01/17/2008 @ 10:16am PST Thursday Morning, January 17th! Technology keeps exploding exponentially everyday, with the information and entertainment we want, and our sources to get it are changing. "BUZZ" - More "American Idol" videos from night #2 and Britney rumors debunked. "PHOTO GALLERY" - More pics from 1999 including Ed McMahon, and the very versatile Carl Reiner!
This has been a very interesting time being off the radio for me the past 4 months. For the first time, I haven't totally lost contact with my listeners. With your thousands of emails sending your questions, thoughts and best wishes and then able to see in "TALKBACK" what everyone else is thinking.....audio "CLIPS" from my past 40 years on the air in L.A. that you can listen to.....showbiz and entertainment current news updates on my "BUZZ" link.....a "GALLERY" of photos of studio guests and stars with me over the years......and my daily "NEWS" that I'm writing as you read, has provided technology that wasn't around 11 years ago when I last had to sit on the sidelines for a couple of months.
Now with ipods, iTunes, iPhones, text messages, cell phones delivering more entertainment and information options everyday, satellite radio, YouTube, myspace, facebook, GPS for just about everything, and of course.....the computer, radio and TV find themselves in a real battle for the public's eyes and ears. And more and more of us are opting for laptop computers for our total access pass to everything that's out there to see and hear, particularly with wireless internet availability showing up somewhere new everyday.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs realizes that, and here's a guided tour of his latest toy, " Apple Air"!
Think about what's going on here! You really don't have to watch American Idol if you don't have time, I've got clips on today and yesterday's "BUZZ" link of the highlights with YouTube videos, Wanna hear the "live" GMA bad word that Diane Keaton blurted out the other morning, it's on "BUZZ" this morning. Buy "US Weekly" to read what Britney's cousin is saying about her, hey it's there too in condensed form. Or maybe you want to read about what happened to O.J. Simpson in court yesterday, you don't have to get the L.A. Times.....all the info is right there on "BUZZ".
Between 1971 and 1996, I did a daily radio show on the Armed Forces Radio Network that reached a potential audience of 500 million people around the world. These days, you can reach EVERYONE in the world with a computer when you broadcast on the internet.
You no longer have to spend hours in the library researching subjects or finding information by pouring through books and papers, it's right there at your fingertips if you just google it. Chances are if you were asked to limit yourself to just one device that you could have, it would be the computer.....hey, you can even make phone calls on it anywhere in the world!
Like I said in the beginning, this computer you're reading my thoughts on right now has kept us together for this brief interruption from the radio, but ten years from now, I'm betting this will be our connection permanently. Radio has got to think about that!
Today, I've already mentioned "BUZZ" and what's there, "CLIPS" has Pixie, the math loving dog, "GALLERY" with some more 1999 photos of Johnny Carson's guy and the host of "Star Search", Ed McMahon, and Actor, Producer, Director, Writer and Comedian Carl Reiner. "TALKBACK" with one of those Armed Forces Network listeners that I still hear from, and an East coast set of ears that listens.
Just a reminder, today is the anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake in 1994. It was a 6.7 that hit at 4:31 in the morning, just as I was headed out the door for my drive to the station at that time, KMPC. It was quite a morning, make sure you're ready for the next one!
Charlie
01/16/2008 @ 10:20am PST Wednesday Morning, January 16th! A link to my beginnings in Los Angeles radio, plus the most valuable advice I ever got there, and it might be happening to "American Idol"! "BUZZ" has video of the good, the bad and the ugly, and ratings from last night's "Idol"! "PHOTO GALLERY" - Two 1999 photos - Actor/Singer James Darren and a man who had six #1 chart hits, Pat Boone!
Last week I got a call out of the blue from the man who hired me for the first station I worked at in Los Angeles, and the one so many of you remember me from as indicated in the "TALKBACK" section with your emails. Ron Jacobs was the Program Director of 93/KHJ in 1967 when he called me in Boston to offer me the opportunity to come to Los Angeles. As I found out later, I was a consensus pick of quite a few people including Ron's boss, Bill Drake who introduced the KHJ format nationwide and Robert W. Morgan, who told me in one of our last conversations that he heard Bill and Ron play a tape of me and his first question was "Can we get him?"
