What time is the meeting, Tad?

It's getting to be that the most interesting part of reading the Tribune lately is the Corrections they're forced to run.

My favorite came last month when the Trib wrote that local disability advocate Paul Wolff has MS. He doesn't, as the Correction faithfully noted.

Sunday's Trib had a double whammy when newbie reporter David Baez gave his own spin on the "Trout About Downtown" auction. Cuesta College v.p. and auctioneer Gil Stork became Gil Stark and former SLO police chief Jim Gardiner became "Jim Gardner, former city Public Works Director."

Pssst, David. Friendly word of advice -- don't fall for it if someone tells you their name is Heywood Jablome . . .

Not to be outdone, reporter Lindsay Christians, who should know better, decided to soften the blow of the death of Los Osos activist Rosemary Bowker by shaving ten years off Bowker's age in her A-1 story this morning. Bowker, who was hitting 60, was listed by Christians as being 49.

Looks like Managing Editor Tad Weber better start cracking that whip harder. Those pesky Pulitzer people sure don't like typos in their submissions. I can just picture the emergency staff meeting with Tad and Silas doing their good cop/bad cop routine.

By the way, it turns out that Friday mornings are the dreaded time of the week in the Tribune newsroom. That's when Tad Weber walks around the newsroom with copies of New Times. He attaches little sticky things to New Times stories missed by his reporters and hands copies of the alternative weekly to his glum-faced staff. It's called "Sticky Day" by people in the know.

Remembering the King of Central Coast Comedy

"Mean Mike" Veron (a.k.a. "The Corsican Wizard") was the undisputed King of Central Coast California Comedy from 1980 through the mid-'90s when cancer claimed his life at the far-too-early age of 52.

Those of us who knew Mike were impressed by his endless energy, enthusiasm and joy of life. Seven years after his untimely death, a group of Mike's friends and fans have come together to create a web site as a tribute to a man who gave so much to so many over the years.

We don't want people to forget "Mean Mike" and all he did to make us laugh, and all he did to bring first-class comedy to the Central Coast of California.

Visit this new tribute site at Meanmike.com and learn more about this unique Central Coast character.

Medialogue Vol. 1 No. 2

First off, thanks for all your kind words in response to what I'm trying to do with this blog. And it wouldn't feel right without David Ciaffardini lashing out at me (see comments) about something, just like he’s done off-and-on for twelve years.

I realize now that it was overly optimistic to suggest I could post something of length every week. Instead, I will post news and articles of interest as they happen to keep more in the spirit of blogging.

As always, your comments are welcome below, or feel free to email me directly at dcongalton at charter.net.

Let us begin:

Remembering Dan Clarkson

Former KVEC station owner Frank Sheahan had the best quote about the late Dan Clarkson, 66, who died in July from kidney failure. "He was always looking for the party," Sheahan said of his former business partner. How true. Dan was a powerhouse in local radio for nearly 40 years, mostly with KVEC. He did at least two different stints as general manager and performed every job possible in radio at some point during his career. His passion was broadcasting high school football.

But the unofficial rule of thumb for dealing with Dan was simple--don’t go near him after 6 p.m. Mother's Tavern and Mission Grille both served as his field offices. He partied hard for years and paid for it with poor health that eventually claimed his life.

There wasn’t anything Dan wouldn’t do for his staff. He knew the worst off-color jokes. He would think nothing of smoking in the john. He was the proverbial good-ole-boy, always with a drink in hand and an eye on a pretty skirt. But nobody could close a sales deal like Dan Clarkson and he always stood up for his on-air staff--even when they didn't deserve it.

It has been a terrible years for local media with the loss of Paul Kelly, Fred Peterson, Steve Moss, "Atascadero Joe" Eyeraud and now Dan Clarkson.

Another Publisher’s Son Heads East

A goodbye barbeque was held on Aug. 17 for J.J. Thomkins, general manager of the Atascadero News. Thomkins is the son of the owner of News Media Corp., a chain that currently includes 51 newspapers across the country. "Par" Thomkins is headed back to the home office in Illinois. The most noticeable accomplishment of the Thomkins era was the forcing out of Lon Allan, aka "Mr. Atascadero" as editor after thirty years of service to the paper. Allan now writes a weekly column for the North County Tribune. I doubt he was at the barbeque.

The Tribune Seeks a Pulitzer

Trib Managing Editor Tad Weber is apparently cracking the newsroom whip, mustering his twentysomething troops onward to journalism excellence. Weber has repeatedly told his reporters to increase the quality of local health care coverage because . . ."this year, management will be submitting their work for a Pulitzer." Seriously.

Weber seems to have his hands full. Reporter Cynthia Neff plans to leave the paper before the end of the year and move to Texas, leaving only one reporter in the critical South County beat. That wouldn't be a factor if that one reporter was a Jerry Bunin or Carol Roberts, but those days are gone.

So reporters like Sarah Linn are stuck covering two large beats (cops and courts) instead of one. Heck, who's got time to win a Pulitzer.

Joe Benson Returns to KPRL

It has been a tough summer for KPRL talk show host and news director Joe Benson. He has spent the better part of the summer either in Twin Cities Hospital, or recuperating at home from a serious diabetes-related infection in his foot. Joe came back on the radio in July, only to bow out again to return to the hospital and have a tendon removed.

Joe is back on KPRL and continues under doctor's care. "This has been a summer I’d never expected and I continue to be very humbled by the concern and support of so many people," Joe wrote in an email. He can reached at oaktree at fix.net.

Talking Points

The last edition of Medialogue listed the results of the latest ratings for local radio stations. Several people pointed out, correctly, that there was no mention of KCBX. Non-commercial stations like KCBX are not listed in Radio and Records.

Still, the San Luis Obispo public radio station had a dynamite showing, finishing number two, overall, with an impressive 6.9 rating. The station had taken somewhat of a hit when Air America first debuted, but KCBX is doing quite well today.

A cautionary note, however, about ratings. SLO is #172 in market size. Experts suggest the ratings are a pretty good measure for the Top 100 markets, but smaller markets like ours suffer because the sample size is so small and a station's ratings will swing back and forth over time.

Speaking of radio, Clear Channel has decided to renew "The Dave Congalton Show" for another year. The afternoon talker is now under contract through 2007.

Finally, since every reporter in the local media seems to be working on a book, check out the schedule for this year's Cuesta College Writers’ Conference XXI, Sept. 16-17. There are 36 workshops on all aspects of fiction and nonfiction being offered. Complete details are posted online.