John Carroll signs on with WBUR

John Carroll, one of the sharpest media observers I know, has signed on as a commentator with WBUR Radio (90.9 FM). Here's the press release from WBUR:

"Beat the Press" panelist John Carroll will beat a familiar path back to WBUR in the role of senior media analyst starting next week, announced Sam Fleming, managing director of News & Programming at Boston's NPR news station.

Carroll, a regular WBUR commentator for more than 10 years prior to moving to WGBH-TV's "Greater Boston" in the mid '90s, will analyze electoral and print media during the presidential race, and following the election, he will dissect issues related to advertising, politics and culture.

"Our listeners have longed missed John's wry observations about media and advertising, particularly commercial messages peddled by candidates of all persuasions in the midst of elections," said Fleming. "We look forward to his return."

In addition to serving as a regular panelist on WGBH-TV's popular Friday night program "Beat the Press," Carroll was the executive producer of WGBH-TV's "Greater Boston" for five years. An assistant professor of Mass Communication at Boston University, Carroll has won numerous national and regional journalism awards, including the RTNDA's Edward R. Murrow award for writing, the National Press Club's Arthur Rowse award for press criticism, and multiple New England Emmys for commentary and news writing.

Over the past 20 years, the Xavier University alum has also written extensively on advertising and the media as a regular columnist for The Boston Globe and Adweek magazine. He also spent nearly two decades as a creative director and consultant in the advertising industry.

I've got a lot of respect for John, and I wish him well in his new venture.

Hot air over a Cape Wind book

Has WGBH's Cape Cod radio station, WCAI, been suppressing news about a new book that takes a favorable view of Cape Wind, the controversial proposed wind farm? It's a claim that's been rattling around for the past few weeks. Now the Phoenix's Adam Reilly takes a look. And though he finds no definitive proof, he does dig up some interesting tidbits about power, money and potential conflicts of interest.

You want conflicts of interest? Well, you've come to the right place. I'm a paid contributor to another outpost of WGBH, "Greater Boston with Emily Rooney." The editor of Cape Cod Today, Walter Brooks, who's pro-wind farm and who first alerted me to this story earlier in the month, is a friend of Media Nation. Walter and I have appeared together on WCAI to talk about online journalism.

So it's just as well I'm taking a pass on this. Read Adam's story and decide for yourself.