The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

18 January 2007

Entercom, Jennifer Strange Death, David Field, Personal Politics

NO REMORSE?

Entercom CEO Reveals Real Priority: Politics






*** Update below: Strange's family suing Entercom ***

Several days after the death of a young Sacramento mother of three caused by a moronic radio contest, why hasn't the company's top manager personally apologized?

So far, Entercom CEO David Field has apparently said nothing, remaining as brash as ever and placing his personal political agenda above all else. More on that in a moment.


To this point, we've seen Entercom respond to the crisis by firing ten local staffers, without regard for whether all of them actually had the power to stop KDND- FM's now- infamous water- drinking contest. In addition, statements have seemingly emerged only from the firm's Sacramento office, rather than corporate headquarters in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

As a result, it's quite clear who's been thrown under the bus here, with no concept of corporate responsibility for the actions of its stations. And now, with the wagons circling around Entercom, it's hard to imagine how the company's damaged reputation could ever recover.

With a homicide investigation now underway, tapes of the program have emerged as well and they don't paint a pretty picture. In fact, it seems clear KDND's morning jocks knew the contest could have dangerous results. In today's San Francisco Chronicle, columnist C W Nevius has a damning assessment of what occurred in Cow Town.


So what has Field instead been up to? Yesterday, he visited Entercom's Seattle operations, where it was announced that the KIRO- AM host who has recently called for Bush Administration executions (though he now denies it) will see his airtime doubled.

So this is what again comes first: Field's personal political agenda, as extreme, angry and defiant as ever. At SaveWRKO, Matt Margolis previously outlined some of Field's recent partisan contributions.

Between the recent hiring of a convicted felon to host WRKO/ Boston's morning drive show, the arrest of a WWL/ New Orleans talker on murder charges, a previous KIRO host's arrest on insurance fraud charges and Entercom getting caught up in New York State's payola investigation, in addition to these new flaps, Field seems eager to see his company self- destruct.

But why? That's something only the man himself could answer, if only he would address his company's rapidly- escalating crisis. In the meantime, Entercom's shareholders, as well as Wall Street's media sector analysts, should be asking tough questions.


UPDATE: Strange's family intends to sue Entercom, according to MSNBC:

Those comments, and others made during the Jan. 12 “Morning Rave” radio show, appeared to give little regard to the risk of water intoxication — until a woman died just hours after imbibing nearly two gallons in the contest.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department launched a criminal investigation into the incident, and attorneys for the family of Jennifer Lea Strange said they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the radio station.

The county coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicate Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, died of water intoxication.

DJs allegedly joked about dangers

Authorities decided to pursue the investigation after listening to a tape of the show, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, during which DJs joked about the possible dangers of consuming too much water, sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said. At one point, the DJs even alluded to a college student who died during a similar stunt in 2005.

JUST IN: Entercom trades away news/talkers KIRO-AM and KTTH to Bonneville International, according to All Access. This is excellent news for Seattle and station staffers!

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Images: Field at opening bell: NYSE, Strange: CBS 13/ Sacramento

20 Comments:

  • Frankly, this post seems far more politically driven then anything coming out of this Entercom entity...

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 18 January, 2007 11:12  

  • You are really stretching it here. Unreal. Get a grip, you are twisting and turning, spinnig away like I have never seen before. wow!

    Classic right wing spin. Reminds me of the latest spin on Pulosi and her wine vineyard, the right wing hack show hosts are shrieking "she hired non-union workers", nobody in her company has ever bargined for union representation and an owner of a vineyard in the state of Ca, can not make union decisions for the workers, it is against the laws. The hack talk show hoste omitted this fact.
    or the latest FIS spin, conservative hack show hosts are shrieking " ohio appeals court declared t constitutional", that is a distortion, the Cincinatti court declared the administration can continue their program while the original Detroit ruling was up for appeal. On Mark Levin last night he blatently LIED about this, an overt LIE. He completly distorted the facts. This kind of bull must be stopped.

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 12:43  

  • or the latest FIS spin

    FISA spin, excuse me typo. I just presented to you 2 blaten right wing distortions on the radio. Any comments Maloney? PCD? Anyone?

    Your satisfied with talk show hosts presenting half truths and complete lies ?

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 12:46  

  • "personal politics" had nothing to do with the woman's death, rather poor radio, stupid contests and poor management.The CEO extending a talk show who is anti-Bush is completly unrelated to the death, maybe the host has good ratings
    Vince Marinello a former sports host who may have killed his wife, has nothing to do with politics, and Tom Finneran is a Republican conservative who was convicted of fraud.
    How does this tie in to the CEO's supposed "personal politics". It does not. This is one of the silliest posts in a while Brian. you can't help yourself can you?

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 13:24  

  • Always fun to get you guys so worked up.

    It's about priorities, that's the connection between the two stories. Field is not handling Strange's death the way he should. Instead his focus is on rewarding extremism.

    Thankfully, there will probably be no place for this kind of lefty hate radio under the new ownership.

