March 7th, 2010 
joel I’d like to express sincere gratitude for the faithful P&T readers and contributors who have filled in the gap on this site over the past two weeks. Commenters have kept us in the loop on the latest staffing changes, breaking news, and more.
Thank you for being the reason that this blog continues as a successful connecting point for the Erie media community.
Your contributions appreciated on this open forum through comments below, private email, or Twitter.
Embrace the chaos!
February 22nd, 2010 joel In our Super Bowl ad poll, P&T readers matched the sentiments of the nation in general in their love for the Betty White/Abe Vigota ad. Quick…what was the product the spot advertised?
I’m shining the light on the newspaper biz a bit this week starting with a poll about your consumption of the primary news operation in Erie: the Erie Times-News. How often do you read it, and do you spend any money to get it?
How often do you buy or read Erie Times-News content?
Total Voters: 63
Loading ... February 21st, 2010 joel Ask any blogger that gets even marginal readership; you are bound to get called some names or just deal with some weird stuff. Come to think of it, weirdness is attracted to all media like metal shavings to that bald guy’s head in that old 5 & 10 game we used to have when we were kids.
One pirate radio listserv dude called P&T “FCC-loving” and “bootlicking.” That’s too funny! FCC obeying, yes. Loving? Not even a slight attraction.
Like most bloggers, I use a program to block comment spam (I’ve received over 12,000 spam comments since the beginning). Sometimes the creativity used to try to get past the spam filter is quite cute. Favorite of the week: “Gday thanks regarding your page. I truly adore your web page. Its really informative.” I know I might be adorable, but adoring the P&T…really?
Leave your adorable comments in the space below (no spam please) or through e-mail or tweet @pressandtower.
By the way, if you think you been following me for several months now, make sure you still are following @pressandtower for media tweets. I run two Twitter feeds now, changing my old account to @JoelNatalie for all around professional and personal tweets, and creating a new @pressandtower just for the media stuff. Sorry about any confusion.
Embrace the chaos!
February 18th, 2010 joel Now that the FCC has identified Marshall Jones as operating a radio station without a license, he is telling his story to Erie’s mainstream media.
Last night on WJET/WFXP, John Treanor reported a package on Jones where they showed that he continues to operate the station with a computer, some microphones and a transmitter connected to a small mast at the top of a building in Erie’s Little Italy neighborhood. Despite the possiblity of major penalties, Treanor reports that Jones is determined to continue with 90.1 The Movement:
But Jones, a former Super Soul Saturday DJ, tells us he can’t stop – if he’s not on air, a whole genre would disappear in the city.
“The question always remained, why don’t we have this 24 hours a day, what do we have to do to do it and basically I went ahead and said let’s see what happens, you know what I mean,” says Jones…
…Jones is staying on air as long as he can before getting fined – his dream is to make the movement legal.
“I have to I have to go forward and see what it is that has to be done to make this happen,” Jones says.
This morning (Thursday), David Bruce continues his reporting on the pirate radio stations in the Times-News, complete with pictures of Jones’s operation. Bruce describes the chain of events leading to the sign-on:
A club disc jockey and former announcer at Gannon University’s WERG-FM, Jones said that he started broadcasting in October because there wasn’t enough urban music being played in Erie.“Blacks, whites, Hispanics all had a major concern about the type of music played in Erie 24/7,” Jones said. “It was my mission to get this station up and running.”Jones said that he started broadcasting at the low-frequency limits, then increased power.“The response from people was so strong that I just turned it up,” Jones said. “Then someone ratted me out to the FCC.”One problem was that Jones’ signal was intruding on the signals of other, licensed, radio stations, said A.J. Miceli, who oversees WERG as Gannon University’s chairman of theater, communications and fine arts.
Posted in Radio 
Tags: A.J. Miceli, David Bruce, Erie, Erie Times-News, FCC, Gannon University, GoErie.com, John Treanor, Marshall Jones, pirate radio, WERG, WFXP, WJET, YourErie.com 
7 Comments » February 16th, 2010 joel Two Notices of Unlicensed Operation were issued on February 2nd by David Viglione, Resident Agent of the Buffalo office of the FCC and are now posted on the Commission’s site. You read the text of the NOUO’s by clicking on each link:
The notices indicated that the operators had to cease operation immediately and that such violation of Federal law…
could subject the operator to severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary fines, in rem arrest action against the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment.
All of the rationalizations and justifications tend to fade away in the clarity of the FCC seal and citing of United States Code.
February 8th, 2010 joel Some 86% of our poll respondents thought that it would take at least three years, if ever, for local HDTV to arrive in Erie. Meanwhile we will just endure the standard def news and commercial cutaways.
A shocking yet exciting win for the New Orleans Saints last night in the Super Bowl.
It is also the Super Bowl of television advertising, with businesses spending between $2.5 and $3 million per placement. I missed having Pepsi in on the party, but there was some good creative here.
Here was my favorite, from Audi (always loved Cheap Trick!):
What was yours?
Of the USA Today top 10, what was your favorite Super Bowl ad?
Total Voters: 40
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Deep Background for March 14-20, 2010
As I write this I’m watching one of my all-time favorite movies, “Broadcast News
.” It’s funny how the issues of downsizing and symbolism over substance were primary then as in now. The characters of the film are brilliant, especially the quintessentially annoying Albert Brooks character.
We accept the brilliant and annoying on Erie media in this open forum. Leave a comment, e-mail or tweet.
Embrace the chaos!