Ron Jacobs and I must have talked about the KHJ days last week for 90 minutes and part of our conversation is on his internet radio website this week. Here's the link to listen.
http://www.whodaguyhawaii.com/
Ron's based back in his home state of warm, tropical Hawaii for years now. (I still remember him complaining about how cold Los Angeles was that early November night when he picked me up at the airport flying in from subzero Boston...it was 65 here in L.A. at the time). I worked the next couple of years for Ron, who was a creative genius to watch, and he had a huge impact on my career, I even saved a lot of his jock memos, they were classic pieces of literature aimed at keeping our focus and status as the #1 radio station, not just in L.A., but in America!
That station was still #1 after Ron left in late 1969 and I left in early 1972. But over time, the slide began, and no one who ever worked there enjoyed the huge success we all did at that point at that station. As I explained in an earlier commentary, KHJ had 20+ shares of the audience compared to a 5 share these days at the top. So what's all that got to do with American Idol?
Well the best piece of advice I ever received was during my first year at KHJ. All the jocks were at least 7 years older than I was, and one of them, Bobby Tripp (who died in 1968 of Hodgkins Disease), took me aside one day and said to me..."Kid, you're on top right now, but just remember, the wheel turns baby!" What he meant was I worked then at the #1 station, but you're not always going to be on top in the entertainment business, no one stays there forever. But if you stay on the wheel of this business and ride it down, and don't give up on your career when it bottoms out, eventually you'll ride it back up the other side if you really keep working at it, and have a chance to be on top again.
American Idol is still on top, but suffered a down year in the ratings last year, and everyone expected last night to be way up again with no new competition, but the ratings were just good...not spectacular like most anticipated. Maybe the wheel has begun to turn. We Americans are notorius for putting our "idols" in every field on a pedastal and then knocking them off it when they get too big, it's almost like a national pastime.
And with Simon Cowell, who admittedly is most people's reason to really watch the show to hear his opinions, saying that he plans to leave in a couple of years. Will that be the end of the Fox cash cow? The wheel turns, baby!
"BUZZ" today with "American Idol" video, actor Brad Renfro dead at 25, Matthew McConaughey to be a dad, Gwyneth Paltrow mystery hospitalization, and Zac Efron has his appendix taken out. "CLIPS" with a rare interview with Disco Queen Donna Summer, "GALLERY" you can see 2 1999 photos of actor/singer James Darren, father of Jim Moret from "Inside Edition" by the way, (remember James' hit "Goodbye Cruel World") and the most successful singer of the late 50's and early 60's, second only to Elvis, Pat Boone. "TALKBACK" with more emails of waiting listeners for my new station.
Stay on your "Wheel" today and keep the faith, baby!
Charlie
01/15/2008 @ 9:45am PST Tuesday Morning, January 15th! Yesterday's Britney papparazzi mob scene reminded me of the crowd at the end of the movie "Day Of The Locust", and I'm very concerned! "BUZZ" - Video of Britney's disturbing day and Studios cancelling new TV season! "PHOTO GALLERY" - A 1974 picture of a Playboy Playmate who could sing, and Hulk and daughter Brooke Hogan!
One of the most horrifying movie crowd riot scenes I've ever seen on the screen was the 1975 film "Day Of The Locust". Adapted from the novel by Nathanael West who wrote some very cutting satires of American decay, this was a horrific vision of American society choking to death on its own mass-media fantasies....sound familiar?
"The Day of the Locust" is the best known of West's works, and presents the story of a Hollywood art designer as he drifts through the California dream factory--a place in which reality exists only as something to subvert into a saleable commodity: an addictive series of dreams that won't come true for the increasing numbers of malcontents that crowd Los Angeles in search of the fantasies seen on the movie screen. And their seething disillusionment proves more deadly than even Hollywood could ever imagine. You kind of get the impression that's where we are right now with this photo-op obsessed society. Buy or rent the DVD if you get a chance for a story that is a disturbingly current commentary.
