UPDATE -- a note from the author: We spoke to Mr. Ames again this afternoon. He informed us that he thought the conversation would not be used in our article and that it was only for background information. He also stated that he does not recall some of the statements attributed to him. Neither Mr. Ames nor the author is implying that Ms. Chorney or her radio promoter engaged in any unethical practices regarding airplay. The comments regarding such practices were general statements only, not specific to Ms. Chorney. We regret any confusion. Mr. Ames informed us that he will be interviewing Ms. Chorney on his show on Monday, January 30, at 8:20 a.m. We recommend that concerned readers tune in to hear Ms. Chorney in her own words at this link.

Gordon "Big G" Ames

​The Linda Chorney Grammy thing just won't go away. It seems now Chorney is barraging radio stations with her latest album, hoping to gain a smidgen of credibility before going to the Grammys with zero album sales, which we presume is going to be an historic first.

Former Houstonian Gordon "Big G" Ames, the program director at KOOK-FM, "Real Deal Radio," received a copy of Chorney's CD earlier this week. He was not amused. In fact, he is so not amused his Thursday show is going to be themed "Making An Example."

"I've been around a long time and I know how things work," says Ames from his home outside Kerrville. "You and I both know that if you put a thousand dollars in a few hands you can get your album on someone's quote unquote chart. You know it, I know it. And that makes me mad. It's sad and pathetic what the Americana syndicate chooses to accept payment for."

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​Rocks Off can name at least ten local rock stars off the top of our heads who owe their good taste and love of music almost exclusively to the radio work done by David Sadof. Now he is finally returning to the medium in order to bring some light to the darkness of Houston radio as part of NASA's Third Rock Radio. Run by RFC Media, Third Rock Radio's mission is to explore new worlds of music and present the discoveries for all our enjoyment.

Sadof is perfectly suited to the task. In the '80s he was the host of 101.1 FM KLOL's Exposure working with Donna McKenzie, and was the man who brought Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Smashing Pumpkins, and other emerging acts into the homes and cars of Houstonians. Later, Sadof teamed with Cruze, and RFC's Pat Fant to launch 107.5 FM the BUZZ in 1995. All four are now a part of the latest endeavor.

"The thing I've always loved most about radio is discovering new music and sharing it with others," said Sadof. "RFC Media allows me to do that and to once again work with Pat Fant, Cruze and Donna McKenzie, all of whom I have high respect for, both personally and professionally."

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​Smooth jazz doesn't equal "Jazz In All Its Colors," say critics of KTSU. And that's why, according to those same critics, people aren't listening like they used to.

In this week's cover story (and accompanying sidebar by John Nova Lomax), current and former DJs of KTSU, as well as the station's lost listeners, talk about the so-called death of "The Choice" 90.9 FM, which will turn 40 years old in June.

Not only has KTSU lost its way by ditching straight-ahead jazz for commercially-geared smooth jazz, critics explain, but the people in charge have created a work environment that a former KTSU jock compares to a "concentration camp."

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Photo by Marco Torres

DJ EQUE at the launch party for Pharrell's Qreme liqueur, Las Vilas, September 23, 2011

​DJ EQUE has been making her mark in the industry for more than 10 years, but it was never something that came easy for her. The Houston-bred beauty had a lot to prove before she was taken seriously as a female DJ.

It all started in college, when EQUE attended Texas Southern University on a basketball scholarship. "In the early '90s, I partied with a lot of creative people that I shared interests with and I realized that DJing was something that I really wanted to do," she says.

Just by hanging out with a friend who was a DJ, EQUE learned the ropes of spinning records for parties. She received lessons almost daily and practiced frequently.

"In order to become successful as a DJ, you must have passion and the willingness to study the craft," says EQUE. "Some of the best DJs learn to be great by studying other DJs heavily."

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KTSU on Facebook

Chris Tucker finds KTSU's smoother direction hard to swallow.

​Rocks Off has heard smooth jazzer Kenny G compared to rusty nails in the eyes, and what wallpaper might sound like if it boasted sonic properties. However, this is the first time that we've heard the soprano saxophonist's name and "concentration camp" in the same breath.

In addition to the Nazi Germany motif, local emcee Chris Tucker says that Donna Franklin has created a "slave mentality" environment at "The Choice," KTSU (90.9 FM). Franklin, the assistant general manager of Texas Southern University's radio station, says this isn't true and that Tucker is acting on a "personal vendetta."

According to the two, the hubbub started to conflagrate with the formation of the Concerned Legends of KTSU, an anonymous group that, to date, has published and distributed five emails.

