KTSM
Even after KTSM’s General Manger Charlie Hogetvedt went to bat for him and defended him against the doubting news staff (each staff member was pulled into a room and explained to that KTSM “doesn’t do that,” referring to leaks—sounds like Hewlett Packard minus the e-mail and phone bugging), Zoltan Csanyi still turned in his resignation letter —days after the Media Watch column called him out on possibly going to KDBC. (He spent several days calling our offices, vehemently denying his upcoming departure and threatening a libel lawsuit.) Depending on where you get your information, Csanyi quit for a variety of reasons: “vacation,” “he needed a rest,” or the most exciting/believable reason, “he’s replacing the News Director Gus Barraza over at KINT.” An anonymous e-mail source informed us that, “Zoltan Csanyi resigned as news director from KTSM last week. Word on the street is he is taking over at 26...again. I guess that's the only station that will put up with him. He's very stubborn and has to be right-all-the-time person. A lot of personality conflicts with him at 9. I'm sure they're all happy.”
KINT
According to our sources, Gus Barraza left KINT last week on his own accord. Coincidence? We’ll have news for you next Tuesday, March 20.
KHRO 1650 AM
David Karlsruher and Paul Strelzin were going at it live on El Paso on the Move on March 14. The two will soon be airing back to back radio talk shows, Strelz with “El Paso on the Move” and David K. with “The Other Side.” K. was hired by David Candelaria (creator of the show and GM at Entravision) to host an alternative view to Strelz’s democratic viewpoints. According to the Strelz, “David K. has no radio experience and has never even been on the radio before, and Candelaria (general manager at Entravision) gave him a show. He’s a Republican and will give another a view.”
David K. has been blogging since November 2006 on refusethejuice.typepad.com. The blog doesn’t get much traffic (65 hits a day), but David Candelaria thinks this guy has the content and background to produce a daily hour-long radio show.
David Candelaria says he “wanted to have a democrat, republican and moderate. We are also talking to Sito Negron as the moderate host. We want to keep people in El Paso to be better informed and have two main shows that can come together and talk about the issues in a friendly debate fashion. I would like to call it “Radio Free El Paso,” from 7 a.m. to noon, and at 12 o’clock flip it to 50s and 60s oldies. The music part starts in April, and Air America will end. El Paso is way behind the eight-ball when it comes to local talk. ”
In regards to David K.’s lack of radio experience, “Everybody has to start somewhere, and he’ll do fine,” says Candelaria.
According to a recent posting on David K.’s blog, “I want to have a lot of give and take on my show. I want it to be about politics both local and national. I want to make light of a lot of silly individuals elected to office. I want those politicians, in turn, to get mad and say things they wouldn’t normally say to someone in the media. I then want my listeners to realize that I don’t kiss politician’s asses like others on radio do.” According to his resume, David K. has years of experience both as a politico working in political operations for the prosperity project in Washington D.C. and working in news as a producer/assignments editor for KFOX television.
In his own defense, David K. says he has more radio experience than Paul does and has worked for KTEP in college and is an electronic media radio major. “I know more about the history of radio than that old man does. I expect my audience to be a cross section of everyone in El Paso that is curious. I will be lighter on guests than Paul is and only invite guests when it’s pertinent for them to be on.”
Some “On the Move” fans are disappointed that the only “progressive” radio station in El Paso will run Karlsruher’s show instead of Air America.
Verve Magazine
Oops they did it again! Issue 2 of Verve Magazine has hit the streets. According to Tony Ruiz in distribution, Verve’s “projected circulation is 50,000 readers every month. El Paso, Juárez and Las Cruces all have distribution locations where you can pick up the free magazine. And the website launches in the summer.”
It’s great for El Paso to have another media outlet on the radar, but those crazy kids better watch out! Are free publications allowed to run fully nude illustrations of women or party photos of people simulating sex acts? Great, leave it up to Media Watch to let that cat out of the bag! Now everyone’s going to pick up a copy! You’re welcome Vervesters.
TIPS Hotline
We welcome any tips or insider info about the media in the Borderland. Just e-mail us at npt@epmediagroup.com. And be sure to send, digg and Google this column – we love the exposure! Read you next time!