Some will ask the question then, why do I have the pictures and stories on my daily "BUZZ" link? Simple answer, if I want to provide everything you're looking for and you can't find those reports and pictures here, you'll go looking elsewhere and probably not bother with my website anymore. It's all about being relevant in my career and continually evolving with the times and giving the public what they want that's kept my radio career rolling into my 41st year on the air in Los Angeles....with a new station very soon. I don't necessarily like what I have to do sometimes to keep some of the larger audience interested , but I'm smart enough to know when to change and adapt, otherwise with no audience, no station will hire you and you're effectively finished with something I could never imagine living without. I absolutely love radio....and all of you listeners who've made it possible for me!
Here's a gif to send to your friends who are bored at their computers!!!
"BUZZ" today has Britney pics and video, writer's strike and the studios kill the TV season, Jessica and the Cowboys, latest on O.J., and serious trouble for an Oscar winning screenwriter. "CLIPS" has my 1995 interview with this year's Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney back when he was just starting out, "GALLERY" with a classic 1974 photo of Playboy Playmate and then Hugh Hefner girlfriend Barbie Benton and a 2006 pic of Hulk Hogan and daughter Brooke in studio. "TALKBACK" has emails with a couple of career flashbacks for me!
Thank you again for your patience. I'll be back on the air very soon!
Charlie
01/14/2008 @ 10:40am PST Monday Morning, January 14th! Have trouble waking up this morning! Wait till I show you the latest alarm clock, SnuzNluz! Plus a warm, fuzzy duck-dog video that you'll love. "BUZZ" - Golden Globe winners, Britney D-Day, new celeb babies, and funny videos. "PHOTO GALLERY" - 1971 photo of Angela Cartwright and me, plus radio/TV friends all in one shot, Wink Martindale, Gary Owens and Peter Marshall.
If this was one of those Monday mornings you just couldn't wake up, take a look at the newest alarm clock invention, based on the old saying "you snooze, you lose". The ingenious sages at ThinkGeek Labs(TM) have finally created the Ultimate weapon against snoozing - the SnuzNLuz(TM). People who enjoy sleeping in are cowering in fear all across the globe - it's finally true, when you snooze, you lose!
How does it really work? The SnuzNLuz uses the very complex psychological phenomemon known as 'HATRED'. Basically it's human nature to wish harm upon your enemies. Similarly, it's human nature not to give your enemies gobs of cash so that they can grow big and dominate the world with their totally wrong, stupid and invalid point of view. ThinkGeek realized that. That's why everytime you hit the snooze button, the SnuzNLuz will donate a specified amount of your real money to a non-profit you hate. The problem of sleeping in is solved.
And it's easy to setup and use too! Just plug your SnuzNLuz in and either connect it to your network via the RJ45 jack on the back, or via WiFi (WPA supported) if available. Then simply configure via the embedded web browser configuration utility. From here it's a snap. Simply select your online banking institution from the list of supported banks (currently over 1600 are supported). Supply your login information and then select your favorite HATED charity or non-profit from the included lists (over 6200 currently supported). Then plug in your donation amount per snooze incident ($10 or more), set the time, and alarm, and voila, instant time profit!
Are you a butcher? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to PETA Are you a republican? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the ACLU! Are you a land developer? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the Wilderness Society! Enjoy your freedom? (Blue state version) Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the GOP. or Enjoy your freedom? (Red state version) Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to MoveOn.Org Are you a hippie? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the American Coal Foundation. The point is it's easy to setup once you identify your enemy! The manufacturer promises you'll never snooze again with SnuzNLuz or you'll eventually go broke. It's that simple.
WANT A WARM & FUZZY VIDEO TO START YOUR WEEK! HERE'S THE DUCK & DOG
Great football playoff games this past weekend, and now we're down to the final four. The SuperBowl commercials are all sold out, the last ones going for $3 million for 30 seconds airtime. American Idol kicks off the 7th season tomorrow night with some of their commercials being sold for as high at $1 million. Advertisers expectations are high for even bigger ratings for that show since there is virtually no new shows to compete with it because of the writers strike, so they're willing to pay the price.
And it's over 4 months since my last radio show on the air, but I'm getting close to relaunching. My agent and I are talking to several stations and I personally hope to get back to work in the next couple of weeks. I just have to figure out the best option for me in the long term. And despite what you may have heard or read, my morning time slot on my old station did not see any improvement in the latest ratings in the coveted 25-54 age demographic that most advertising buys are made on for radio, despite a huge billboard campaign, over $300,000 in cash and prizes given away, and numerous TV appearances by my replacement. I look forward to your help and support on my next station, and given my options as of now, we will far surpass any ratings I've had on my old station up to now.
