Twenty Points To Ponder (Part II) Joey Reynolds Goes Viral Music City GSM Sought In “Gig Alerts”

Avoid These Mistakes – In part two of our series on “Twenty Points To Ponder” veteran programmer and Red Zebra Radio CEO Bruce Gilbert reveals 10 more mistakes Talk radio hosts often make that can stunt their success potential.

All Night Delight – Legendary radio personality Joey Reynolds now has his very own viral video on YouTube. Details on page two.

New Midwest Talker Debuts – A former Oldies outlet debuts new call letters and a Talk Radio Network-heavy lineup on Monday. Details on page two.

Read it all here in NTS MediaOnline Weekly.

While we often encourage readers to “steal this idea” from a story on a great station promotion, here’s one we suggest you do not touch with a 10-foot pole! WVNN/Huntsville, AL host Dale Jackson (pictured) posted a fake news release on the station’s website — even going so far as to use the official Alabama State Seal with the release — telling voters who planned to vote for Democrat Laura Hall in Tuesday’s special election for the Alabama State Senate to wait to vote until Wednesday due to expected overcrowding at the polls. OK, so we’ve all heard this tired old joke before, so no one would possibly take it seriously, right? Wrong. Hall lost the special election to Republican Paul Sanford and now State Attorney General Troy King is investigating the incident because use of the official State Seal could be a violation of state law that could result in Jackson being charged with a felony. A conviction on that charge could result in a 10-year prison sentence. The talk host defends his actions in the Huntsville Times, saying it was an obvious “parody” and that it’s “absurd” to think that anyone would take it seriously. While Democrats are naturally upset over the prank, Alabama Republican party officials are also pretty angry about Jackson’s so-called joke. “We don’t do stuff like this,” the party’s Communications Director Philip Bryan told the Times. “This is not a laughing matter for anybody. This is sad.” Read the Times’ full coverage HERE.

(UPDATE: June 12, 2009): Huntsville, Alabama’s WAAY-TV reports Dale Jackson has been suspended for the above detailed prank. WAAY, which shares a news partnership with Cumulus-owned WVNN, says the company has suspended the morning host without pay for one week, begining Monday, June 15th.

A post to the NTS MediaOnline website late yesterday detailed the contents of a letter sent by Talk Radio Network host Michael Savage to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured) asking the PM to intercede on Savage’s behalf to have the talk host’s name removed from that now infamous list of individuals banned from traveling to the U.K. Read our full story HERE … Saga Communications Des Moines studios and offices were evacuated yesterday when a package leaking white powder was delivered to the front desk. Turns out the powder was simply cookie mix sent with a press release from the Iowa State Fair … Xtreme Radio hosted by Stephen Baldwin and Kevin McCullough pacts with Florida-based Sun Radio Network to handle national sales and affiliation for the weekly syndicated talk show that currently airs on a reported 180 affiliates nationwide.

KCBQ/San Diego evening host Rick Amato (pictured) reports he’ll dedicate one show every month to raising awareness and money for severely wounded veterans’ causes. “There is a tremendously important story that has gone virtually untold by the media, ignored by our political leaders and is unknown to the American public,” says Amato. “America’s severely wounded veterans are enduring humiliating financial hardships of epic proportions — home evictions, utility shutoffs, car repossessions and home foreclosures are commonplace. Spouses have to give up their jobs to become caregivers, cutting family incomes by 50% or more. Most disabled vets receive much less in compensation and benefits than they did while on active duty, reducing household incomes even further.” Learn more on this topic and how you can help Amato raise awareness on the growing problem HERE.

ABC News Radio correspondent Andrea Dresdale (center) gets this souvenir pic for her office wall posing with the Black Eyed Peas. The band paid a visit to the network’s New York City studios to chat about their newly released CD, The E.N.D.

“Show me a Talk radio host that’s never gotten a complaint, or pissed off a listener, and I’ll show you a host with a 0.0. share.” So says longtime Talk programmer and current Red Zebra Radio CEO Bruce Gilbert in the second installment of our two-part series, Twenty Points To Ponder. Also on Gilbert’s list of some of the biggest mistakes Talk radio hosts make that can stunt their success: Open phones segments. “If you think open phones makes good radio, please learn how to sell cars,” he says. Read more of Gilbert’s insights only in the June 12 edition of NTS MediaOnline Weekly, arriving in your inbox tomorrow morning.