» All-News Rocks In PPM: We received a number of emails from PD's at all-newsers in PPM markets noting promising trends for the format under electronic measurement. "I was blown away by the PPM numbers in the November book released today," says CBS Radio News VP Harvey Nagler."For the first time in my memory New York's two All-News stations -- WCBS-AM and WINS -- are number one and two in morning drive, with a combined 14.4 share and a weekly cume of over 2.7 million listeners!" Meanwhile, WTOP/Washington widened it's overall market lead and finished number one 25-54 in every daypart. VP/News and Programming Jim Farley credits the station's success to, "The perfect storm: the hottest political campaign of a lifetime and the financial meltdown at the same time. The PPM methodology, unlike the previous flawed diary system, measured actual listening, instead of what people thought they listened to."

» Chicago, Philly All-Newsers Also Shine: At WBBM-AM/Chicago PD Ron Gleason credits the basic benchmarks of news, traffic, sports, weather and business for the station's PPM success and was also ecstatic about being able to see actual measurement of the station's November election night coverage. "In both 12-plus and 25-54 we were number one by a landslide," he says. "We were also solidly number one the next morning in both demos. We could never pinpoint such a pop in the diaries." KYW/Philadelphia finished number one 12-plus and number two 25-54 in morning drive and also posted a number two 12-plus score for the total week, just three-tenths of a share behind the market's number one station. PD Steve Butler reports that PPM has revealed that, "Typically, one out of every four residents -- not just listeners -- of the Philadelphia area tune to KYW each week. In the 35-plus demo that increases to one out of every three listeners."

» Beck Bags Big Apple: Nationally syndicated talker Glenn Beck joins the weekday lineup at WOR/New York beginning January 5. The Premiere Radio Networks host will air live on the station from 9-11am sandwiched between longtime WOR personalities John Gambling and Joan Hamburg. Missing the cut in the new lineup for the New Year is Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly and WOR's Food Talk with Michael Colemeco. It's the second major lineup addition announced this week at the Buckley Radio NYC flagship which will also add United Stations Radio Networks Lou Dobbs Show on January 5.

» KURV Launches National Petition Drive: The BMP-owned Brownsville-McAllen, TX News/Talker has started a nationwide petition asking for President Bush to commute the sentences of U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean before he leaves office in January. "KURV believes that these decorated agents have been punished long enough for the shooting of an admitted and now convicted drug smuggling illegal alien," notes the petition. To learn more about the story behind the agents' imprisonment and to add your name to the petition, log on to www.kurv.com and click on the Ramos/Compean Commutation of Sentence Petition link.

In Tomorrow's NTS Aircheck Weekly: Making Waves: Radio On The Verge, is a new book by Mercury Media Research president/founder Mark Ramsey that is doing just what its title suggests. Get a sample of what marketing experts outside of radio think about our industry and get their unvarnished insights on what radio absolutely must do to remain a player in the media world of tomorrow. It's all in the December 5 edition of NTS Aircheck Weekly arriving in your inbox tomorrow morning!

Thanks For The Memories: World Series MVP and Philadelphia Phillies pitching ace Cole Hamels (l) pauses for a Kodak moment with former WPEN/Philadelphia Station Manager Bob DeBlois at the recently held Philadelphia Sports Fan Choice Awards. Like Hamels, DeBlois is looking forward to his next starting assignment and you can reach him HERE.

» Department Of Corrections: A correction on yesterday's (12/3) item regarding new Radio America Roger Hedgecock Show producer Brett Winterble: He was most recently producer for the Michael Reagan Show and is a past producer for Rush Limbaugh. Radio America VP/Programming Michael Packer also notes that Winterble, "has a strong record in Talk radio production." Winterble will replace Jimmy Valentine when Hedgecock's KOGO/San Diego-based show goes national in January.