    By Blogger Brian Maloney, at 18 January, 2007 13:28  

  • Correction: Tom Finneran is a Democrat, but an extreme conservative who refersd to most democrats "loony left". He is a far right Democrat in name only. Don't be fooled by Maloney's spin !!!!!!! The "D" next to his name meand nothing, he is an anti-Minority, prto-death penalty, CONSERVATIVE


    gotchaaaa! finnerman is not a "liberal". fo your homework when reading Brian's silly blog

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 13:33  

  • Brian, nothing 2 say aboit the Lie I caught Levin in last night? Or the Pulosi spin????

    come on now!
    I'm destroying you my friend with facts

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 13:36  

  • Sorry, Finneran's nickname is "Tommy Taxes". He's a liberal tax-and-spender who blew off a voter-endorsed state income tax cut several years back.

    YOU need to do your homework.

    By Blogger Brian Maloney, at 18 January, 2007 13:37  

  • Rewarding extremism??
    ABC did that by putting levin on 90 stations, he is an extremist

    Talk radio networks did that too by putting Savage on all over America.

    You can't dispute this

    and ann Coulter called for Clinton's execution..... Guess it was not extreme to you when it was a president you did not like ??? huh???

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 13:39  

  • He is a conservative Democrat, everybody knows this. He refered to the other democrats as "loony left". He tried to shut out minorities in his re-discticting scam. He is a CONSERVATIVE.

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 13:42  

  • Thanks to Finneran, Mass. taxpayers
    have to fork over $150 every year
    that by rights they shouldn't have to
    (voters wanted tax rate to go down to 5 per cent). Though one poss. good
    thing about Finneran, IIRC, is that he
    helped to strike down a plan for a
    taxpayer-funded Patriots stadium
    in downtown Boston. Though a 1998

    Boston Globe article
    says that
    Finneran's hatred for the Patriots'
    owner, etc., may have been a factor... (Also: "According to that theory, Finneran was determined to thwart Kraft because the owner's wife, Myra, was an ally of Richard Voke, whom Finneran defeated to become speaker.")

    At the time the article was written,
    the Patriots were planning to move to Hartford. That deal fell apart
    when the state couldn't promise to have the site ready in time, so
    Kraft would up building a privately
    funded stadium in Foxboro, but
    with some publicly funded
    infrastructure.

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 18 January, 2007 14:49  

  • A page from
    Citizens for Ltd. Taxation and Govt.
    site describing a victory
    in which Tommy Taxes wound up giving up on a "pay raise power grab" he
    wanted. CLTG's Barbara Anderson,
    a supporter of smaller govt./lower taxes, was part of "The Governors",
    a regular segment of the Jerry Williams Show years ago on WRKO.
    The other "Governor" was...Howie Carr.

    By Blogger raccoonradio, at 18 January, 2007 14:52  

  • Anybody to the right of Stalin would be considered a conservative to MOP.

    By Blogger Capitalist Infidel, at 18 January, 2007 15:01  

  • You buried the lead on this one.

    .So what has Field instead been up to? Yesterday, he visited Entercom's Seattle operations, where it was announced that the KIRO- AM host who has recently called for Bush Administration executions (though he now denies it) will see his airtime doubled..

    Who cares what Field is doing at KIRO? What kind of twisted logic are you using to tie this to the tragic circumstances in Sacramento? Didn't you hear the latest news? KIRO is being sold by Entercom to Bonneville. I thought you stayed on top of these things.

    By Blogger barooosk, at 18 January, 2007 16:00  

  • Jeez. Maloney, you got damaged on here today. Your theory is totally destroyed, the guy has had no political motivations, the station seems to be sold anyway!

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 16:28  

  • It's fun to see a few of you in such a tizzy today!

    I must be on to something here.

    By Blogger Brian Maloney, at 18 January, 2007 16:39  

  • your whole post was embarissingly wrong, I'm having a blast watching your whole theory being smashed to pieces.
    Funny you haven't debunked anything I said, nor have you respondedto the reality of the station you are shrieking about being sold, Fields will have nothing to do with KIRO, punctured huge holes in your rediculous post. Jeez Maloney, I have never watched a spinnig con sink so fast.

    By Blogger Minister of Propaganda, at 18 January, 2007 17:59  

  • You'd think a minister of propaganda would have a better grasp of such basic tools of his trade as spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Please slow down, take a breath, and read it back before you click Publish. (You're welcome.)

    By Blogger Jim Treacher, at 18 January, 2007 20:31  

  • Ninister of poop,

    You are a total putz. You need a shrink and a long stay in Bellevue.

    If I had a tape of my "Bully Pulpit" segment on John Carlson's show, I'd submit it to the new KIRO owners and pitch an "Equal Time" show to them.

    By Blogger PCD, at 19 January, 2007 08:28  

  • Why is Jennifer Strange not responsible for her actions in this case? She should have researched the rules of the contest and the possible effects it could have on her. Also, when she was not feeling well she should have quit. She should have thought about what could have happened as a result of competing. I hope that the family does not receive a single cent from this but if they do I hope they enjoy their Wii.

    By Blogger katrina, at 26 January, 2007 10:46  

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