Peoria Pundit

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Two sources confirmed today that staff meetings are scheduled Monday at WHOI and WEEK. One source confirmed and another said it was highly likely that it will be announced that the news staffs will be consolidated.

One source says that no more than six people from WHOI would be retained by WEEK. Four will be on air people, and two would be engineers and/or sales people.

As has previously been reported, WHOI’s owners — Barrington Broadcasting — is essentially outsourcing its news programming to WEEK, which is owned by Granite Broadcasting. The end result will be a single newsroom producing news programs for two stations. WEEK has built a separate HOINews set within the walls of their spacious WEEK studios. The two stations will essentially be running the same news stories. I would expect the two stations to use different anchorpeople to try to create the semblance of different programming.

Who how does ONE station produce two separate news programs that air at the same time? Simple: Film of them an hour ahead of time. WHOI’s 10 p.m. show will be filmed at hour in advance of air time, surrendering the option of airing breaking news during its nightly news broadcast.

And the early deadline will cripple both local and national sports coverage. There won’t be enough time for video and scores to come in from high school or Bradley University. National sports video feeds often don’t arrive until after 9 p.m.

Oh, and apparently WEEK isn’t going to renew its contract with the Associated Press, leaving the station without access to any wire service.

And then add the previously reported fact that WEEK planning to begin using a canned weather report based in Indiana.

Shocking as it may seem, someone from Peoria was actually interviewed on the Today Show. I know there’s a YouTube video out there, but it will no doubt be taken down for copyright infringement. Here’s an embedded video from NBC:

[code removed]

Well see if it works.

UPDATE: It didn't. Here's the YouTube video. We;ll see how long it takes NBC to remove it:

[Press release]

Squirrel Nut Zippers will be performing for the 2009 Hotel Pere Marquette Charitable Gala to benefit the Junior League of Peoria and its Peoria PlayHouse project. Event will take place on Friday, March 27. Cocktails begin at 6:30pm; dinner and music to follow.

http://www.2009peregala.com/

$150 per person gets you in the door and provides you with a five course dinner, open bar, and entertainment by SNZ. There will be a live and silent auction that night. The event benefits the Junior League of Peoria and our Peoria PlayHouse project, our volunteer effort to bring a children’s museum to Peoria. You can learn more about the PlayHouse at www.peoriaplayhouse.org

Squirrel Nut Zippers – American Vaudeville

Considering the current economic turmoil, it only seems appropriate that the Squirrel Nut Zippers are finding audiences enthusiastically embracing their music and live shows. Often credited with introducing depression era jazz to a younger generation, once again The Zippers’ music is right on time. “People are anxious to get out and escape their troubles for a night…and that’s what we help them do,” says drummer Chris Phillips. “We’re escape artists.”

Performing a mix of authentic, eclectic American Vaudeville in their live show, Squirrel Nut Zippers gleefully serve up material from their entire catalog. With crowds sharing their fervor and dancing in the aisles, every concert becomes an event. “We love that people actually ask each other out on honest-to-god dates when they come see us. Its just wonderful to see them dressed up and making a night of it,” says Katharine Whalen.

“The day after the Squirrel Nut Zippers show I received numerous emails from excited patrons thanking me for the event. Everyone was blown-away by the powerful, high-energy show the band gave us. Their blend of quirky showmanship and professional musicianship is a show unlike all others.” Scott Hayward – Tupelo Music Hall, NH

Aptly tagged “30’s punk” by one critic, the band moves between raucous and smoldering; audiences crave this type of eclectic, funky music. Led by founder Jimbo Mathus the group centers itself around the beguiling vocals of Katharine Whalen. Chris Phillips, Stuart Cole and Je Widenhouse carry on as the bands muscle.

New arrangements have been so well received the band is releasing a much-requested live album titled “You Are My Radio”, due out in Spring 2009. Work has also begun on a highly-anticipated studio album set for release in Fall 2009. In support of both recordings, The Zippers will tour throughout the year and continue their quest to locate all the earth’s forgotten fishing holes and beer bars. Squirrel Nut Zippers are clearly on the road to a strong year. Sweet Confection.

Yeah, that really was me in Chicago Magazine saying this about Aaron Schock:

“He takes all the air out of the room, politically, here in Peoria,” says Bill Dennis, who writes the blog Peoria Pundit. “Either you think he’s the greatest thing ever, or you’re deeply suspicious of him. I’m suspicious of him because he’s so eager to get ahead in office.”

I have several things I need to say.

First, would it KILL print publication that put their articles on the Web to insert a clickable link to the blogs they mention in their article. I mean, show a brother some love, wouldya?

Second, I said a LOT of things about Aaron Schock. I talked to this reporter two months ago. We spoke for about an hour, I think.  And THIS was the quote they pulled out. Not surprising, ’cause it’s a good quote

I’m a libertarian. I suspicious about ALL politicians.

One would think a vote on an amendment to block the return of the Fairness Doctrine* would be good news. Actually, not so much:

It’s unclear whether the amendment will survive as Congress debates the voting rights bill. But the measure served to effectively put the Senate on record as opposing a revival of the Fairness Doctrine.

However, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin also won approval for an alternate amendment that would order the Federal Communications Commission to encourage radio ownership “diversity.”

A DeMint aide said Durbin’s measure will “impose the Fairness Doctrine through the back door by trying to break up radio ownership.”

The aide called the Durbin proposal “an attempt to break up companies like Clear Channel and hurt their syndications and therefore putting many local radio stations out of business that depend on those syndicated shows for revenue.”

In other words, the Feds aren’t going to yank radio licenses for not being “fair” as defined by the federal government. Instead, they are just going to take licenses away from current holders and give em to folks who they expect to be friendlier to Obama and Durbin.

Gotcha.

* This IS a link to FOXNews, so any apologist who needs an excuse to dismiss this, feel free. Anything to get you through the night.

Yes, I read today’s article on Citizens for Responsible Spending. I have a lot to say about it. But you will have to read next months’s Community Word.

Via Boston Business Journal:

Struggling newspaper publisher Gatehouse Media Inc. has had its lines of credit reduced by $35 million through an amended loan agreement with its lenders.

[snip]

As of Sept. 30, Gatehouse had roughly $1 billion in debt on its books.

GateHouse owns the Peoria Journal Star, the Peoria Times-Observer and many other daily and weekly newspapers in the Peoria area.

Hat tip: Turner report.

UPDATE: Now I am told that the segment will run locally at 7:30 a.m.

A heads-up from my inbox: A profile on U.S. Rep Aaron Schock will be airing tomorrow morning, Friday Feb. 27, on NBC’s “Today Show” at 7:30 EST/6:30 CST.

TMZ is that celebrity gossip site that devotes a ton of attention to which celebrities aren’t wearing underpants. The occasionally tend their paparazzi to stalk politicians and ask them lame questions. Today’s victim is Aaron Schock, who was declared by the Huffington Post to be the hotest freshman Congressman. TMZ is hot on the story, but Congressman Schock just smiles and gives ‘em that insincere-sounding laugh. And he asked them to contact his office for a more formal interview. Methinks he misses the whole point behind TMZ. They don’t give a rat’s ass about sit-down interviews about policy. They want to know if Aaron’s gettin’ his groove on.