WBCN-FM (104.1) has dumped Opie & Anthony but the station isn’t saying why.

A spokeswoman for CBS Radio, which owns WBCN, just told me it was a local station decision.

“Opie and Anthony have been such a valued part of WBCN’s heritage, we only wish them the best,” said station spokesman Cha-Chi Loprete, who declined further comment.

Several CBS Radio-owned stations in Boston have recently slashed staffs because of budget woes.

Toucher & Rich will replace them in the AM. Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb have been on WBCN in the afternoon since 2006.

Here’s the release that just went out…

WBCN ANNOUNCES NEW ON-AIR LINE-UP!

TOUCHER AND RICH TO DEBUT IN MORNING DRIVE TOMORROW MORNING!

Boston—WBCN, THE ROCK OF BOSTON is proud to announce the new on-air daytime line-up to debut tomorrow morning, Tuesday December 2nd 2008.

TOUCHER & RICH 6:00am – 10:00am

ADAM 12 10:00am – 3:00pm

HARDY 3:00pm – 7:00pm

DAN O’BRIEN 7:00pm - Midnight

Toucher and Rich will begin their new morning show along with sidekicks Crash and Adolfo tomorrow morning, Tuesday December 2nd 2008. Hardy moves from nights to afternoon drive. Dan O’Brien will take over evenings.

“As we announce this new line-up, we are extremely excited that WBCN will now have a local morning show broadcasting from Boston for the first time since 1996, stated WBCN Program Director, Mike Thomas, Toucher & Rich have built a tremendous following since their arrival at WBCN 2 ½ years ago, and I look forward to their continued growth in morning drive.”

WEEI.com has picked up Curt Schilling’s blog, 38Pitches.com.

This just in…..

Curt Schilling Brings His 38Pitches.com Blog to WEEI.com and the WEEI Radio Network

World Series hero will be a regular contributor to WEEI.com and continue his on air appearances with the WEEI Radio Network

BOSTON (November 30, 2008) – WEEI.com has announced that 6-time All-Star and World Series hero Curt Schilling has joined the WEEI Radio Network to contribute content to both WEEI.com and the WEEI Radio Network. WEEI.com is the new home of Schilling’s popular blog, 38pitches.com.

Schilling will be a regular contributor to WEEI.com, writing on a regular basis each week as the exclusive new home of 38pitches.com. Schilling has already written stories for WEEI.com on his 2003 pre-trade Thanksgiving with Red Sox management and on teammate Dustin Pedroia’s MVP season.

“Looking beyond baseball I knew I would continue to blog,” Schilling said. “If this was indeed my last season, I wanted a forum that would allow me to talk about things beyond baseball, while at the same time being connected to people with a passion for the game. WEEI.com and Rob Bradford’s team afforded me that opportunity. I know Rob will stay on top of me to keep content coming as well as facilitate other avenues to communicate with fans through live game blogs and many other things. I look forward to working with the team to do just that and continue to raise awareness for both ALS and the SHADE Foundation going forward.”

In addition to his regular writing for WEEI.com, Schilling will also participate in live game-day blogging for six Red Sox games during the 2009 season. He will contribute his thoughts and observations in the live blog with other members of WEEI.com’s editorial staff. This past October, Schilling joined WEEI.com for a live blog of Game 7 of the Red Sox ALCS series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

“We are extremely excited and proud to have Curt on board,” WEEI.com web site editor Rob Bradford said. “Because of his passion, expertise, and experience, Curt has already established himself as one of the most powerful voices in the country, one which we will now be honored to host on WEEI.com and the WEEI Radio Network. It is extremely gratifying to see that Curt has recognized the potential of what is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most talked about sports media entities. It is an honor that he is joining our team.”

Along with his blogging, Schilling will increase the on air component of his relationship with the WEEI Radio Network. Schilling will continue to appear as a regular guest on WEEI Radio all year long, covering baseball and a wide range of topics. His on air role will increase with a combination of in studio and phone appearances. Schilling has had a regular call in with WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan Morning Show since 2005.

