J
jack
Guest
You gotta love this one: From The Big Bear Grizzly - Big Bear, CA
JACK HAMMER GETS NAILED
By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 11:54 AM PST
Steven Blood, aka Jack Hammer, left Big Bear with many questions unanswered and no trips to Cabo given away. (ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER/Big Bear Grizzly)
Steven Blood arrived in Big Bear brimming with high hopes. By the time he left he had a few new friends, a few foes and a lawyer.
Now people around town are asking, “Where the heck did Jack Hammer go?”
Catriona McGinn of Spark Net Communications is especially interested, even though she's in Vancouver. JackFM is a franchise owned by the media conglomerate, and McGinn says no license was issued to anyone in Big Bear Valley and that litigation is in the works against Blood.
Airing it out
The short saga started when Blood, aka. Jack Hammer, visited Big Bear Valley during Memorial Day. He applied for a job at KBHR 93.3 FM, Big Bear's only local English-speaking, commercial radio station. Blood decided to compete instead.
Blood said he previously worked at KROQ and KIIS FM, 1290 AM BOB Radio and others. Blood also said he acquired licensing from JACK FM to use the franchise's logos and format. He began pursuing a station on 92.5 FM. Instead, he struck a deal with KO6MU, Channel 6, to purchase air time on its low power FM station located at 87.7 to broadcast through the TV channel's broadcasting.
Because the radio station broadcasts over TV airwaves, the normally non-commercial numbers on the dial are able to carry advertisements without violating Federal Communications Commission regulations, according to an FCC official.
Once Jack FM hit the airwaves, Blood hit the streets to introduce himself as the station's on-air personality, Jack Hammer, selling advertising. To bring in listeners, Blood took music requests, his first diversion from the JACK FM format. When that didn't work, he dropped the JACK FM model and started his own version, Jack Hammer Radio Network.
Jack Hammer caught the attention of listeners when he announced contests giving away trips to Cabo San Lucas, Thanksgiving turkeys, cash, cruises, four-wheel-drive vehicles and more. Blood also said there was the possibility of fund-raiser concerts with Velvet Revolver and Dwight Yoakum, separate nights of course, to raise money to buy holiday gifts for local disadvantaged children.
Then on the night of Oct. 22 Jack Hammer Radio went silent. After two months of Blood trying to secure advertising to keep Jack Hammer Radio Network afloat, KO6MU station manager Darrell Gardner offered Blood an ultimatum: either pay up or get out.
KO6MU received no money from Blood during the two months the station streamed music content to its air waves from Jack Hammer Radio Network. There was an Oct. 26 deadline, but instead Blood pulled the plug himself and disappeared.
The station Blood once called a “labor of love” fizzled. He doesn't blame himself.
The fall out
In an interview with The Grizzly on Oct. 1, Blood claimed his challenge in finding local advertisers was no accident. “There's some smoke screen by another radio station here,” Blood said. He said KBHR approached potential advertisers and bad mouthed his station.
On Nov. 3, Blood said in an e-mail to The Grizzly that he felt he was being “pushed out of Big Bear by Rick Herrick and Darrell Gardner.”
Not so, according to KBHR owner Herrick. “I made a distinct point to tell everyone not to say anything,” he said, adding he didn't feel threatened since KBHR already competed for advertising with KO6MU for years. He looked at it like they just had a new product and a new salesperson. “I just said to let the chips fall where they may.”
On Nov. 4, Herrick filed a report with the Big Bear Lake Sheriff's Department saying that he received a threat by a former job applicant, Steven Blood. The Sheriff's Department investigated and called the threat unfounded because there was nothing to qualify the phone call as a terrorist threat.
On Nov. 5, Blood sent an e-mail to The Grizzly stating that his laywers and the FCC are investigating Herrick and his staff.
Gardner, who also works in The Grizzly's production department, denies the conspiracy theory along with Herrick. “I had every desire to keep him in town,” Gardner said. “I thought there were opportunities to provide an alternative source of entertainment in the Valley. But we couldn't give him free air time.”
When Blood sent out a Nov. 2 mass e-mail to potential advertisers and station affiliates providing an update about Jack Hammer Radio Network, one person replied to the entire recipient list.