"BUZZ" today has the Golden Globe results, Britney a no-show again, celebrity baby news x 4, and a Hannah Montana body double...see the switch on video. "CLIPS" backstage at the 1984 Grammys when I kidded Michele Lee, then starring on "Knott's Landing" about her one-hit wonder. "GALLERY" features a picture of beautiful Angela Cartwright with me in 1971 at a big thank you rally hosted by Danny Thomas for his St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a San Francisco Bay pre-cruise photo with my friends Wink Martindale, Gary Owens and Peter Marshall. "TALKBACK" has more emails wondering when I'll be back on the air......SOON!
Get some sunshine today, it's going to be a great week!
Charlie
01/11/2008 @ 7:25am PST Friday Morning, January 11th! Yesterday's Walk of Fame picture triggered a lot of memories as I looked back. Today I've got a follow-up on the celeb faces in the crowd. "BUZZ" - Britney in Mexico, skating champion dead, Leno and Kimmel trading places. "PHOTO GALLERY" - Dodger star Steve Garvey and Supermodel/Actress Rachel Hunter!
Looking at that picture yesterday of all my friends and family who were at my star ceremony back on January 10, 1990 brought back some great memories. I just recently re-connected with Kay Lenz, who you saw standing in back of me. I first met Kay when I started doing syndication around 1970. She was the receptionist/secretary who handled all the paperwork and mailings, and was still a teenager. Little did I know she was also a very talented actress who would go on to win Emmys and star in feature films. Here is a picture of Kay and I below in 1984, and I think it was around that time we did a personal appearance together in a tethered hot air balloon at the Carson mall parking lot, where a gust of wind collapsed part of the balloon, and the fire that produces the hot air to inflate it nearly toasted Kay and I in the balloon basket.
Kay came from a showbiz family and appeared on her first TV show at the age of 8 weeks, as a baby who was being sung to. She was Ron Howard's girlfriend on the Andy Griffith show and just 2 years after I met her, Clint Eastwood cast her as the title character in the film "Breezy" opposite William Holden, which was released in 1973. I was blown away by this quiet, shy secretary who blossomed right before my eyes on the big screen in a sneak preview in a Universal private screening room before the movie opened. Then a few years later, she married her teenage crush, David Cassidy. The last time David was on my show, we both talked about what a sweetheart she was and still is.
And also at the Walk of Fame that day was one of the nicest and funniest guys I've ever worked with on a TV game show, Chuck Woolery. Just down home and a good person was the impression I came away with after 7 years of working as Chuck's announcer on the NBC daytime show "Scrabble". One of my listeners, Rick Mandl, who was a contestant on "Scrabble" in 1987, gave me a heads up last year about a Youtube segment he posted of Chuck and I. Take a look.
Casey Kasem, who you saw there too, has been a great friend since we first met back in the 70's. I did the announcing for his AT-10 TV show for almost 15 years in the 80's and early 90's, and I have even filled him for him on his national countdown show a couple of times in recent years when he was out sick, and I was at Casey's star ceremony a few years before mine.
Today's "BUZZ" has Britney news, from her run for the border to bite marks on her kids, plus video from Jimmel Kimmel on Jay Leno last night and celebrity pregnancies. "CLIPS" with an hilarious laughing fit from my sportcaster Rich Marotta in 1985. "GALLERY" flashes back to Steve Garvey during his Padre years, and Rod Stewart's ex Rachel Hunter in studio. "TALKBACK" has more radio show reviews and questions.
Have a great weekend, the weather will be beautiful, and email me with any more questions or comments you have. I love hearing from you!
Charlie
01/10/2008 @ 10:45am PST Thursday Morning, January 10th! Talk about irony and coincidence, the death of the "Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant really struck home last night with me. "BUZZ" has Lindsay and Britney, Celeb couples "scoop", and "People's Choice" wasn't! "PHOTO GALLERY" - Comedian Paul Rodriguez and a 1982 picture of then Golden Globe winner, Pia Zadora!
As I mentioned in "BUZZ" today, it was one of those news flashes you expected to hear someday, but when it actually happened last night, there was a real sense of loss.
