Radio-Info.com

Elvis Duran of New York's Z100/WHTZ/100.3 adds Clear Channel's WAKS-FM (96.5) in Cleveland as their 4th morning affiliate. Elvis can also be heard on Philadelphia's WIOQ-FM (102.1) & Blairstown, NJ's WHCY-FM (106.3) ... KLUV-FM (98.7) in Dallas adds the Tom Kent Show for evenings ... Add Dayton, Ohio's WMMX-FM (107.7) as the newest home for John Tesh, for evenings ... Willoughby, Ohio's WELW-AM (1330) in suburban Cleveland is the latest Laura Ingraham affiliate. The conservative talker was recently dropped by Salem-owned WHK-AM (1420).

It's official - Kristin Cruz moves up the I-5 from KYXY in San Diego to become the new co-host with Mark Wallengren on KOST-FM (103.5) in Los Angeles. She's been a semi-regular at KOST since May ... Yes, that was presidential candidate Barack Obama chatting live on Thursday's Rocky & Rod's Radio Ranch morning show on WDGG-FM (93.7) in Ashland, Kentucky ... WIBB-AM (1280) in Macon, Georgia debuts a new talk show Monday morning, featuring Clear Channel director of urban programming Todd Haygood & former Macon City Council President Anita Ponder ... Global Traffic Network adds former Metro Traffic & Traffic.com's Perry Campayno as their US National Sales Manager ...  WYPY-FM (100.7) in Baton Rouge is the new radio home for the Louisiana State University men's basketball team ... The University of Michigan hockey games will be found on CKWW-AM (580) for another season ... "New Jersey 101.5" WKXW-FM, Trenton PD Eric Johnson tells Radio-Info that Michelle Pilenza will return to her "After Hours" night program on Monday, following 3-months off for maternity leave.   

Their slogan is "Playing what we want," but they'll be doing so with someone new at the helm. Radio-Info confirms a news tip that KJAQ-FM (96.5) PD Jim Trapp has exited the CBS-owned Jack-FM station in Seattle. While no permanent replacement has been named, Carey Curelop, the PD of sister-station KZOK-FM (102.5), will oversee KJAQ for now. 

He's the EVP for finance & operations, and he's leaving the NAB, perhaps to  return to a private consulting business. Williams leaves his post after 22 months, thanking his team and colleagues in an email. There were rumors he was leaving due to friction with broadcasters on music rights - however, Williams told Broadcasting & Cable the rumors are "just not so." No replacement has been named at the association run by David Rehr

The only good news here is that the vandals who took a log skidder for a joyride didn't get electrocuted. Police in Williamsport, Pennsylvania say the bad guys crashed a large, commercial vehicle used for logging into a building housing the transmitter for WILQ-FM (105,1) during the overnight hours on Thursday. "Country 105," a 9,200-watt Class B station, is now broadcasting at one-tenth power, and it may have to stay that way for a month until repairs are completed. You can see the damage caused by the vandals in this WNEP-TV news report by clicking here.

One's a popular brand of alcohol - the other is a radio brand, and the alcohol isn't happy. V&S Vin&Spirit, the Swedish parent company of Absolut Vodka, filed a lawsuit against Absolute Radio for trademark infringement and misrepresentation. The vodka maker claims "there is an obvious risk of confusion between Absolut vodka and Absolute Radio." An Absolute Radio spokesperson told the Guardian newspaper, "We absolutely believe the two brands can exist alongside each other and that our 5 million listeners can distinguish between a vodka brand and a radio station." The Virgin Radio brand was renamed Absolute Radio after the purchase by the Times of India in June. Sir Richard Branson holds the name rights to Virgin Radio. 

KTLK-FM (100.3) conservative talker Chris Baker is no stranger to controversy - He recently called presidential candidate Barack Obama "a little bitch." However, it was Wednesday's show with fellow K-Talk host Langdon Perry that raised the ire of basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson - when they said the former NBA star "faked AIDS." Johnson, who retired in 1991 after disclosing he had contracted HIV, released a statement saying, "I am outraged Chris Baker & Langdon Perry would minimize such a serious and deadly issue." The Minneapolis Star Tribune has a transcript of the comments here. Discuss It