“Just a heads up, ‘Jack' recently rented space from me and was utilizing the Channel 6 airwaves in Big Bear,” John Wells wrote to the list of more than 150 recipients. He recommended recipients contact Gardner before making any moves to sign up with Jack Hammer Radio Network.
That was after a press release began circulating Oct. 17 looking for national affiliates, announcing radio legend Bob Morgan's radio show would be broadcast on Jack Hammer Radio Network nightly. That was a bit premature, according to Morgan.
“There is no affiliation,” Morgan said, explaining the show was on Jack Hammer Radio Network for one week as an experiment to test the market. Morgan and his on-air partner Russ O'Hara's brand of radio includes strictly oldies combined with silly gags to lighten listeners' loads. “We didn't have a common audience, so we pulled.” But that wasn't Blood's biggest problem.
Show someone the money
“J.P. Montero has not been paid as his company did not hold up his end of his contractual agreement,” Blood wrote in an e-mail sent to various media outlets on Nov. 3, referring to the station's principal owner. “The quality of service was sub par, the pre-empting and other factors have made Bear Valley Radio (Jack Hammer Radio Network) lose money. My national sponsors continue to make demands for make-goods before they will disburse payment to me.”
Blood also claimed Jack Hammer Radio increased the listener and viewer numbers for KO6MU. “Channel 6 hasn't had that many viewers on the best month they ever had,” he wrote.
Gardner disagrees. He also said Blood secured some local advertisers, but none of those monies were paid to KO6MU, or to Blood's landlord, Wells, who also hosts a program on the station. “John gave him no end of stuff at the station's facilities,” Gardner said. “He even bought him a desk and some computer hardware.”
Rich Reams, owner of Lakeview Trading Company, advertised with Jack Hammer Radio and his version of the numbers differs, again. “I've had 10 times the response with Jack Hammer than I've had with any other publication or media in Big Bear I've advertised with,” Reams says. “I got more than my money's worth.”
Reams expressed his contempt for the Big Bear business community's unwillingness to try advertising with a new media outlet.
“I'm so sick of how people bully people in Big Bear,” Reams said, adding that someone called his business and complained that Lakeview Trading Company was advertising with Jack Hammer Radio Network.
Hammer time
As for the sub par service, Gardner said pre-empting was part of the package because the station is a public access station that carries regular programming, as well. The radio programming streamed online 24-hours a day.
The technical problems? “It is our belief they were his issues,” Gardner said, adding Blood was quick to point fingers at everyone but himself.
On Nov. 4 Blood wrote again to various media outlets and advertisers, stating “I feel slighted or somehow censored by the powers that be in the audio visual media outlets of the Big Bear market. My entire intention was and is to bring increased revenues to the tax base of the Big Bear Valley region through increased visitors and tourism dollars, as well as national exposure to the community.”
All advertising contracts and sponsorships obtained by Jack Hammer Radio Network have been put on hold until the return and make-goods for lost time can be credited at double rates, Blood said. For now, he is pursuing affiliates to carry his Jack Hammer Radio Network programming nationwide. While it may eventually be carried in Big Bear again, he will not remain a resident.
“Many people have made me feel very welcome in the Big Bear community, but on the same note, there have been those who made me feel quite unwelcome and almost uncomfortable about being in Big Bear,” he wrote Nov. 4 by e-mail.
Big Bear didn't know Jack
After Blood left Big Bear behind, questions remained about whether Blood misrepresented himself. Blood claimed to hold a master's degree in communications from the Los Angeles branch of the Columbia School of Broadcasting. According to Bill Butler, the school's director, the school doesn't offer a master's degree of any sort.
Christine Fung of KROQ's programming department said she had never heard of Blood. Fung has worked for the station for eight years.
Inquiries sent to Blood about his JackFM licensing, his identity and job history were not answered as of press time.
Tickets, please
The biggest question from Everyman is, what about the trips to Cabo? Blood sent out a mass e-mail that stated the contest was on hold because he didn't receive enough qualified entrants.
Gardner said Blood told him, before the relationship between KO6MU and Jack Hammer Radio Network was severed, that he had more than enough entries.
What is known is that no one is going anywhere for now, except Steven Blood. He's already gone.