Johnny Grant, the "Honorary Mayor of Hollywood", died in his sleep last night at age 84, apparently of natural causes. He was confined to a wheel chair most of the time these days, and when I last saw him at a charity walk in Hollywood last year (pictures are on the "BUZZ" link), he was still as vibrant and dynamic as ever, with that twinkle in his eye and quick wit one-liners, greeting everyone who approached him to say hi. You can hear part of my last conversation with him on that day and my last studio interview with Johnny a few years ago on the "CLIPS" link today.
The above picture was taken a year ago at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, the last one to be so named, because it was originated by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and produced by Johnny Grant for decades (Johnny and I talk about that on the "CLIPS" link today). Hollywood was his baby, and he was the driving force behind revitalizing "Tinseltown" to the original glamour and mystique generations knew in the golden era of show business.
The irony and coincidence for me today is, it's the 18th anniversary of Johnny welcoming me with my Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was January 10th, 1990, and a beautiful sunny day, much like this morning was, when Johnny officiated another one of the hundreds of Star Ceremonies, only this time it was for me. Here is the picture of Johnny shaking my hand after my introduction and welcoming me to the podium for my remarks that day.
A real coincidence about today and 18 years ago today, I had just been fired back then too, by KRLA because of budget cuts. They had called me the morning after Christmas to let me know I wouldn't be returning from Christmas vacation because they couldn't afford me anymore. But since they had already nominated me and paid for my Star Ceremony, that they wouldn't say anything on the air until after my "extended" vacation ended at the Star ceremony itself. That's when I told the crowd in my remarks what had happened. Johnny Grant didn't even know, and in his introduction of me that day said "Well, this honor today Charlie, should help you get a nice big fat raise!" He was shocked minutes later, when I took the stage to tell everyone that I was out of work.
Fortunately, a couple of weeks later, I was back on the air in the morning at KODJ-FM, the CBS owned 93.1 in those days. Here's the actual unveiling of the star itself with Bill Welsh to my left, and my friends Actress Kay Lenz right behind Bill and me, Chuck Woolery (top of his head partially cut-off) to the right of Kay, Casey Kasem, and another actress friend who is originally from Nebraska, Lindsay Bloom right behind Johnny. My son Daniel is taking this picture, with the rest of my family (who don't like the spotlight) in the background behind everyone)....except for that little guy in the pink shirt next to me....that's my son Bryan, who is now soon to be 28, and designed this website for me. Oh, if you click on the arrow beneath the picture, you can hear Johnny Grant's unforgettable voice officially welcoming me to the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
God Bless You Johnny! You've probably already taken over the emcee duties at the Golden Gates welcoming people to heaven I'll bet!
"BUZZ" today has more pictures and facts about Johnny Grant, Lindsay's being sued, Britney's family upset with Dr. Phil, Celeb couples scoop, and the People's Choice awards wasn't...at least in the TV ratings. "CLIPS" as I've mentioned is Johnny Grant remembered. "GALLERY" has more vintage photos from the 80's including comedian Paul Rodriguez in studio, as well as then 1982 Golden Globe winner Pia Zadora. "TALKBACK" has an online listener from Germany who learned English listening to my shows over the years and more best wishes.
Thank you again for all your listening and loyalty. The Star ceremony 18 years ago today, would have never happened without each and every one of you. You've made my dreams come true, and for that I will always be forever grateful!
Charlie
01/16/2008 @ 10:20am PST Wednesday Morning, January 16th! A link to my beginnings in Los Angeles radio, plus the most valuable advice I ever got there, and it might be happening to "American Idol"! "BUZZ" has video of the good, the bad and the ugly, and ratings from last night's "Idol"! "PHOTO GALLERY" - Two 1999 photos - Actor/Singer James Darren and a man who had six #1 chart hits, Pat Boone!
Last week I got a call out of the blue from the man who hired me for the first station I worked at in Los Angeles, and the one so many of you remember me from as indicated in the "TALKBACK" section with your emails. Ron Jacobs was the Program Director of 93/KHJ in 1967 when he called me in Boston to offer me the opportunity to come to Los Angeles. As I found out later, I was a consensus pick of quite a few people including Ron's boss, Bill Drake who introduced the KHJ format nationwide and Robert W. Morgan, who told me in one of our last conversations that he heard Bill and Ron play a tape of me and his first question was "Can we get him?"
