The front-runner for the CBS-3 co-anchor slot with Larry Mendte in the fall is Alycia Lane of the NBC affiliate in Miami, Florida who had a "great audition" with Larry Mendte and meteorologist Kathy Orr according to a newsroom source.  Lane is the only person thus far from "the outside" who has auditioned for the position.   Some of the current CBS-3 personalities who auditioned were Denise Saunders, Amy Caples, Robin Rieger, Colette Cassidy and Tamsen Fadal.  Pat Ciarrocchi hasn't auditioned yet because she was on vacation.  Since CBS-3 seems to love Kathy Orr so much, maybe they should make her co-anchor/meteorologist.

Since we are in the middle of the big summer concert season, there are a few ticket giveaways to report.  Today, five of the biggest Bon Jovi fans in the area will be "living on a prayer" as they compete to win front row tickets to the Bon Jovi concert Saturday night on "10" on WCAU at 10 a.m.   Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, and the Goo Goo Dolls will play the last-ever concert at Veterans Stadium.  My favorite act isn't the headliner, but Sheryl Crow.

Many of the stations including WPTP 96.5-FM, WMGK 102.9-FM, and WSNI 104.5-FM are giving away tickets to the biggest concert event of the summer - Bruce Springsteen - at Lincoln Financial Field on August 8, 9 and 11.  Wonder if we can bring our own hoagies to that show?

WOGL's Bob Pantano is hosting the concert "Get Up and Dance" August 16 at the First Union Center.  KC and the Sunshine Band, Bonnie and June Pointer (formerly of The Pointer Sisters), the Village People, Thelma Houston, Martha Wash (of the Weather Girls), Maxine Nightingale, Anita Ward, and the Trammps will perform.  Yippee!

Why did CBS-3 ran a video cut-in of a small airplane crash along with a crawl to during the middle of programming on Thursday night?  Possibly because the top-rated show "CSI" was on the air at the time.

The only local stations not to air the press conference announcing the resignation of Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua were WPHL and WTXF.  WPVI, WCAU, KYW, and CN8 all ran the announcement live.

"Philadelphia" magazine celebrates 30 years of "The Best of Philly" Monday at 7:30 p.m. on CBS-3. The live half-hour special will be hosted by Ukee Washington and the third female co-host in the three years of the special, "It" girl Kathy Orr from the National Constitution Center.  Orr follows Robin Rieger on maternity leave and Dawn Stensland, now at WTXF. One of the segments will take an inside look at how "The Best of Philly" winners are selected.  Mike Quick and Lauren Hart are a couple of the famous people in the show. 

WPHT 1210-AM weekday host Jeff Katz will be broadcasting from a luxury hot tub at The Buck Hotel (Buck Road & Bustleton Pike in Feasterville) each Wednesday evening through August 13.  "The Jeff Katz Summer Hot Tub Party" will culminate with a listener winning the hot tub!

Since we are in the middle of the big summer movie season, there are a couple of radio movie talk shows to reccomend.  Steve "Mr. Movie" Friedman hosts "Movie Talk" on Saturdays from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. on WPHT 1210-AM.  Joel Gibbs hosts "Everything Entertainment" weeknights from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturdays at noon on WHWH 1350-AM.   

Congratulations to WBCB 1490-AM program director Paul Baroli who along with his wife became a first-time parent with the birth of daughter, Magnolia.  Magnolia is named after a song by Baroli's favorite group, the Grateful Dead.