MILLER TIME IS OVER.

'ROUND MOUND OF SOUND' FINALLY OUT AT WPTF

Kevin Miller, the notorious Program Director at WPTF-AM in Raleigh, is leaving the station. Sources inside Curtis Media Group headquarters confirm to fivesecondstoair Miller will be leaving the 50,000 watt AM blowtorch for a station in Nashville.

The first tail-tale signs of Miller's departure were evident Monday and Tuesday during the first hour of the Rush Limbaugh show. Normally, this prime radio real estate is used to shamelessly promote the controversial Miller. Instead, the seg into Rush was used to promote a promo titled "Are you in touch?"

Sources also confirm to fivesecondstoair Miller's departure has not been met with one tear out of the 200 Suite of 3012 Highwoods. He has been accused by some over the years of shoving long-term WPTF legend Maury O'dell out the door to lower-level PTF employees such as Board Ops and Triangle Traffic Network staffers.

DEVELOPING ...

Randy Gupton, fivesecondstoair.blogspot.com

CBS EVENING NEWS TO BE SIMULCAST ON RADIO

A digital makeover is in store for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. In addition to the new digital newsroom, 500 CBS Radio Affiliates will carry the first segment of the Newscast in a simulcast beginning at 6:30 in the East.

The complete story is available at Broadcasting & Cable:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6353668.html

Elsewhere ... Laura Logan continues to be the Eye Network's go-to reporter in the Middle East. Why the CBS Brass didn't give the Evening News gig to her is a mystery. More about her tough-as-nails, Laura Croft-esque style in a future blog entry.

Randy Gupton, fivesecondstoair.blogspot.com

EGGxactly! CBS Eye On Eggs

I know it's obvious that I'm a CBS fan. Some would argue the word "fanatic" would be more appropriate. Actually, I'm a television junkie. CBS didn't become my network of choice until late 89/90 ... somewhere in there.

In any event, over the years I've come to enjoy and appreciate some of the "Eye" network's fall promotions. Some of the most memorable: "Get Ready for CBS" (1989-91); "You're On CBS." (1995-96); "The Address Is CBS. Welcome Home" (1997-98).

"THIS IS CBS." (1993-94)

This fall's promotion seems to be a little scrambled. Actually, one could argue the network isn't playing Chicken. In one of the oddest promotions ever, the Tiffany Network is planning to plaster its 50-year-old logo on the incredible, edible egg.

This is a developing story. We'll keep our eye on this one and update you on the very latest. Do you -- like me -- wonder if this story is hard-boiled? Half-baked? Over Easy?

Okay, okay. At the risk of sounding worse than Greg Fishel, I'll stop now.

Randy Gupton, fivesecondstoair.blogspot.com

HE'S BACK...

Dan "The Man" Rather returns to television via Mark Cuban's HDNet Television Network. Rather will host "DAN RATHER REPORTS" on the channel. He left CBS News in a bitter ending to a 44-year career at the Tiffany Network last month.

Get the complete story ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/11/AR2006071101588.html

Also of note: Rather will appear on CNN's Larry King LIVE tonight at 9pm EDT. It will be interesting to see if there will be any swipes taken at the CBS Brass.


Finally, the countdown is on for the "Perky One," Katie Couric, who is only 55 days away from pushing the venerable Bob Schieffer out of the anchor chair. An updated story on the marketing campaign was listed in today's NY Post...

www.nypost.com/business/katie_push_heats_up_business_holly_m__sanders.htm

WHAT ABOUT BOB: Schieffer First, Last On Eye Desk

Dismantling Begins On 10-Year-Old CBS Set.

There's a new camera shot opening to the CBS Evening News with Bob Schieffer. And there's a good reason for it -- nothing's behind him.

As the 69-year-old elder statesman winds down his interim duties as the anchor of the the Eye Network's centerpiece news broadcast, things are a changin'.

Computers and Desks have been ripped out of the newsroom portion of the CBS set which was home to Dan "The Man" Rather. All of this is part of the rough prep work which will transform the decade old set into something new and flashy for the "Perky One" -- Katie Couric.

Ironically, it may only be fitting that Schieffer is the man sitting at the desk while the place is ripped apart. After all, he was the first anchor to show off the new newsroom in February 1996.

Being the News Junkie that I am, I remember the unveiling well. It was on the CBS Saturday Evening News with Bob Schieffer that viewers first got a taste of the new set. What made it more exciting was the addition of the newsroom to the backdrop of the set. (Dan had gone it alone for some years with just a plain 'old set -- no newsroom.)

A complete story on the transformation of CBS News was logged by the Associated Press over the weekend. (The link from Yahoo! is below.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060702/ap_en_tv/tv_sean_mcmanus_2

And so, the changes coninue in the halls where Murrow, Edwards, Cronkite, and Rather once reigned. What will the new set and new attitude look like? We'll have to wait until September to find out.

The Address Is CBS. Welcome Home.

Randy Gupton, fivesecondstoair.