Ron Jacobs and I must have talked about the KHJ days last week for 90 minutes and part of our conversation is on his internet radio website this week. Here's the link to listen.
http://www.whodaguyhawaii.com/ Ron's based back in his home state of warm, tropical Hawaii for years now. (I still remember him complaining about how cold Los Angeles was that early November night when he picked me up at the airport flying in from subzero Boston...it was 65 here in L.A. at the time). I worked the next couple of years for Ron, who was a creative genius to watch, and he had a huge impact on my career, I even saved a lot of his jock memos, they were classic pieces of literature aimed at keeping our focus and status as the #1 radio station, not just in L.A., but in America!
That station was still #1 after Ron left in late 1969 and I left in early 1972. But over time, the slide began, and no one who ever worked there enjoyed the huge success we all did at that point at that station. As I explained in an earlier commentary, KHJ had 20+ shares of the audience compared to a 5 share these days at the top. So what's all that got to do with American Idol?
Well the best piece of advice I ever received was during my first year at KHJ. All the jocks were at least 7 years older than I was, and one of them, Bobby Tripp (who died in 1968 of Hodgkins Disease), took me aside one day and said to me..."Kid, you're on top right now, but just remember, the wheel turns baby!" What he meant was I worked then at the #1 station, but you're not always going to be on top in the entertainment business, no one stays there forever. But if you stay on the wheel of this business and ride it down, and don't give up on your career when it bottoms out, eventually you'll ride it back up the other side if you really keep working at it, and have a chance to be on top again.
American Idol is still on top, but suffered a down year in the ratings last year, and everyone expected last night to be way up again with no new competition, but the ratings were just good...not spectacular like most anticipated. Maybe the wheel has begun to turn. We Americans are notorius for putting our "idols" in every field on a pedastal and then knocking them off it when they get too big, it's almost like a national pastime.
And with Simon Cowell, who admittedly is most people's reason to really watch the show to hear his opinions, saying that he plans to leave in a couple of years. Will that be the end of the Fox cash cow? The wheel turns, baby!
"BUZZ" today with "American Idol" video, actor Brad Renfro dead at 25, Matthew McConaughey to be a dad, Gwyneth Paltrow mystery hospitalization, and Zac Efron has his appendix taken out. "CLIPS" with a rare interview with Disco Queen Donna Summer, "GALLERY" you can see 2 1999 photos of actor/singer James Darren, father of Jim Moret from "Inside Edition" by the way, (remember James' hit "Goodbye Cruel World") and the most successful singer of the late 50's and early 60's, second only to Elvis, Pat Boone. "TALKBACK" with more emails of waiting listeners for my new station.
Stay on your "Wheel" today and keep the faith, baby!
Charlie
01/15/2008 @ 9:45am PST Tuesday Morning, January 15th! Yesterday's Britney papparazzi mob scene reminded me of the crowd at the end of the movie "Day Of The Locust", and I'm very concerned! "BUZZ" - Video of Britney's disturbing day and Studios cancelling new TV season! "PHOTO GALLERY" - A 1974 picture of a Playboy Playmate who could sing, and Hulk and daughter Brooke Hogan!
One of the most horrifying movie crowd riot scenes I've ever seen on the screen was the 1975 film "Day Of The Locust". Adapted from the novel by Nathanael West who wrote some very cutting satires of American decay, this was a horrific vision of American society choking to death on its own mass-media fantasies....sound familiar?
"The Day of the Locust" is the best known of West's works, and presents the story of a Hollywood art designer as he drifts through the California dream factory--a place in which reality exists only as something to subvert into a saleable commodity: an addictive series of dreams that won't come true for the increasing numbers of malcontents that crowd Los Angeles in search of the fantasies seen on the movie screen. And their seething disillusionment proves more deadly than even Hollywood could ever imagine. You kind of get the impression that's where we are right now with this photo-op obsessed society. Buy or rent the DVD if you get a chance for a story that is a disturbingly current commentary.
