NORM CLARKE'S VEGAS DIARY

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MEDIA UPDATE: CARP'S VGK BOOK IS OUT - GRANEY AND BAKER MOVE TO AM DRIVE TIME, AND A ‘SEINFELD’-RELATED PODCAST THAT’S GOLD…

Over his 30-year career in Las Vegas, Steve Carp has chronicled many of the city’s greatest sports moments, from UNLV’s basketball dynasty to epic boxing matches.

Covering a first-year NHL team for the Las Vegas Review-Journal didn’t figure to rise to that level.

Steve Carp

But as the Vegas Golden Knights’ improbable season unfolded with win after win, “it quickly became apparent that this story could be a great book," Carp said. "And as someone who had lived the story from its embryonic stages, I felt an obligation to be the one to tell the Knights’ story.”

“Vegas Born: The remarkable story of the Golden Knights” comes out this week and fans can find it at The Armory at T-Mobile Arena, The Arsenal, Booklocker.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.

"This wasn’t about getting rich or making a quick buck,” said Carp. “It was about writing a really good, comprehensive book that told the entire Golden Knights’ story and that the readers would enjoy and be proud to own.

After 19 years with the R-J, Carp recently joined Gaming Today as their lead columnist.

GRANEY’S RISE (AND SHINE)

A decade ago Ed Graney was breaking into the Las Vegas sports-talk scene on the late, late shift.

Ed Graney

He and Carp teamed up on “The Sports Scribes” overnight show on KDWN-AM from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., a time slot usually reserved for starving journalists or college kids desperate to build a resume.

Graney was eager to raise his profile on the ESPN affiliate after years with the San Diego Union-Tribune. He joined the R-J in 2006 as the lead sports columnist.

“We had a friend of my brother call from L.A. every night,” Carp recalled. “His nickname was Pasta. He was a hoot.”

Graney didn’t have to wait long to get a call-up to the top sports-talk show in town. Lotus Broadcasting added him to their A-team “Gridlock” lineup with Paul Howard and Mitch Moss.

Graney has thrived, parlaying his insider information, reporting ability and personality-plus into radio stardom. Earlier this week, Graney graduated to morning drive time. Lotus moved Graney and co-host Clay Baker and “The Press Box” (ESPN Radio 1100 AM and 100.9 FM.) to 7 a.m.-10 a.m., switching time slots with the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.”

Unaffected by the morning moves is Tyler Bischoff, who’s “Technically Correct” show remains in the 10-11 a.m. slot. Born in Colorado and raised in Mississippi, Bischoff is going with a “hyper local sports talk” strategy. He got a degree in broadcast journalism at Ole Miss and moved to Las Vegas in 2014...

RJ BELL GOES NATIONAL

RJ Bell

Sports betting guri RJ Bell has landed a national week day show “Straight Outta Vegas” on Fox Sports Radio. Bell’s broadcast team includes Brad Powers and Steve Fezzik. The show airs from 3-4 p.m. Pacific on 1320 AM in Las Vegas and is syndicated on 300-plus stations across the country. The weekend best-of edition of the show (11 p.m. to midnight) is being hosted by Bernie Fratto, who has been on the ESPN 1100 roster for several years. He formerly worked for CBS Radio in Detroit. Fox Sports Radio announced last month that JT the Brick, who real name is John Tournour, was among two evening shows cuts. Tournour, who lives in Las Vegas and handles a number of duties for the Oakland Raiders, had been with the network for 17 years...

MARK DICIERO RETURNS

Mark DiCiero

Mark DiCiero, a fixture on the “Mark and Mercedes Show” for 18 years at Mix 94.1 (KMXB), is back on the airwaves at IHeartmedia’s Sunny 106.5 with a Saturday and Sunday gig. One of the city’s biggest radio stars, he left KMBX in 2014 for reasons that were unclear at the time, sat out six months due to a non-compete clause and joined Beasley Broadcasting’s Star 107.9 (KVGS) in July 2015, with Aimee Montgomery as his co-host and Mark McKenzie producing. He departed eight months later and revealed he had an ambien addiction that was full-blown in 2004. He’s working a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift.”I remember when this station was fifteenth in the market and nicknamed ’sleepy’ instead of sunny. It’s now No. 1 locally and one of the best programmed adult contemporary radio stations in the country,” he said in a press release.

DiCiero’s backstory: https://bit.ly/2s5yW6z

‘SEINFELD’ CHARACTER JOINS RICH JOHNSON PODCAST

Steve Hytner

Former Las Vegan Rich Johnson is moving back from Washington, D.C. to do his “That’s Gold!” podcast with Steve Hytner of “Seinfeld” fame. Hytner’s most famous line over 30-plus years of acting came from his Kenny Bania character, who tries to ingratiate himself to Jerry Seinfeld by uttering “Gold, Jerry, gold!” at every opportunity. They plan to do public shows. An Oregon native, Johnson spent nine years with Fox News as White House Correspondent and Senior National Correspondent, flying on Air Force One two dozen times…

SYNDICATION DEAL FOR DAVID & MAHONEY

“The David and Mahoney Show” (6-10 a.m. on X107.5 radio) has taken the next step: They have launched into syndication. They will be airing on weekday mornings on ALT 105.7 in Albany, N.Y.

THE PUNCH LINE

One of my favorites, for his talent and friendship, died on Thursday. Dave Anderson, the New York Times sports columnist, always made time for the small-market writers. Not long after the Colorado Rockies arrived in Denver, I had him on my radio show with my co-host Tracy Ringolsby. Having met Dave when I was with the Associated Press, he offered his “favorite AP story.” He said it was a three-paragraph item that went something like this:

“First paragraph: Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe arrived at the New York Yankees spring training home on Monday.

“Second paragraph: Monroe and Yankees standout Joe DiMaggio were married two weeks ago.

“Third paragraph: DiMaggio missed the morning workout."