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Photo by Marc Brubaker

We did it all for the nookie.

​This weekend is Buzzfest XXVII in Houston, 94.5 The Buzz's bi-annual all-day throwdown at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Rocks Off has covered a few of the shows in the past few years, including the May 2010 edition where we took along Buxton's Chris Wise and met Fred Durst before Limp Bizkit's triumphant return to Houston.

Hearing thousands of people scream "Break your fucking face tonight" was chilling and, well, fun.

The festival began in 1995 just as the station, then at 107.5 FM on your dial, was beginning its domination of Houston rock radio. That first year the line-up included Bush, Our Lady Peace, Matthew Sweet, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, The Nixons, Face To Face, No Use For a Name, and Phunk Junkeez, who you may remember from their cover of the KISS klassic "I Love It Loud" on their Injected album and the Tommy Boy soundtrack.

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​A cursory glance at the year-to-date urban radio chart reaffirms an age-old music industry adage: Sex sells. You can see the Top 10 at the bottom of this post, but first let's talk about a few of the chart's recurring themes.

Sex Sells: Miguel's "Sure Thing" occupies the top spot with 86,785 spins, followed closely by Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" with 83,597.

"Sure Thing" is about being madly in love and all that mushy stuff but, Miguel being Miguel, occasionally slips in sexual innuendo wherever he sees fit. "You be the match, Imma be your fuse/Boom!" Oh Miguel, you sure have a way with words. "Motivation" needs no introduction. It sports some of the raunchiest lyrics on radio this year, and finds Rowland mewling, "push harder," "go longer" and "go, go, go!"

A few notches down at No.7 is Trey Songz's "Love Faces," a paean to post-coital expressions. "Don't it feel good when I touch on it," Songz sings, "Wouldn't it be nice if all night I was in you? Come kiss me, come with me down the hall to my bedroom. Tonight we'll be making love faces."

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​How many times has this happened to you: You're driving home from work. A song comes on. Drums. Guitar strums. A wimpy voice: "Say, oh, got this feeling that you can't fight..." You've heard this same song three times in 30 minutes, and it bores you to tears.

Unlike the imaginary audience the station's program director has been instructed to reach, you're not a robot; you're a member of the Homo sapiens species and you naturally crave variety. You don't have satellite radio, so you immediately reach for your CD case.

You're not alone.

According to a July 2011 Arbitron survey, 68 percent of people now rely on CD players as their main in-car entertainment, up from 58 percent in 2003. In-car satellite radio usage also ticked up to 8 percent from 1 percent in 2003. Equally disconcerting for radio stations: The rate of people listening to AM/FM radio in their cars fell to 84 percent from 96 percent just six years ago.

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Take Ova Crew on Facebook

The Take Ova Crew welcomes Houston's own Devin the Dude.

​In 1972, the FCC approved a license for Texas Southern University's FM radio station, 90.9 KTSU ("The Choice"). The station was originally intended to give students in the communications department an opportunity to get hands-on training in the field of broadcast media.

Although a few classes provided that training, KTSU became a predominantly jazz and oldies-oriented station. There had been no on-air student personalities since the popular Saturday-morning '90s hip-hop show Kidz Jamz. That is until the station's only current student-produced and -hosted show, The Movement, began in 2009.

One Friday while in class, broadcast-communications students Charles Holt, James Jones, Rebecca McElrath and Maxie Tarver came up with the concept about how great it would be to host their own radio show on KTSU. Since they all had experience with the station through internships and work-study jobs, they knew their plan would not be difficult to execute.

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Charne Graham

The Faces of Coog Radio: Operations Director Sofia Straus, Music Director Josue Garcia and Co-founder Conner Clifton (first picture), and DJ Janet Quiroa (second).

​The University of Houston finally has its first student-founded and student-run radio station, Coog Radio, which launched online this week. The idea came about back in 2009 between UH senior Conner Clifton and two friends.

Prince Wilson, Student Government Association president at the time, directed Clifton to the right administration, and he sat outside President Renu Khator's office until he got the answer he was looking for. Nearly five months in the making, Coog Radio was created to reflect something that UH is most proud of, diversity.

Streaming uncensored 24 hours a day, Coog Radio has a student DJ team of about 40 people (including local underground hip-hop artist Fat Tony), each with two-hour shows. The station recruited the DJs via an e-mail blast to UH's liberal arts students. The students utilize a small studio in the school's UC Underground to produce, conduct and run the show.

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