Some will ask the question then, why do I have the pictures and stories on my daily "BUZZ" link? Simple answer, if I want to provide everything you're looking for and you can't find those reports and pictures here, you'll go looking elsewhere and probably not bother with my website anymore. It's all about being relevant in my career and continually evolving with the times and giving the public what they want that's kept my radio career rolling into my 41st year on the air in Los Angeles....with a new station very soon. I don't necessarily like what I have to do sometimes to keep some of the larger audience interested , but I'm smart enough to know when to change and adapt, otherwise with no audience, no station will hire you and you're effectively finished with something I could never imagine living without. I absolutely love radio....and all of you listeners who've made it possible for me!
Here's a gif to send to your friends who are bored at their computers!!!
"BUZZ" today has Britney pics and video, writer's strike and the studios kill the TV season, Jessica and the Cowboys, latest on O.J., and serious trouble for an Oscar winning screenwriter. "CLIPS" has my 1995 interview with this year's Country Music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney back when he was just starting out, "GALLERY" with a classic 1974 photo of Playboy Playmate and then Hugh Hefner girlfriend Barbie Benton and a 2006 pic of Hulk Hogan and daughter Brooke in studio. "TALKBACK" has emails with a couple of career flashbacks for me!
Thank you again for your patience. I'll be back on the air very soon!
Charlie
01/14/2008 @ 10:40am PST Monday Morning, January 14th! Have trouble waking up this morning! Wait till I show you the latest alarm clock, SnuzNluz! Plus a warm, fuzzy duck-dog video that you'll love. "BUZZ" - Golden Globe winners, Britney D-Day, new celeb babies, and funny videos. "PHOTO GALLERY" - 1971 photo of Angela Cartwright and me, plus radio/TV friends all in one shot, Wink Martindale, Gary Owens and Peter Marshall.
If this was one of those Monday mornings you just couldn't wake up, take a look at the newest alarm clock invention, based on the old saying "you snooze, you lose". The ingenious sages at ThinkGeek Labs(TM) have finally created the Ultimate weapon against snoozing - the SnuzNLuz(TM). People who enjoy sleeping in are cowering in fear all across the globe - it's finally true, when you snooze, you lose!
How does it really work? The SnuzNLuz uses the very complex psychological phenomemon known as 'HATRED'. Basically it's human nature to wish harm upon your enemies. Similarly, it's human nature not to give your enemies gobs of cash so that they can grow big and dominate the world with their totally wrong, stupid and invalid point of view. ThinkGeek realized that. That's why everytime you hit the snooze button, the SnuzNLuz will donate a specified amount of your real money to a non-profit you hate. The problem of sleeping in is solved.
And it's easy to setup and use too! Just plug your SnuzNLuz in and either connect it to your network via the RJ45 jack on the back, or via WiFi (WPA supported) if available. Then simply configure via the embedded web browser configuration utility. From here it's a snap. Simply select your online banking institution from the list of supported banks (currently over 1600 are supported). Supply your login information and then select your favorite HATED charity or non-profit from the included lists (over 6200 currently supported). Then plug in your donation amount per snooze incident ($10 or more), set the time, and alarm, and voila, instant time profit!
Are you a butcher? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to PETA Are you a republican? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the ACLU! Are you a land developer? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the Wilderness Society! Enjoy your freedom? (Blue state version) Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the GOP. or Enjoy your freedom? (Red state version) Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to MoveOn.Org Are you a hippie? Set your SnuzNLuz to donate to the American Coal Foundation. The point is it's easy to setup once you identify your enemy! The manufacturer promises you'll never snooze again with SnuzNLuz or you'll eventually go broke. It's that simple.
WANT A WARM & FUZZY VIDEO TO START YOUR WEEK! HERE'S THE DUCK & DOG
Great football playoff games this past weekend, and now we're down to the final four. The SuperBowl commercials are all sold out, the last ones going for $3 million for 30 seconds airtime. American Idol kicks off the 7th season tomorrow night with some of their commercials being sold for as high at $1 million. Advertisers expectations are high for even bigger ratings for that show since there is virtually no new shows to compete with it because of the writers strike, so they're willing to pay the price.
