Joe Escalante Departs Indie 103.1 Morning Show

Joe Escalante has left the KDLD-FM (“Indie 103.1″) morning show. Escalante’s departure comes as station owner Entravision makes some budget trims (as everyone seems to be doing these days).

Ted Roman is hosting the show for now, at least on an interim basis. No word if Roman will permanently replace Escalante, or if another host is on the way.

A bassist for the punk band The Vandals and owner of Kung Fu Records, Escalante also spent 12 years as a business affairs exec, including time at CBS. He first joined Indie in 2005 to host the weekly call-in show “Barely Legal Radio,” where he offered entertainment legal advice to people in the industry.

When the station axed morning show host (and Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer) Dicky Barrett in May 2006, Escalante was tapped to replace him.

It looks like Escalante hasn’t completely severed ties with Indie; he’ll now go back to just hosting Barely Legal Radio.

Tenacity, Thy Name is "Jericho" Fans

“Jericho” fans on Livejournal report that at least one bilboard pushing for another revival of the CBS drama is now up — on Ventura Blvd., west of Vineland Ave.

The chances of the show coming back are pretty slim, but you can’t say they’re not tenacious in the pro-”Jericho” camp.

Construction Workers Against Katie Couric?

With all the talk of Katie Couric potentially leaving CBS’ “Evening News,” is this local construction site trying to make a statement?

From Television City to Studio City: CBS Moves

CBS’ long-awaited move from Television City — its West Coast base since 1952 — to the CBS Studio Center (also known as the “Radford lot”) happens at the end of the month.

It’s been a long time coming; the network first started circulating drawings of a new CBS building in 2003; ground breaking took place (above, CBS’ Leslie Moonves, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others) in 2005.

I write in Variety:

The new 162,000-square-foot building, which has been housing KCBS and KCAL since last April, will also lodge Eye topper Leslie Moonves’ West Coast office. It will be the home base for CBS Paramount TV Network Entertainment Group head Nancy Tellem and CBS Entertainment prexy Nina Tassler.

Much of the CBS Entertainment team will also make the move to the building, although some departments will remain at Television City. Plan is to gradually bring other staffers over in waves.

As for Television City, the historic landmark — which first opened in 1952 — isn’t in danger of disappearing. Unlike Columbia Square, which went dark after CBS sold the facility and KCBS/KCAL (plus KNX and KCBS-FM) moved out, TV City is still owned by the Eye and will remain an active facility.

In other words, contestants will still be “comin’ on down” for “The Price is Right” at TV City for the forseeable future.

By April, Fox becomes the only major broadcast net not located in the San Fernando Valley. NBC Entertainment is also moving this year, from Burbank to the Universal lot.