Radio-Info.com

Chapter 11 is reorganization and protection from creditors - but Chapter 7 often means selling off assets, and in this case, it's an involuntary petition filed against Pappas personally. His Pappas Telecasting had filed for Chapter 11 status for 13 of its 30 TV stations last Friday, but now the Fresno Bee says lenders Fortress Credit Opportunities, Ableco Finance and Silver Oak Capital want the court to appoint an interim trustee to protect their interests. That's because Pappas and his wife had personally guaranteed $30 million of a $284 million loan they took out in March 2006. The question is how much of the Pappas Telecasting holdings will ultimately be affected - including San Francisco move-in KTRB (860) and its Modesto-market replacement station, KMPH at 840. Pappas can contest the involuntary Chapter 7 request, so there's more to come.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's plan passed the FCC on December 18 but has been getting bad reviews from public interest groups and some Congressional reps - and Thursday night, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to keep the Commission from implementing it. Bush has promised to veto such a bill, and the House has yet to vote. But Martin's idea of loosening up the 33-year-old ban on newspaper/broadcasting ownership, just for the top 20 markets, seems to be in peril. Opponents fear that the new policy's exception for markets outside the 20 largest markets will let big media swallow up local media, as Free Press puts it in a press release about the "astounding victory."

As the price at the pump seems to be growing exponentially, radio stations nationwide are getting creative with gas station promotions to steer listeners their way. Long Island's WBLI-FM (106.1) made headlines giving away gas for $1.06 a gallon, creating long lines of traffic into a Bay Shore, NY gas station and saving listeners nearly $3 a gallon. New Haven, Connecticut's WPLR-FM (99.1) will give listeners gas for 99 cents a gallon for 2 hours. Philadelphia's WBEN-FM (95.7) gave 95 listeners a free tank of gas on Tuesday, as long as their license plate contained any of the characters 9-7-5-B-E-N-F-M. KUSH-AM (1600) in Cushing, Oklahoma is holding the "Great Gas Giveaway." Last week, KHTN-FM (104.7) created a line 1 mile long in Merced, California by offering $25 in free gas for the first 50 cars to show up at a local filling station. KQDS-FM (94.9) sold gas in Duluth, Minnesota for 94.9 cents. And in Scottsdale, Arizona, KSLX-FM (100.7) will be giving away up to 12 gallons of free gas to the first 100 people who show up.

Howard J. Castay, President/GM of Urban AC KBZE (105.9) and Gospel KFRA (1390) just outside Baton Rouge, LA., claim his stations are the victim of no-urban dictates. He says the Blue Bayou Water Park and Dixie Landing Amusment Park--which has done business with the stations in the past--no longer want to reach his audience. In an open letter to Radio-Info.com readers, Castay says he spoke with Liz Harrison, Marketing Director for the parks, who told him "We have no interest in an African American audience." He calls all local African American consumers to voice their opnion by calling or emailing Blue Bayou. Castay also confirmed with local area newspaper The Louisiana Weekly and other urban stations in the Baton Rouge area, that the park is not currently, nor does it have any pending advertising planned with Urban outlets. The boards are buzzing about it here: Discuss It