And it's over 4 months since my last radio show on the air, but I'm getting close to relaunching. My agent and I are talking to several stations and I personally hope to get back to work in the next couple of weeks. I just have to figure out the best option for me in the long term. And despite what you may have heard or read, my morning time slot on my old station did not see any improvement in the latest ratings in the coveted 25-54 age demographic that most advertising buys are made on for radio, despite a huge billboard campaign, over $300,000 in cash and prizes given away, and numerous TV appearances by my replacement. I look forward to your help and support on my next station, and given my options as of now, we will far surpass any ratings I've had on my old station up to now.
"BUZZ" today has the Golden Globe results, Britney a no-show again, celebrity baby news x 4, and a Hannah Montana body double...see the switch on video. "CLIPS" backstage at the 1984 Grammys when I kidded Michele Lee, then starring on "Knott's Landing" about her one-hit wonder. "GALLERY" features a picture of beautiful Angela Cartwright with me in 1971 at a big thank you rally hosted by Danny Thomas for his St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a San Francisco Bay pre-cruise photo with my friends Wink Martindale, Gary Owens and Peter Marshall. "TALKBACK" has more emails wondering when I'll be back on the air......SOON!
Get some sunshine today, it's going to be a great week!
Charlie
01/11/2008 @ 7:25am PST Friday Morning, January 11th! Yesterday's Walk of Fame picture triggered a lot of memories as I looked back. Today I've got a follow-up on the celeb faces in the crowd. "BUZZ" - Britney in Mexico, skating champion dead, Leno and Kimmel trading places. "PHOTO GALLERY" - Dodger star Steve Garvey and Supermodel/Actress Rachel Hunter!
Looking at that picture yesterday of all my friends and family who were at my star ceremony back on January 10, 1990 brought back some great memories. I just recently re-connected with Kay Lenz, who you saw standing in back of me. I first met Kay when I started doing syndication around 1970. She was the receptionist/secretary who handled all the paperwork and mailings, and was still a teenager. Little did I know she was also a very talented actress who would go on to win Emmys and star in feature films. Here is a picture of Kay and I below in 1984, and I think it was around that time we did a personal appearance together in a tethered hot air balloon at the Carson mall parking lot, where a gust of wind collapsed part of the balloon, and the fire that produces the hot air to inflate it nearly toasted Kay and I in the balloon basket.
Kay came from a showbiz family and appeared on her first TV show at the age of 8 weeks, as a baby who was being sung to. She was Ron Howard's girlfriend on the Andy Griffith show and just 2 years after I met her, Clint Eastwood cast her as the title character in the film "Breezy" opposite William Holden, which was released in 1973. I was blown away by this quiet, shy secretary who blossomed right before my eyes on the big screen in a sneak preview in a Universal private screening room before the movie opened. Then a few years later, she married her teenage crush, David Cassidy. The last time David was on my show, we both talked about what a sweetheart she was and still is.
And also at the Walk of Fame that day was one of the nicest and funniest guys I've ever worked with on a TV game show, Chuck Woolery. Just down home and a good person was the impression I came away with after 7 years of working as Chuck's announcer on the NBC daytime show "Scrabble". One of my listeners, Rick Mandl, who was a contestant on "Scrabble" in 1987, gave me a heads up last year about a Youtube segment he posted of Chuck and I. Take a look.
Casey Kasem, who you saw there too, has been a great friend since we first met back in the 70's. I did the announcing for his AT-10 TV show for almost 15 years in the 80's and early 90's, and I have even filled him for him on his national countdown show a couple of times in recent years when he was out sick, and I was at Casey's star ceremony a few years before mine.
Today's "BUZZ" has Britney news, from her run for the border to bite marks on her kids, plus video from Jimmel Kimmel on Jay Leno last night and celebrity pregnancies. "CLIPS" with an hilarious laughing fit from my sportcaster Rich Marotta in 1985. "GALLERY" flashes back to Steve Garvey during his Padre years, and Rod Stewart's ex Rachel Hunter in studio. "TALKBACK" has more radio show reviews and questions.
Have a great weekend, the weather will be beautiful, and email me with any more questions or comments you have. I love hearing from you!
American Idol is still on top, but suffered a down year in the ratings last year, and everyone expected last night to be way up again with no new competition, but the ratings were just good...not spectacular like most anticipated. Maybe the wheel has begun to turn. We Americans are notorius for putting our "idols" in every field on a pedastal and then knocking them off it when they get too big, it's almost like a national pastime.
