Geiler Back on the Air

Omaha-based Comedian Matt Geiler (pictured) is hosting a new show on the CW (KXVO-15). Titled “Mix Tape,” the show captures Geiler’s rib-tickling style in a variety of comedy sketches.

“The concept for the show, it’s not a live show, it’s basically some fake music videos from artists that don’t exist, character sketches with music in them, and then there is some crossover into the local music scene,” said Geiler, who is an alum of the prestigious improvisational comedy troupe Second City in Chicago.

“Occasionally, we’ll do a sketch where like Matt Whipkey shows up from Anonymous American, but he’s an ice cream man and he rocks out from behind the ice cream.”

“Mix Tape” airs from 11-11:30 p.m. on Sundays on KXVO.

Becka’s Book Ready For Pre-Order

KFAB talk show host Tom Becka’s first book aims at helping sales people make the big deals by using the skills of an entertainer.

Becka, who was a nationally touring standup comedian before getting into radio, is currently taking pre-orders for “There’s No Business Without the Show: Using Showbiz Skills to Get Blockbuster Sales!” at his Web site, TomBecka.com.

The book, published by Orpheum Brothers Press, is selling for $21.95 and is available for delivery by June 1.

Says David Cottrell, best-selling author of “Monday Morning Leadership” and “Monday Morning Choices”: “Becka gives a stunning performance in this book! It is unique, entertaining and effective as it provides you the trade secrets to give the sales performance of your life. Bravo!”

Becka, host of a weekday show on KFAB (1110 AM) from 4 to 7 p.m., says: “The same techniques that big name performers use to create a following can be used by successful salespeople for blockbuster results.”

KETV Tops Omaha TV News Viewership

There’s no debating it this time.

Whether you measure demographics (be it 25-54 or 18-49), shares or households, KETV-7 is the clear-cut winner in the Omaha TV news race according to the latest Nielsen Media Research ratings.

The ABC affiliate is the most-watched newscast at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

WOWT-6 is a close second in many of those timeslots, while KMTV-3 saw its viewership slip – much like the performance of its parent network, CBS.

KPTM-42 can also consider itself a winner in the ratings period, which was conducted between Jan. 31 and Feb. 27. The FOX affiliate garnered more than 21,000 viewers for its 9 p.m. newscast – roughly 3,000 more than third-place KMTV drew for its 10 p.m. newscast.

Nielsen’s ratings reflect the viewing habits of more than 407,000 TV households in the Omaha metropolitan area, which includes Douglas, Washington, Cass and Sarpy Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa. Nielsen surveys viewers in by asking them to write down the station they watched for news in a diary that is returned by mail.

The standard ratings months include February, May, July, and November – with May considered the most important.

KETV’s rise to the top completes a climb that saw it nearly as dominant in the November 2007 ratings period when it was the clear leader at 5 a.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and a close second to WOWT at 6 a.m.

At 10 p.m., KETV attracts an audience of more than 59,000 viewers, compared to 54,000 for WOWT and 18,000 for KMTV. At 5 p.m., KETV garners approximately 4,000 viewers more than WOWT and 28,000 more than KMTV. At 6 p.m., the margin between KETV and WOWT is roughly the same, with KMTV lagging about 37,000 viewers behind the front-runner.

KMTV’s troubles at 10 o’clock can be traced to a serious slump for CBS in prime time. The network began the fall season with a 10 percent decline in its total audience from a year ago and a 15 percent drop among viewers ages 18-to 49-year-old. Those numbers led to CBS’ decision to recently cut more than 160 positions at stations it owns and operates around the country (which does not include KMTV).

In the battle of local sports shows broadcast Sunday night at 10:35 p.m., WOWT’s long-running “Sunday Sports Extra” and KMTV’s “Sports Sound Off” are in a virtual dead heat in terms of overall viewers. Each draws about 16,000 viewers.

In the early morning news race, WOWT remains on the heels of KETV – particularly in the 6 a.m. time slot. KETV’s lead is only about 5,000 in overall viewership and close to 4,000 in the key 25-54 demographic.

KMTV’s switch in talent in the mornings – from veteran Mary Williams to Kerri Stowell – hasn’t resulted in better ratings. The station lags far about 18,000 viewers behind KETV at 6 a.m. and 13,000 behind WOWT.

It is a different story for KMTV’s midday news. With a strong lead-in from “The Young and the Restless” and Williams anchoring, KMTV’s noon newscast draws a hefty 21,000-plus viewers. That audience is larger than any of its other newscasts, save for Sunday nights at 10.