“We’ve been privileged to develop such a special relationship with Curt over the last three years since we started his once a week call ins during the baseball season,” Vice President of Programming and Operations for WEEI and WRKO Jason Wolfe said. “His insight, passion and no holds barred approach to radio is unprecedented in our industry for a current athlete, and makes him a “can’t miss” every time he’s on the air. I’m looking forward to working with him in this newly created role which is sure to be a home run for WEEI.com and the WEEI Sports Radio Network.”

Here’s a link to the FOX 25 video that City Councilor Chuck Turner told the world about this afternoon when he endlessly blasted the media for his FBI troubles.

The footage shows Turner with his fly down as he got into his car this morning. Click on VB: Zip It Up Chuck.

The clip was aired during the FOX morning show with some commentary from Doug “V.B.” Goudie, who asked viewers if they noticed something “slightly amiss here.”

It’s been pretty quiet on the John DePetro front lately but I just got a press release from a newly-formed coalition that wants Rhode Island radio station WPRO to fire the former Hub gabster.

The group is called “Dump DePetro Today.” Rhode Island attorney Raymond Angell, a spokesman for the group, tells me it has a couple hundred members, most of them Rhode Islanders.

The coalition plans to launch an informational blitz targeting businesses that advertise on DePetro’s show. They sent out a statement demanding his firing - or resignation - earlier today. (Copies of the statement, which I’ve posted below, also went to WPRO and owner Citadel Broadcasting).

The call for his ouster comes three months after DePetro blamed his wife for a ratings cheating scandal that boosted his show.

The group plans to launch an “information campaign intended to enlighten DePetro’s advertisers” about the ratings scandal and his “highly insensitive on-air comments.”

DePetro lost his job at Boston’s WRKO-AM (680) in 2006 after he called gubernatorial candidate Grace Ross a “fat lesbian’” on the air.

“Dump DePetro Today” is urging organizations and citizens to boycott businesses that advertise on his program until they pull their ads. They’ve launched an online petition calling for his firing.

We’ll see what happens with this… You can bet radio stations listen up when ad dollars are at stake…

Here’s the statement:

Coalition Demands DePetro’s Resignation

Coalition calls on Citadel Broadcasting and WPRO to fire disgraced broadcaster

Cranston, RI – A coalition calling itself “Dump DePetro Today” is asking why local talk radio station 630 WPRO and Citadel Broadcasting, WPRO’s parent company, have not taken action to remove John DePetro from their airwaves. Citing the recent Arbitron ratings scandal that emanated from DePetro’s home address in East Greenwich, the group’s spokesman says Citadel and WPRO should take appropriate action and demand his resignation immediately.

“The fact is, someone in John DePetro’s house knowingly filled out six Arbitron diaries, which in turn falsely, but significantly, inflated his ratings,” stated Raymond J. Angell III, a spokesman for the coalition. “When pressed on this issue by the media, DePetro himself failed to take any personal responsibility for the scandal but instead blamed his wife. It seems incredulous that DePetro didn’t know what was going on from his own house. We want to know why Citadel Broadcasting and WPRO have not cleared their name and moved to restore integrity to their station by demanding his resignation.”

Angell is referring to the recent rating scandal involving DePetro, and six Arbitron diaries. According to DePetro, his wife returned six Arbitron diaries during the spring ratings period. The diaries indicated that six people who lived in their home listened to DePetro’s show 109 out of a possible 120 hours one week, thus drastically improving his ratings numbers. After the scandal was exposed, DePetro’s drive-time show dropped from fourth to ninth based on the revised numbers. Under the current rule, it is a violation for any member of a media-affiliated household to return the Arbitron diaries. The station’s management said DePetro had no knowledge of his wife’s actions and said they are “profoundly disappointed.”

