Charged with misdemeanors. But not indicted with a felony. Got it?

Acting on an educated hunch, I made a call this afternoon to Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney David Hagerman. Sure enough, he confirms that a grand jury on Thursday returned a three-count, Class A misdemeanor complaint against Live 105.3 FM talk-show host Russ Martin.

Surely you remember Russell Dale Martin?

Hagerman confirmed that the grand jury returned the complaint against Martin pertaining to allegations of "family violence," assault and bodily injury. He said there is not yet a date for the case – which will likely be prosecuted by assistant DA Sean Colston – to proceed in the county's criminal misdemeanor court.

If convicted, Martin, who was arrested July 18 on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a confrontation with his girlfriend, faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 on the lesser misdemeanor complaint. Though the formal charges will likely further dent his image and Martin certainly isn’t out of the legal woods, the fact that he avoided the second-degree felony charges associated with aggravated assault might allow him and his fans to breath slightly easier tonight.

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Back on the air. Back to his old self?

Radio is a changin’.

Arbitron recently awoke to the digital age and began more accurately deducting ratings via new electronic portable people meters. So instead of humans flippantly filling out diaries with No. 2 pencils, we’ll now get a much more precise reading from contraptions that literally “hear” whatever the radio listener “hears.”

That should mean pretty significant changes, I would think, when the first PPM ratings are released later this fall. If I’m The Ticket I’m a little nervous about my ratings dynasty. Kinda in the same way the Cowboys would be a little nervous if the criterion for their grading suddenly changed to, say, popularity and playoff performance.

What we hear is changing as much as how we hear it. Just yesterday, for example, I sampled old Ticket voices in new homes: Ben & Skin on Live 105.3 and Greg Williams & RJ Choppy on ESPN 103.3.

Let’s review, shall we?

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The press release from ESPN Radio, hot off the presses:

Arlington, TX – High profile Dallas / Ft. Worth sports-radio personality Greg Williams will join RJ Choppy to co-host 103.3 ESPN Radio’s new evening (7 p.m.-10 p.m.) show beginning September 8.

Williams has spent more than two decades on Dallas’ sports-radio airwaves, and now joins 103.3 ESPN Radio’s team that includes Randy Galloway, Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin, Dale Hansen and ESPN’s nationally broadcast Mike and Mike in the Morning.

“I am thrilled to join the ESPN, family and I can’t wait to get back on the air in Dallas / Ft. Worth,” said Williams, who began his radio career in Dallas at WBAP as Galloway’s producer.

Williams’ will make an appearance on Friday, Sept. 5 on Galloway and Company.

“The addition of Greg Williams to our line up solidifies one of the most impressive sports talk line ups in the country,” said Tom Lee, 103.3 ESPN program director. “Greg is a great addition to our team.”

Better late than never? -- Richie Whitt

Greg Williams of ESPN Radio. How weird does that sound?

The longest-running, worst-kept secret (ahem, welcome to the party mainstream media) in local radio finally has replaced its question mark with a period as former Ticket co-host Greg Williams has officially landed a show on ESPN Radio.

Williams confirmed to me late last night what I’ve speculated about for months in various incarnations -- that he will host a 7-10 p.m. show weeknights on 103.3 FM beginning Monday, Sept. 8. The nightly program, co-hosted by RJ Choppy, will simply be called “The Show.”

“I know this sounds cliché, but I’m just happy to be back on the air,” Williams says. “I’m happy to get another opportunity. Now it’s up to me.”

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Innocent until proven guilty. Or at least indicted.

I’m just a toy-box tinkering sportswriter whose never been indicted, so I’m learning how these jurisprudence things work. The answer: Slowly.

I was wondering this morning what the heck is going on with LIVE 105.3 FM’s Russ Martin. Surely you remember him and his, um, situation?

Hectic, newsy time at the station, what with Ben & Skin coming and Big Dick Hunter going syndicated. But with Russ back on the air the last four weeks and any sponsor fallout and/or boycotts muted – if they exist at all – it kinda felt like the whole thing had blown over, been swept under the rug or maybe even "settled" out of court.

Nope.

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Skin has cash and, apparently, safety goggles. Ben's the other guy.

I’ve always loved, er, at least really liked Ben & Skin. The dudes are fast, funny, fresh, friendly, finicky and, best of all, freaky fans of friggin’ alliteration.

But in the ramp-up to them taking over middays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Live 105.3 Aug. 25, I, too, share some concerns:

*Can a sports show survive/thrive going up against The Ticket’s BaD Radio and ESPN’s Michael Irvin?