KPTM’s 4 p.m. newscast – which only debuted last fall – has been slow to attract viewers, though it is registering in the ratings. WOWT, the only other station to broadcast a newscast in that time slot, is No. 1 in sheer audience size, followed by “Oprah” on KMTV and “Judge Judy.” In demos, “Judge Judy” on KETV is tops, with “Oprah” and WOWT’s 4 p.m. newscast in a virtual tie for second.

Nielsen’s all-important ratings period for May begins April 24 and ends May 21.

--By Sean Weide

KOOO Revamps Morning Show

Press Release From NRG Media:

Omaha’s new pop rock station, “The Big O”, KOOO-FM is launching its new morning show featuring long-time Omaha broadcaster Allison Steele and radio producer and Nebraska native Tommy O. The talented duo will officially launch April 21st according to Program Director Billy Shears who stated, “Allison and Tommy O will make a dynamic team and bring an enthusiastic voice to morning drive.”

Allison Steele is a Nebraska Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster having spent 14 years on Omaha Radio at a variety of stations including the former KLTQ-FM. A Minnesota native, Steele was raised on a dairy farm, but dreamed of travel and a career in radio broadcasting. Her successful on-air journey has led her to on-air roles across the Midwest and to the island state as a disc jockey for great radio stations in Colorado, Maine, Ohio and Hawaii. Currently, Steele is the midday host at Mix 101.9FM in Chicago, IL, but she is eager to return home. “I am so thrilled to be returning to Omaha and can’t wait to work with Tommy O. “The Big O” is making such a huge impact on Omaha radio and I am excited to be a part of its growth,” exclaimed Steele.

Tommy O is currently the producer for KQKQ’s Morning Show with Pat and JT. The Nebraska native graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1998 and immediately launched his radio career as the evening disc jockey at KSRZ-FM in Omaha. He joined the KQKQ Morning Show in 2002 providing on-air production elements and entertainment features, coordination of various on-air interviews and station contests. Commenting that he will now be competing against the morning show he once produced, Tommy O stated, “I have learned so much during my six years with Pat and JT that I am ready to launch my own program. Allison and I have great synergy and we can’t wait to get behind the mic and make a positive impact on a city we both know and love. ”

“The Big O” launched in late December 2007 to fill a void in Omaha Radio by providing listeners with an upbeat and artful blend of the greatest pop rock hits of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today. The station’s name and call letters were designed to evoke the symbolic representation of its hometown, the city of Omaha, with the big “O” as striking as its namesake. The music-intensive station features the voice talents of “Mr. Jay Peterman” (John O’Hurely) from Seinfeld fame and its new local on-air talent lineup includes “The Big O Morning Show with Allison Steele and Tommy O,” middays with long-time Omaha broadcaster Shari Stone and afternoon drive with station Program Director Billy Shears.

Journalism and PR experts, commence your critique...

World-Herald Layoffs

The Omaha World-Herald recently laid off a handful of employees, including veteran Jake Thompson, who had been in the World-Herald’s Washington, D.C., bureau for several years.

Also among those let go, according to sources at the World-Herald: photo assignment editor Craig Chandler, business reporter Mike Avok and graphic designer Sid Jablonski.

Calls to the World-Herald for comment were not returned.

World-Herald Passes On Revealing Controversial Site

The New Nebraska Network, self-billed as "the state's premiere source of progressive online political commentary and community-building," reveals what many readers of Monday's Omaha World-Herald newspaper were wondering: just what was the URL of that website that offers detailed sex information to teenagers?

The World-Herald story, written by Joseph Morton, reported that several lawmakers in the Midlands thought the site was not appropriate, "both in the graphic detail it provides and the messages it sends on topics such as premarital sex and abortion."

"It's enough to make an old person blush," Rep. Lee Terry (R) told Morton. "If that was in a printed magazine, it would be wrapped (in brown paper) and put behind a counter, and no teens would be allowed to buy it."

After revealing that the site in question is TeenWire.com, New Nebraska Network writes:

"It's a shame the World-Herald would allow the site to be insulted like this without even giving it a name and listing its address. But, then those few young people who read the World-Herald might actually be able to get some real information about safe and responsible sexual health. Of course, we wouldn't want that.

The World-Herald would also be encouraging people to use the internet - something else they're clearly afraid of, if we're to judge based on the ongoing embarrassment they call Omaha.com."