Bonneville previously announced plans to blow up the current rhythmic AC format on WMVN (101.1) and go all-sports in early 2009 - and the market thought it might go all-Christmas, as an attention-getting stunt. But the midnight-Thursday leap into Santa's sleigh probably caught everybody by surprise. Two years ago, a station in Atlantic City went Christmas on Halloween, but this year's "First all-Christmas Station" title easily goes to Movin' in St. Louis.  Discuss It

The overseas stations in Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Belgium still represent a small portion of the company, but that's where the recent growth has come from. CEO Jeff Smulyan says U.S. radio revenues fell 8.4% for June-July-August, because of Emmis' exposure to conditions in the largest markets. The Emmis big-market clusters under-performed their peers, with Emmis-New York down 14%, versus the market's -7%, and Los Angeles down 13%, versus the average 11% drop. Companywide, national business was off 13% and local lost 14%. Emmis publishing - mainly its city magazines - was down, and overall, fiscal Q2 revenues slipped 1.5% to $94.2 million But operating income was roughly flat, as Emmis shut down its L.A. "Tu Ciudad Los Angeles" publication and begins to enjoy the cash from selling off its final TV station. In fact, the money from divesting New Orleans TV outlet WVUE will help pay the innovative quarterly bonuses for about 60 executives, whose actual salary was reduced greatly starting September 1. And CEO Smulyan's happy that his people beat the First Call estimate on revenues. See how Wall Street treats the "EMMS" stock, here.

ENGLAND:  London's Smooth Radio (102.2) PD Gavin McCoy is leaving the building after just 18 months, his job becoming redundant due to GMG Radio's consolidation ... Absolute Radio - the former Virgin Radio - kicks off a $3.71 million 6-week TV ad campaign ... Morning drive DJ Kev Seed of Radio City (96.7) in Liverpool was suspended after he was busted for alleged drunk driving ... AUSTRALIA:  Sydney's 2GB morning host Alan Jones will stay with the top-rated station until 2013 with a new contract that includes a $4.5 million payment to cover stock options ... CANADA:  Broadcast regulators approved Kitchener, Ontario's CKKW-AM (1090) move to 99.5FM ... Peterborough, Ontario's CKRU was granted approval to move to the FM band Discuss It ... On the ratings front - in Edmonston, Astral Media's rock station, CFBR-FM (100.3) overtakes country music CISN-FM (103.9) and all news/talk CHED-AM (630) to take the top spot in the July & August ratings, with an 11.6 share. 

Roy Hollander is an attorney who recently sued to stop "Ladies Nights" at clubs in New York City, an effort which a judge tossed out of court. The self-described anti-feminist attorney appeared in August on the Opie & Anthony Show, and will now be heading back to court - this time to sue O&A sidekick & comedian Jim Norton for calling Hollander, "a dumb (expletive) who wants to have sex with chickens." The New York Daily News says Norton also called Hollander a "(expletive) whore," among other comments. Hollander fired back at Norton, saying he "wastes much of his empty life trying to revolt people."Discuss It

It appears the heirarchy at Westwood One is putting their money where their mouth is, buying stock while the company remains at Wall Street historic lows. New CFO Rod Sherwood bought 1,250,000 shares, CEO Thomas Beusse 375,000 shares, and COO Steve Kalin 250,000 shares - all at 40 cents per share. Westwood One also announced it's talking to banks about refinancing debt coming due next year, with a bank loan due in February and $50 million in principal of senior secured notes due 11 months from now. Said CEO Beusse, "We are very focused on our revenue improvement initiatives and debt refinancing requirements, and are preparing to hit the ground running in 2009."

Brian Burns returns to radio as Cumulus Media's new PD at hot AC WJLQ, Pensacola, FL (100.7) ... Brian Check is Clear Channel's new OM for the Philadelphia cluster, succeeding Thea Mitchem, who's now overseeing CC programming in Washington-Baltimore. Kashon Powell rises from the APD/Music Director role at one of the six stations there - urban "Power 99" WUSL (98.9). He's the new PD. While Tracy Austin, back from two years programming in Australia, is the enw PD at Clear Channel CHR "Q102" WIOQ (102.1) ... Radio-Info confirms that Bonneville-owned KPKX-FM (98.7) in Phoenix has cut ties with longtime PD Joel Grey. No replacement named.  Discuss It ... Access 1-owned WTAA-AM (1490) in Pleasantville/Atlantic City, NJ drops Air America for Bustos Media's Regional Mexican format.