Interim Illinois Central College president Dr. William Tammone has announced the termination of the school’s contract with Jeremy Styninger who owns the license for radio station WAZU-FM. That means all programming originating from ICC will end Wednesday, Sept. 30. And so “Breakfast with Royce and Roger,” a morning staple for many listeners since 2002 (off and on), goes silent. We’re scrambling to find another home, but most stations stick to their planned programming formats despite the proven popularity of our combination of talk, interviews, news, weather, sports, and music. As an example, Friday, Sept. 11, we were the only morning radio program to devote three hours to remembering 9/11 with interviews, news and music. While other stations played their usual music or had election interviews, we remembered the tragedy that unfolded 14 years ago. Highlight was the gripping interview with tower survivor Gary Griggs.
As I pack away my collection of some 400 CDs, warm thanks are extended to Bob Kelly and Larry Nelson of WOAM and Dr. John Irwin of Illinois Central College for putting “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” on the air. It was a huge success thanks to my late and great friend, Royce Elliott. His wit and comedic talents were second to none, unless it was to frequent guest, the late Jonathan Winters. People loved and laughed with our regulars like Pete Vonachen, George Shadid, Ken Goldin, Jim Ardis, Mike McCoy, Jerry Brady, Suzette Boulais, Harry Whitaker, Terry Knapp, Jim Bixby and many others. Thanks to sports guys Ed Dwyer, Ed Murphy, Mike Olson, Phil Salzer, Brian Hulin and Steve Young. Special thanks and hugs to co-host Alicia Butler who put up with all the guys and did it with style and grace and class. And she was the best morning news personality in the market. Great voice. Great delivery. Great grasp of news. The only person in the local news business who served in public office.
Anyway, it was a fun ride. The biggest and most important thanks go to our loyal listeners. Wherever we went, they jumped on board and went with us. God bless them all!
WARRIORS SCALPED
Woodruff High School alumni are not happy Warriors these days. Yes, we all know “we” lost our high school a few years ago in a ridiculous move to save money, money that was never saved. While that was reason alone to be unhappy, now alumni are angry because the Florida company that promised to print a directory for them has filed bankruptcy. Woodruff is among 43 high schools and 350 people who’ve filed complaints with the Florida attorney general against CEO Robert Laping and Alumni Research Inc. The attorney general has filed a lawsuit on behalf of schools in an effort to recoup money that was sent to Laping’s company. It appears Alumni Research failed to deliver directories for more than four years while continuing to collect money.
MEDIA NOTES
Peoria Journal scooped again! Yea! We wrote weeks ago about who would replace Darin LaHood once he was elected to take the 18th Congressional seat vacated by Aaron Schock. It was our lead story naming Ryan Spain as the choice of Governor Bruce Rauner. Weeks later the local newspaper picked up the story as well; not only late, but the writer fumbled details.
The League of Women Voters, made up of former disgruntled Democrat members of the Peoria County Board, is on record opposing the River Trail Apartments. Other than being misinformed about details, who cares what this small political, left-leaning group thinks?
The local media blitz about the ACLU storming into town to defend the fry cook is now, hopefully, over. More newsprint and time were used on that story than Hillary Clinton using Bartender’s Friend to scrub her personal server and its classified security information read by the Chinese. Though discussion about the out-of-court settlement was held by council members in executive session, only Jim Montelongo decided to publicly take a shot at Mayor Ardis. Interestingly, Montelongo was among those attending a fund-raiser Sept. 17 for Chuck Weaver. Look for Weaver to run against Ardis for mayor if he doesn’t get the nod for the LaHood state senate seat.
In local radio news, some well-known and veteran sales people at WMBD, i.e., Alpha Media, have allegedly been dismissed. That’s just a reminder there’s no security in radio. Speaking of WMBD, they promoted a seminar featuring a marketing pro they claim “helped build Jones Brothers Jewelers.” I have news for them. Jones Brothers has been one of the top jewelry stores since 1939. When I worked at WSIV in Pekin, the city where Jones Brothers started, I did a daily half-hour show from 1:30 to 2 pm, called “Jewel Tones,” sponsored by Jones Brothers. Over the years the folks managing Jones Brothers have made it a leading store in the jewelry business for the PAST 75 years.
Here’s an odd note. I pay for garbage service at my Peoria rented home. The check is made out to City of Peoria, Illinois, and is then sent to Decatur, Ill., for payment.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life’s made of.”
–Benjamin Franklin