Letterman on KKMG? Nah, just a Stupid Human Trick

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Sep 12, 2000 | by Warren Epstein

The top 10 reasons not to believe David Letterman was on KKMG (98.9 FM) Monday morning:

10.David's publicist told me "no way."

9.David's publicist asked me, "... And who are these radio people? Are they connected to Howard Stern or something?"

8.The Magic morning team claimed Letterman was on their show in February while he was recovering from heart surgery. Letterman's publicist said it must have been an imposter.

7.On Monday morning, Letterman was flying back from Los Angeles, where he received an Emmy Award, to New York.

6.Letterman doesn't like stalkers.

5.Letterman's probably easily annoyed by air horns.

4.The alleged "Letterman" didn't laugh at his own jokes.

3.Letterman doesn't need the publicity.

2.He hasn't even done "The View" yet.

And the No. 1 reason not to believe it was Letterman ...

1. Come on, this is Colora- do Springs!

Emmy show for adults only?

TV viewer and concerned mother Linda McCullah raised an interesting point about the Emmy Awards show Sunday night.

Although Emmy promotes some good values by praising good quality shows ("The Sopranos" probably didn't get more awards because of its violent content), the nonstop sex jokes by host Garry Shandling made the program inappropriate for families.

"We love TV at our house," McCullah said. "To me, if you can't sit down as a family and watch the awards for television during prime time, then something's gone afoul."

I'm guessing she'd have liked it even less if Chris Rock had hosted.

"BattleBots" is a hit

They don't know pain. They don't know mercy.

They are the rock-'em-sock-'em saw-'em-and-bash-'em stars of "BattleBots," the hot new series on Comedy Central.

If you haven't seen this show yet, you have to at least give it a peek. (It's on at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and repeats at 9 p.m. Saturdays.)

The premise is simple: Two remote-controlled robots, equipped with various killing devices, go at it in a cage. It's a cross between a cockfight and a demolition derby.

I love it because it gives me the adrenaline fix of a boxing match, but nobody gets hurt.

Mark Stevens, half of the Mark Brothers team on KKFM (98.1 FM), shares my "BattleBots" obsession.

"It's 100 percent pure, unadulterated, testosterone-fueled guilty pleasure," said Stevens, who just celebrated his 15th year on the air.

"I was searching, searching, SEARCHING," he said, "for something to take the place of my 'Survivor' fix. And I have found it!"

Mark and I aren't alone. Last week's "BattleBots" premiere set a new ratings record for a series on Comedy Central, drawing 2 million viewers.

Akers is off the air

In April, I had written a column about my friend Lyn Akers, an on- air personality and operations manager at KRCC (91.5 FM).

In the past several months, Akers had been winning a fight against cancer and had returned to her job.

Her recent checkup, though, found new growth - an inoperable tumor.

She's decided to take an indefinite leave of absence from the station to battle her illness.

"Miracles happen and I feel there is a very good chance that I can be one," Akers said in an e-mail.

"But I'm not just going to hope for that. I'll be working on it ... hard.

"That will keep me very, very busy."

My prayers and those of all her friends and listeners will be with her.