*In a daily climate, will their quick-witted, rapid-fire, head-spinning exchanges blossom into a unique and refreshing alternative, or deteriorate into one giant failed bit?

Beats me. So I asked them.

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Bob and Dan vs. Ben and Skin. Delicious.

Another radio industry source tells me just now that Live 105.3 is indeed shifting its midday focus toward sports and former Ticket hosts.

But instead of Greg Williams and Mike Fisher, Ben & Skin have landed the gig.

Commencing 8.25.08. -- Richie Whitt

Careful Romo, next thing you know Jessica might leave you for a syndicated star.

Back to sports after this short break for your weekly breaking radio news:

Richard “Big Dick” Hunter, host of the always innovative and usually intoxicating Wild Ass Circus on Live 105.3, is going big time. I mean, BIG time. How large?

An industry source whispered to me last night that none other than radio icon and Weekly Top 40 poobah Rick Dees was trying to sign Hunter for national syndication. One call to Hollywood this morning and sure enough: Done deal.

“We think Richard Hunter is the next voice of a generation, like Rush or Hannity,” says Dees Director of Sales and Marketing Josh Cooperman, who, by the way, cut his radio teeth a decade or so ago on Dallas’ 99.5 KPLX. “The guy’s range is amazing. He can talk everything from politics to mixed martial arts with expertise and passion, and that’s a rarity. He’s got a phenomenal Rolodex and he’s an amazing talent.”

Other than Hunter’s amplified fame and fortune, what it means isn’t exactly clear yet.

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Belo at its best.

Dallas’ Only Daily sports columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor (wearing a white lab coat, v-neck sweater, bow tie, scruffy, proletarian mustache and Bluetooth earpiece, peculiarly speaking with a robust Irish accent): Ya know what I’ve been thinking?

Dallas’ Only Daily sports columnist Tim Cowlishaw (wearing a white lab coat, v-neck sweater, bow tie and waxy, handle-bar mustache, peculiarly speaking with a robust Irish accent): What’s that?

JJT: We should start our own sports blogs!

TC: Our own sports blogs?! Brilliant!

TC: What in the devil is a sports blog?

JJT: Well, we’re columnists who write a couple times a week. But with a blog, we can write every day.

TC: Writing every day?! Brilliant!

JJT: Yes, imagine a place where we can opine on everything, post heady links and generally dump our brain into cyberspace?

TC: My God, man. How’d you ever devise such a grand scheme?

JJT: Funniest thing. The idea just magically arrived.

(Toasting ink-drenched quills)

TC: Brilliant!

JJT: Brilliant! -- Richie Whitt

Coming to a station near you soon: The Ticket's new head-to-head competition?

As his old bunkmates revel in ratings success, Greg Williams is angling to become one of The Ticket’s head-to-head rivals.

Though he’s been flirting with a weeknight gig at ESPN Radio for months, Live 105.3 is now the front-runner to land Williams, according to one of my industry sources.

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Better than ever?

In this story, The Ticket didn’t seem to really miss their old colleague, Greg Williams.

And in the radio ratings for Spring ’08, the station likewise seems as healthy as ever.

The Ticket finished No. 1 in Dallas-Fort Worth for their target demographic – men 25-54 – with a 7.6 rating, well ahead of fourth-place rival ESPN Radio and its 4.7. The amazing inside-the-numbers revelation is The Ticket’s 3-7 p.m. Hardline, which continues to rise in popularity despite the loss of one of the show’s main voices.

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Obviously you guys get turned on by tuning in.

I repeat, I’m not an Ed Bark starter kit attempting to become Dallas’ radio beat reporter.

But, then again – in the essence of “the customer is always right” – here’s the latest news that filled my email and voice mail while I was outta the country.

*Greg Williams – perhaps you’ve heard of him -- no-showed as a presenter at our Dallas Observer Music Awards show at The Granada last week. When I called him out about leaving us hanging, Hammer said he mistakenly thought the show was Aug. 22 instead of July 22. At best, that’s lame. At worst, well …

*99.5 The Wolf fired Tara Ward and Justin Frazell from its morning show last week but retained lead persona Smokey Rivers. You’ll have to form your own opinions as Richie thinks country music < silence. But considering Justin is an ol’ buddy, I could make a snarky remark about his signature “See ya down the road”, but I’ll pass.

*93.3 The Bone also apparently made some changes, firing Cindy Skull (I’m thinking that ain’t her real name) and Robert Miguel (That’s gotta be his real name). I admit, there's absolutley zero sportsy about that transaction.

