Bill Womack, a disc jockey at WMGK-FM (102.9) since 1979 and its sole African American on-air personality, has sued the station, alleging that his salary was cut in half because of racial bias. In his federal complaint, filed last month in Philadelphia by Center City attorney Jeffrey Campolongo, Womack alleges that he was given a choice in November 2001: Take a pay cut or be let go. He contends that management told him the cut was necessary for financial reasons. An attorney for the station denied the allegation.

Dennis Begley, general manager of oldies WOGL-FM (98.1), confirmed yesterday that he has resigned in order to move to two other Philadelphia stations. Begley quit his job for a similar position at WPEN-AM (950) and WMGK-FM (102.9), which are owned by Greater Media Inc. "I'm very familiar with the company and the station," said Begley, who started his radio career as an intern with 'MGK and 'PEN in 1981. "I was very happy where I was, but this opportunity was very interesting," said the 37-year-old general manager.

Two radio stations have started off the year with changes that will return veterans Glenn Kalina and Brian Murphy to the airwaves while Paul Barsky leaves. Barsky has bowed out at the Greater Media-owned WMMR-FM (93.3) after three years doing mornings. His contract expired, as did that of producer Ben Maxwell. Sidekick Vinnie the Crumb reupped. In the interim, Vinnie will sidekick for the solo-named Graeme, last at WHFS-FM in the Baltimore/Washington market. Barsky's future?

"Glee" actor Max Adler has teamed up with local T-shirt company ShoutBcause to promote its line of anti-bullying T-shirts. Adler, whose gay character, David Karofsky, bullied Chris Colfer 's character, Kurt, and who was severely bullied himself on Tuesday's episode, has been working with a Los Angeles nonprofit called City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts. Chester County's Joe Harris , chief "movement" officer of ShoutBcause, contacted the group to get Adler their shirts. Adler wore one of the company's anti-bullying shirts yesterday while interviewing with national media, including "Access Hollywood.

Call it the ash without a landfill - another hostage to the city's growing trash crisis. After neighbors of the Northwest Incinerator finally forced the city to stop storing the ash there, the unloved residue immediately stirred up a similar outcry at its new home on the Delaware River. Greater Media Inc., which is building a $2 million headquarters for its cable television operation on a site at Delaware Avenue and Reed Street, sent up a figurative shriek three weeks ago when workmen reported that incinerator ash was being stored in a football-field-size lot on the next pier.

"Glee" actor Max Adler has teamed up with local T-shirt company ShoutBcause to promote its line of anti-bullying T-shirts. Adler, whose gay character, David Karofsky, bullied Chris Colfer 's character, Kurt, and who was severely bullied himself on Tuesday's episode, has been working with a Los Angeles nonprofit called City Hearts: Kids Say Yes to the Arts. Chester County's Joe Harris , chief "movement" officer of ShoutBcause, contacted the group to get Adler their shirts. Adler wore one of the company's anti-bullying shirts yesterday while interviewing with national media, including "Access Hollywood.

GREATER MEDIA, parent company of 97.5 the Fanatic, has issued an apology on behalf of sports-talk host Tom Byrne. We reported yesterday that Byrne was arrested early Monday after allegedly assaulting a cab driver to whom he had refused to pay a $5 fare, according to a police report. "Tom deeply regrets his behavior on Sunday night and realizes that it was inexcusable," Greater Media spokeswoman Heidi Raphael emailed last night. "He also extends his sincere apology to the cab driver and would like to make amends if possible.

ESPN Deportes Radio, the national Spanish-language sports radio network, has secured a local affiliate, effective 6 a.m. Monday. It's WWDB-AM (860), whose stock in trade has been money-talk shows. 'DB owner Beasley Broadcast also added ESPN Deportes on stations in Atlanta and Boston in a package deal that shut out ESPN's English-language partner in Philadelphia, Greater Media, which broadcasts sports talk at 950 AM and 97.5 FM. Natalie Conner , who heads Beasley's Philly operations, says she will use the network feed but plans live and local programming, as well as tie-ins to the Latino community and local sports teams.

Roped by a federal lawsuit, Redlasso Inc. yesterday suspended access to the video clipping Web site that's a favorite of bloggers. The King of Prussia company did so voluntarily, but said it "has no alternative but to suspend blogger access" because of this week's legal action. On Wednesday, NBC Universal Inc., Fox News Network L.L.C., and Fox Television Stations Inc. sued Redlasso in federal court in New York, alleging the company has been infringing on the networks' copyrights and trademarks.

Where will Howard Stern's Philadelphia listeners go when he signs off of Infinity Broadcasting in favor of Sirius Satellite Radio? "That's the $10 billion question," said Mike Boyle, vice president and executive director of Friday Morning Quarterback, the Cherry Hill trade publication. Actually, it's a $10 million question. Ratings and ad dollars are closely tied, and analysts believe that the syndicated Stern - by far the most popular radio personality among Philadelphians - brings in $10 million a year to WYSP-FM (94.1)

The Philadelphia FM dial has finally stopped spinning after months of upheaval. The area now has its first FM gospel station (Praise), a new station playing urban adult-contemporary music (WRNB), and another pumping out a confounding assortment of hits from the last 30 years (Ben). Two Trenton stations swapped positions. Tom Joyner, second only to Howard Stern in popularity among adult morning listeners, got a new home. Philadelphia also lost Y100, its only modern-rock station, leaving an estimated 384,000 listeners without regular doses of Garbage.

Bill Womack, a disc jockey at WMGK-FM (102.9) since 1979 and its sole African American on-air personality, has sued the station, alleging that his salary was cut in half because of racial bias. In his federal complaint, filed last month in Philadelphia by Center City attorney Jeffrey Campolongo, Womack alleges that he was given a choice in November 2001: Take a pay cut or be let go. He contends that management told him the cut was necessary for financial reasons. An attorney for the station denied the allegation.

Two radio stations have started off the year with changes that will return veterans Glenn Kalina and Brian Murphy to the airwaves while Paul Barsky leaves. Barsky has bowed out at the Greater Media-owned WMMR-FM (93.3) after three years doing mornings. His contract expired, as did that of producer Ben Maxwell. Sidekick Vinnie the Crumb reupped. In the interim, Vinnie will sidekick for the solo-named Graeme, last at WHFS-FM in the Baltimore/Washington market. Barsky's future?

Every morning and every night, radio executive Dan Anstandig, who has been passionate about the medium since he was a preteen, spends hours listening to radio on the Internet. "I like computers, and I like radio, so there is no combination that is more logical for me personally," said Anstandig, speaking by phone from his home in suburban Cleveland. Anstandig is general manager and program director of soft rock Internet station www.daer.com. He is 16. A high school junior who takes classes at John Carroll University, Anstandig is on the front lines of a revolution that's transforming radio, as independent programmers take their message directly to the people.

Who says radio stations don't listen to their listeners? Two weeks after all-talk WWDB-FM (96.5) canned its nighttime and overnight hosts in favor of syndicated programming, the station has changed its mind. Gone as of yesterday is Tom Leykis, who ranted and raved between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Ed Tyll, who was brought in when Leykis was, will continue from 2 to 5 a.m. for the next month or so, after which he'll be gone, too. Coming back to the station is John Ziegler, who had worked overnights but now will work a 10 p.m.-to-2 a.m. shift temporarily.