Angell continued, “The station should be much more than ‘profoundly disappointed.’ This was a pre-meditated ploy to falsely inflate his show’s ratings. We feel this is wrong and we are demanding that Citadel Broadcasting and WPRO immediately terminate his employment with the station. Dump DePetro Today feels the dishonesty perpetrated against the listening public in RI is not only underhanded, but blatantly unethical.”

Angell then referenced a similar scenario that took place at WSRT-FM, a radio station in Traverse City-Petoskey, MI, where two station employees were fired for completing Arbitron diaries in the Spring of 2007, also falsely inflating the station’s ratings.

“In an eerily similar scenario which occurred last fall in Michigan, the station, WSRT-FM, immediately asked for the resignation of the employees who unethically filled out these Arbitron diaries. In that case, the station’s general manager stated, ‘we cannot tolerate any cloud of suspicion over the integrity of our company, ownership or management.’ The employees were then terminated. This scenario is no different. The integrity of Citadel Broadcasting and WPRO are both at stake.”

Angell also announced the group’s intentions to run an information campaign intended to enlighten DePetro’s advertisers and Rhode Islanders as whole about the ratings scandal, as well as John DePetro’s highly insensitive on-air comments.

“We want to educate the public about Mr. DePetro’s ongoing abuse of his position and his continuous disregard for basic human decency. “Dump DePetro Today” feels DePetro has a long record of making comments that are consistent with views typically considered racist, sexist, and offensive towards the homosexual community and Rhode Islanders should not tolerate him polluting our airwaves any longer.”

Angell was referring to DePetro’s previous on-air comments, many of which landed him in hot water. DePetro was fired in 2006 from WRKO-AM in Boston after making a derogatory comment about the weight and sexuality of the Green-Rainbow party candidate running for Massachusetts governor, calling her a “fat lesbian.”

In another high-profile incident on MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams, Mr. DePetro stated, “white people don’t go to Harlem” and then implied that if they do, they are either “looking for drugs” or “looking for a prostitute.”

DePetro was also suspended by WRKO for two days after calling a state official a “fag.”
The coalition’s campaign will consist of letters to the companies who advertise on Mr. DePetro’s show, as well as letters to businesses who may be interested in advertising on his show. We will also do flyer drops to a wide array of organizations, businesses and residences asking them not to patronize any businesses that advertise with DePetro until they pull their advertising from his show. Additionally we plan informational sessions at businesses who advertise with Mr. DePetro. An email and Internet campaign will also be undertaken, including an online petition that will eventually be presented to all his advertisers.

Angell concluded, “Many Rhode Islanders, especially those Rhode Island companies who advertise on his show, are unaware of these incidents. We feel they need to know that they are advertising on the radio show of a man who is highly discriminatory and bigoted toward many different demographics. At the same time, we also want to inform the average consumer that they may be patronizing businesses who give money to a man with very questionable beliefs and principles. We are going to do everything in our power to get this information out there.”

Former pageant Queen Heidi Watney is the latest NESN personality to sign a contract extension.

This just in from NESN…

NESN SIGNS HEIDI WATNEY TO CONTRACT EXTENSION

BOSTON, MA – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that Heidi Watney and NESN have agreed to a multi-year contract extension. Watney joined NESN in May 2008 and served as the network’s Boston Red Sox game-day reporter delivering pre-game, in-game and post-game updates and interviews from the ballpark. Heidi also works as an anchor/reporter for NESN SportsDesk and contributes to NESN.com with a weekly column.

“Heidi is a talented reporter whose versatility and work ethic help her deliver the news and stories that consistently connect the fans with the team,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer. “We are very happy to extend her contract and expect her to take on an even larger role with NESN and NESN.com.

Watney came to NESN from Fresno, California where she has served as a sports anchor and reporter for KMPH Fox-26 News and a sports talk radio show host for 1430 ESPN Radio KFIG. The University of San Diego graduate began her career as a sports reporter/assistant producer for KUSI News in San Diego, California.