» Larsen Speaks Out On Controversial Stunt: Veteran WWBA/Tampa talk host Mark Larsen stirred up a hornet's nest when he paid off a bet the day after Election Day by hosting his show in blackface makeup. Larsen says the bit wasn't meant to be a racial comment, he was merely delivering on a promise he'd made casually last winter when he said America would "never elect a guy named Hussein," and promised if they did, "I'll come in the next day in blackface." Larson told NTS Aircheck Today that until bloggers around the country picked up the story, he'd gotten no negative feedback from his local audience. "This was not directed at any particular individual, including Obama," he said. "This was just a local Talk jockey forced to eat crow and who doesn't subscribe to double standards -- like Dave Chappelle in whiteface lampooning white folks, or last night's episode of 30 Rock. It was a knuckleheaded and dopey stunt. I felt like I was in a clown suit." Asked if, in retrospect, he'd do it again Larsen replied, "No. I'll wear the clown suit."

» Sliwa Expands To West Coast: Longtime WABC/New York host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa adds another station to his quietly developing ABC Radio Networks syndicated show, adding co-owned News/Talker KABC/Los Angeles. Sliwa will air from midnight-3am, Tuesday-Saturday, beginning next week in a timeslot most recently held by the Dallas-based Midnight Radio Network. Already airing on Greater Media FM talker WTKK/Boston, Sliwa has also been hosting an early morning hour (5-6am) and two midday hours (10am-noon) at WABC since he and his former on-air partner Ron Kuby moved out of morning drive at Citadel's Gotham City News/Talker last year to make way for Don Imus.

» Post Pontificates On PPM: In an article in today's Washington Post the newspaper charges that Arbitron's switch from diaries to PPM in the market appears to have made stations with "predominantly African-American followings the biggest losers in the switch to a controversial new ratings system." Meanwhile, the Post also says that "stations that traditionally appeal to white audiences grew substantially, renewing suspicions that the new system has a racial bias." Commenting for the newspaper, WTOP/Washington VP/Programming and News Jim Farley says PPM is actually exposing flaws in how ratings have been collected for years, noting that minority stations often received higher ratings under the diary system because of "strong emotional ties" between the stations and their listeners that might have led them to overstate how often they listened. Farley tells the Post that the meters are passive and automatic and are simply "exposing these self-reporting errors." You can read the full story HERE.

» Krok TV: News/Talk WMAC/Macon morning host Chris Krok gets a shot at doing on-camera editorials at Macon CBS News television affiliate WMAZ during the station's nightly Eyewitness News broadcasts. The editorials will also be posted to Krok's website. In a separate story, Krok tells NTS Aircheck Today that a neighbor, who is a hospice worker, related a story to him about a local elderly man who's wife lay dying at home and who who had run out of money to pay their bills and heat their house. A quick on-air plea from Krok resulted in donations of nearly $2,000 from listeners, along with four space heaters, all in less than 10 minutes! "It shows the power of radio even in tough economic times," says Krok. "It also shows the good we can and should do on an individual level in this great medium."

» More For Your Money: With interest high in all things financial these days, ABC News Radio is introducing two new business reports beginning Monday (11/10). Wall Street Now is a new one-minute business report that will be offered three times daily, Monday through Friday. Hey, It's Your Money, hosted by ABCNR correspondent Richard Davies, will air each weekday offering a look at how the economy affects consumers and helpful tips on how to cope during tough economic times.

» Jeff Carrol Exits At Emmis/Austin: Most recently OM for the cluster that includes News/Talker KLBJ, Carrol has left the building after more than two and a half decades with the stations. The veteran programmer reports, "It was a budget reduction and we parted on good terms," and says he is actively seeking his next challenge. You can reach out to Jeff HERE.

» Last Call: As we end a week that has seen history made and political power shift in Washington and across the country, we offer this final advice for President-elect Barack Obama from the never-shy Mark Davis of WBAP/Dallas. "Ignore everyone who says you should govern from the center," writes Davis. "Screw the center. As a conservative, I want you to get together with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and haul out the best that liberalism has to offer. Be true to yourself. My side will be there with the best that conservatism has to offer, and we'll let Americans decide what they prefer."