JACK HAMMER GETS NAILED
By ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER
Wednesday, November 9, 2005 11:54 AM PST
Steven Blood, aka Jack Hammer, left Big Bear with many questions unanswered and no trips to Cabo given away. (ARRISSIA OWEN TURNER/Big Bear Grizzly)
Steven Blood arrived in Big Bear brimming with high hopes. By the time he left he had a few new friends, a few foes and a lawyer.
Now people around town are asking, “Where the heck did Jack Hammer go?”
Catriona McGinn of Spark Net Communications is especially interested, even though she's in Vancouver. JackFM is a franchise owned by the media conglomerate, and McGinn says no license was issued to anyone in Big Bear Valley and that litigation is in the works against Blood.
Airing it out
The short saga started when Blood, aka. Jack Hammer, visited Big Bear Valley during Memorial Day. He applied for a job at KBHR 93.3 FM, Big Bear's only local English-speaking, commercial radio station. Blood decided to compete instead.
Blood said he previously worked at KROQ and KIIS FM, 1290 AM BOB Radio and others. Blood also said he acquired licensing from JACK FM to use the franchise's logos and format. He began pursuing a station on 92.5 FM. Instead, he struck a deal with KO6MU, Channel 6, to purchase air time on its low power FM station located at 87.7 to broadcast through the TV channel's broadcasting.
Because the radio station broadcasts over TV airwaves, the normally non-commercial numbers on the dial are able to carry advertisements without violating Federal Communications Commission regulations, according to an FCC official.
Once Jack FM hit the airwaves, Blood hit the streets to introduce himself as the station's on-air personality, Jack Hammer, selling advertising. To bring in listeners, Blood took music requests, his first diversion from the JACK FM format. When that didn't work, he dropped the JACK FM model and started his own version, Jack Hammer Radio Network.
Jack Hammer caught the attention of listeners when he announced contests giving away trips to Cabo San Lucas, Thanksgiving turkeys, cash, cruises, four-wheel-drive vehicles and more. Blood also said there was the possibility of fund-raiser concerts with Velvet Revolver and Dwight Yoakum, separate nights of course, to raise money to buy holiday gifts for local disadvantaged children.
Then on the night of Oct. 22 Jack Hammer Radio went silent. After two months of Blood trying to secure advertising to keep Jack Hammer Radio Network afloat, KO6MU station manager Darrell Gardner offered Blood an ultimatum: either pay up or get out.
KO6MU received no money from Blood during the two months the station streamed music content to its air waves from Jack Hammer Radio Network. There was an Oct. 26 deadline, but instead Blood pulled the plug himself and disappeared.
The station Blood once called a “labor of love” fizzled. He doesn't blame himself.
The fall out
In an interview with The Grizzly on Oct. 1, Blood claimed his challenge in finding local advertisers was no accident. “There's some smoke screen by another radio station here,” Blood said. He said KBHR approached potential advertisers and bad mouthed his station.
On Nov. 3, Blood said in an e-mail to The Grizzly that he felt he was being “pushed out of Big Bear by Rick Herrick and Darrell Gardner.”
Not so, according to KBHR owner Herrick. “I made a distinct point to tell everyone not to say anything,” he said, adding he didn't feel threatened since KBHR already competed for advertising with KO6MU for years. He looked at it like they just had a new product and a new salesperson. “I just said to let the chips fall where they may.”
On Nov. 4, Herrick filed a report with the Big Bear Lake Sheriff's Department saying that he received a threat by a former job applicant, Steven Blood. The Sheriff's Department investigated and called the threat unfounded because there was nothing to qualify the phone call as a terrorist threat.
On Nov. 5, Blood sent an e-mail to The Grizzly stating that his laywers and the FCC are investigating Herrick and his staff.
Gardner, who also works in The Grizzly's production department, denies the conspiracy theory along with Herrick. “I had every desire to keep him in town,” Gardner said. “I thought there were opportunities to provide an alternative source of entertainment in the Valley. But we couldn't give him free air time.”
When Blood sent out a Nov. 2 mass e-mail to potential advertisers and station affiliates providing an update about Jack Hammer Radio Network, one person replied to the entire recipient list.