With Pugs & Kelly gone from Live 105.3, Russ Martin in limbo and all sorts of stations in various personnel upheaval, if I’m a wanna-be radio voice in this city I’m spending my Monday dropping off resumes and tapes around the city. But, of course, that’s just me.

A sportswriter. Remember? -- Richie Whitt

This just in: No one is flawless.

As you read this I’m likely flying to Oxnard, Calif. where – promise – the Cowboys blogging will commence Tuesday morning if not sooner. But first, a little vacation catch-up.

While I was braving 80-degree weather in upstate New York and Canada, you guys were … going bonkers?

On the heels of over 600 combined comments related to the Greg Williams/Ticket saga, my breaking news item on Russ Martin has generated another 600ish.

I’ll admit, I haven’t read every one of them yet. But my initial reaction: Scared. Okay, flattered and scared.

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As Richie's out of town, here's the latest on the Russ Martin arrest. The Dallas Morning News' Web site, in a story about a protective order issued against the Live 105.3 FM show host, offers only the Southlake Police Department's media advisory, which doesn't go into any detail at all. Meanwhile, Jay Gormley and the KTVT-Channel 11 Web site offer far, far more substance -- including the entire four-page arrest warrant affidavit, which goes into substantive detail concerning not only the arrest, but the alleged events of July 14 that lead to the Friday-morning arrest -- including mention of an Internal Revenue Service audit.

Indeed, it's the alleged audit that the the complainant says caused Martin to assault her; she alleges he pulled out chunks of her hair, kicked her in the left thigh and brandished a Glock. According to the affidavit, on July 14, Martin called the woman and asked if she had followed up about a package he sent to the IRS. When she told him she had not, the document says, he allegedly told her, among other things, "You better hide, because when I get there I'm going to beat the shit out of you." Martin has denied the allegations, and he appears to be taking the matter very lightly: Until it was altered this afternoon, his MySpace page featured his mug shot. --Robert Wilonsky

Capping a rough couple weeks for local radio personalities, try this mug shot on for size.

As I’m packing to leave town tonight I get a call from a radio industry source saying Live 105.3 drive-time host Russ Martin was arrested Friday morning in Southlake for assaulting his girlfriend.

Sure enough.

It's not really sportsy, and I'm not sure when or why I became a radio beat writer, but it didn’t feel right to have this knowledge and not share it. On the heels of The Ticket’s Hard Lie, Live 105.3 has had a rough itself week with two hosts – Pugs & Kelly – departing and one arrested.

I leave this information in your capable hands. -- Richie Whitt

Appearing live next Tuesday at an awards show near you!

Since you’ll have to go cold turkey while I’m on vacation next week, thought I’d empty out my Hammer notebook before I skedaddle.

Talked to Greggo last night – he was in Decatur serving as executor of his dad’s will, which meant figuring out what to do with seven boats and four Cadillacs – and he had some good news and an intriguing hint.

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For those of you still interested, my 20-minute or so interview with Live 105.3’s Big Dick Hunter about “The Hard Lie” will be available on his website at some point today.

For those of you who can't wait, you can download the file here.

Happy listening.-- Richie Whitt

I guess the head honchos over at Live 105.3 read my post yesterday and agreed that it was odd to have me on to discuss the implosion of a popular radio show while in the midst of a sorta similar crisis themselves. Something to do with Pugs & Kelly's depature I think. But, don't ask me, one radio drama is all I can handle for now.

Anyway, I won't be on live today at noon. Instead, I'll tape an interview with Big Dick Hunter to be played tonight at 10. Adjust your iPhone alerts accordingly.-- Richie Whitt

It's official, I'm out of Greg Williams photos. Tune in tomorrow and rip me when I talk to the guy second from the right.

We knew The Ticket wouldn’t invite me on, but seems my Greg Williams story is compelling enough for a competing station to discuss it.

To that end, I’ll be on Big Dick’s Wild Ass Circus -- temporarily (permanently?) filling in for the vacationing (fired?) Pugs & Kelly – at noon Tuesday on Live 105.3 FM. Big Dick (aka Richard Hunter) is a former Ticket host, friend of Hammer’s, even had Greggo as a groomsman in his wedding if I remember correctly, and will likely have some fresh insight.

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We do have closure, right?

Like you, I listened to The Hardline discuss my story and Greggo yesterday afternoon.

It’s impossible to tie a pretty bow on it all because it remains an ugly situation. But, one way or another, we gotta wrap it up and move on.

As a long-time P1 and an objective observer, my final analysis:

Williams, admittedly, deserves 99.9% of the blame. His re