Photo by Peggy Archer/LAist That white square thing behind the billboard is a generator. That's right--not only are these bright digital billboards annoying as hell and have the potential to cause accidents, but they're also using up fuel and polluting the air with the generators. Thanks billboard industry. Thanks a lot.......

LA's airwaves have been blessed with legendary personalities over the years - Chick Hearn, Vin Scully, Jim Ladd, and Rodney on the Roq just to name a few. Just as important was Richard Blade who for decades educated LA over KROQ's air by spreading the good news of Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Duran Duran, The Cure and so many of our favorites from the '80s when KROQ ruled the world. His "Flashback Lunch" hour......

With the upcoming new season of American Idol and America’s addiction to Guitar Hero, the comedic geniuses of Epic Records discovered a newer way for people to humiliate themselves in hopes of discovering true talent. The online video competition created by Music Nation, a New York City-based artist development company, is hanging a recording deal with Epic Records on the line. Musicians can create an artist page containing uploaded videos, which will be entered......

"We need to ban billboard blight in Los Angeles as we strive to make our city greener and more livable!" ~ CBBB The answer is yes according to the CBBB. The Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight says that Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed "to settle a lawsuit that would allow hundreds of new or illegal billboards to get permits; allow second billboards on existing structures; and allow high-tech, digital billboards which can display......

Is LA really that tough of a market that no one can stand out as the perfect fit in morning radio? Is it really that hard to entertain the infamous Los Angeles morning commute? With billboards in LA proclaiming him The King of Free Media, and with KLAC's station manager calling him not just the future of radio but proclaiming that "there is not a more talented performer on the air today," starting Monday,......

Some say he was fired, some say he quit, either way John Mainelli no longer works at the NY Post after it was revealed that there may have been a conflict of intrest when he printed rumors about Howard Stern wanting to return to censored radio. Howard Stern may be coming back to earth - on WPLJ or WABC. Radio insiders are reporting rampant rumors that the shock jock will "do an Opie &......

This morning on the Howard Stern Show the king of all media read a statement written by a former Clear Channel radio personality who is now on a mission to get Stern a star on Hollywood Blvd. In the statement, "Mad Radio Show" host Wayne Perry concludes that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce charges $15,000 to nominate someone for a star, but he suggests they raise about twice that to persuade the decision-making. Howard......

couldn't happen to a skeezier industry: The FCC has launched the biggest radio payola investigation in 45 years. Clear Channel, CBS, Entercom and Citadel Broadcasting are being investigated for taking bribes for playing crappy music. OK, the FCC didn't specify "crappy," but when you have to pay somebody to get your records played on the radio, that's part of the problem. slippery and sneaky: They've set out the bait for Reggie the alligator at......

Had enough Anthony Pellicano stories yet? The LA Times hasn't. Once again the bug-happy private investigator leads the California section. A quick search of the LAT site comes up with 22 hits for "Pellicano" and just 4 for NSA. Is eavesdropping on Sly Stallone that much more important than the feds domestic wiretapping scandal? Bad news for Clear Channel employees (other than the fact they they've been working for one of the more evil......

We heard a familiar voice on the radio while flipping through the radio dial last night. No, it wasn’t the ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest or even Rick Dees (count your blessings). It was Lisa Foxx, Seacrest’s old partner on Star 98.7. For those not around to remember, she was the one who kept him tolerable on that show; they seemed to actually like each other, which is a seemingly rare thing in radio and TV......

If you're listening ever so closely to Star 98.7 these days, they've slightly shifted formats, combining "Real Star Variety" with -- drumroll please -- '80s music. (Like we didn't get enough "totally '80s" weekends). Further down the radio dial, the "new" KBIG 104.3 has switched to a playlist that includes today's best music, some dance stuff and -- ready for this -- '80s music. (Both are owned by radio industry giant Clear Channel -......

Much to the relief of local blue-staters, Air America returns to LA radio starting tomorrow on 1150AM. And ostensibly they are invited to be a part of the live studio audience during Al Franken's 9 AM show on Monday Feb 7th. Why ostensibly? Because you're supposed to rsvp your request to brentblough@clearchannel.com. And we're just having a hard time putting Al Franken and (cough) in the same sentence. (Clear Channel, Clear Channel, Clear Channel)......

It's official. At least as official as anything Stern says on his morning radio show (on 97.1 FM in Los Angeles). But today Stern confirmed on-air that in 15 months, when his contract with Infinity Broadcasting ends, he will be leaving the company to start a new radio show to be broadcast solely on Sirius Broadcasting's satellite radio. For Stern, this means a future of radio broadcasting where the FCC cannot penalize Stern for......