“Just a heads up, ‘Jack' recently rented space from me and was utilizing the Channel 6 airwaves in Big Bear,” John Wells wrote to the list of more than 150 recipients. He recommended recipients contact Gardner before making any moves to sign up with Jack Hammer Radio Network.
That was after a press release began circulating Oct. 17 looking for national affiliates, announcing radio legend Bob Morgan's radio show would be broadcast on Jack Hammer Radio Network nightly. That was a bit premature, according to Morgan.
“There is no affiliation,” Morgan said, explaining the show was on Jack Hammer Radio Network for one week as an experiment to test the market. Morgan and his on-air partner Russ O'Hara's brand of radio includes strictly oldies combined with silly gags to lighten listeners' loads. “We didn't have a common audience, so we pulled.” But that wasn't Blood's biggest problem.
Show someone the money
“J.P. Montero has not been paid as his company did not hold up his end of his contractual agreement,” Blood wrote in an e-mail sent to various media outlets on Nov. 3, referring to the station's principal owner. “The quality of service was sub par, the pre-empting and other factors have made Bear Valley Radio (Jack Hammer Radio Network) lose money. My national sponsors continue to make demands for make-goods before they will disburse payment to me.”
Blood also claimed Jack Hammer Radio increased the listener and viewer numbers for KO6MU. “Channel 6 hasn't had that many viewers on the best month they ever had,” he wrote.
Gardner disagrees. He also said Blood secured some local advertisers, but none of those monies were paid to KO6MU, or to Blood's landlord, Wells, who also hosts a program on the station. “John gave him no end of stuff at the station's facilities,” Gardner said. “He even bought him a desk and some computer hardware.”
Rich Reams, owner of Lakeview Trading Company, advertised with Jack Hammer Radio and his version of the numbers differs, again. “I've had 10 times the response with Jack Hammer than I've had with any other publication or media in Big Bear I've advertised with,” Reams says. “I got more than my money's worth.”
Reams expressed his contempt for the Big Bear business community's unwillingness to try advertising with a new media outlet.
“I'm so sick of how people bully people in Big Bear,” Reams said, adding that someone called his business and complained that Lakeview Trading Company was advertising with Jack Hammer Radio Network.
Hammer time
As for the sub par service, Gardner said pre-empting was part of the package because the station is a public access station that carries regular programming, as well. The radio programming streamed online 24-hours a day.
The technical problems? “It is our belief they were his issues,” Gardner said, adding Blood was quick to point fingers at everyone but himself.
On Nov. 4 Blood wrote again to various media outlets and advertisers, stating “I feel slighted or somehow censored by the powers that be in the audio visual media outlets of the Big Bear market. My entire intention was and is to bring increased revenues to the tax base of the Big Bear Valley region through increased visitors and tourism dollars, as well as national exposure to the community.”
All advertising contracts and sponsorships obtained by Jack Hammer Radio Network have been put on hold until the return and make-goods for lost time can be credited at double rates, Blood said. For now, he is pursuing affiliates to carry his Jack Hammer Radio Network programming nationwide. While it may eventually be carried in Big Bear again, he will not remain a resident.
“Many people have made me feel very welcome in the Big Bear community, but on the same note, there have been those who made me feel quite unwelcome and almost uncomfortable about being in Big Bear,” he wrote Nov. 4 by e-mail.
Big Bear didn't know Jack
After Blood left Big Bear behind, questions remained about whether Blood misrepresented himself. Blood claimed to hold a master's degree in communications from the Los Angeles branch of the Columbia School of Broadcasting. According to Bill Butler, the school's director, the school doesn't offer a master's degree of any sort.
Christine Fung of KROQ's programming department said she had never heard of Blood. Fung has worked for the station for eight years.
Inquiries sent to Blood about his JackFM licensing, his identity and job history were not answered as of press time.
Tickets, please
The biggest question from Everyman is, what about the trips to Cabo? Blood sent out a mass e-mail that stated the contest was on hold because he didn't receive enough qualified entrants.
Gardner said Blood told him, before the relationship between KO6MU and Jack Hammer Radio Network was severed, that he had more than enough entries.
What is known is that no one is going anywhere for now, except Steven Blood. He's already gone.