John Katsilometes on how Dennis Mitchell found himself off air

Thursday, April 5, 2007 | 7:13 a.m.

When I ran into Dennis Mitchell at the "Spamalot" media preview Friday night, he was confident his future at KKLZ 96.3-FM was secure.

When I talked to him Wednesday morning, he was out of a job.

Typical of the wild world of radio, Mitchell was told after his morning show Monday that he was out at KKLZ. On Wednesday, reading from a statement, Mitchell said his dismissal came as a surprise because he had been promised a long-term contract by the station. He said he doesn't know why it happened, but will miss his friends at KKLZ and is exploring opportunities in local radio. KKLZ Program Director Charlie Logan, who has been at the station for seven months, did not respond to a phone call and e-mail for comment . Regardless, KKLZ has been out of tune for a while. Once Southern Nevada's top rock station, its ratings have fallen rapidly over the past two years.

At the time of his dismissal, Mitchell was part of the sharp KKLZ morning crew with Jim Tofte and Mike O'Brian. Mitchell had been a member of the KKLZ lineup since 1989 and has hosted the popular Sunday morning program "Breakfast With the Beatles" since 1991. As of Wednesday afternoon, the show was still scheduled to air on Sunday, but its long-term future is being discussed. Mitchell owns the broadcast rights to "Breakfast," which has expanded in syndication to 37 markets. A good man and a good friend, Mitchell should soon be back on the air. And when that happens, we can reprogram our FM settings.

NoteMart

Everyone in the pool! After taking a month off for theater renovations, "Le Reve" returns tonight at Wynn Las Vegas. The updated amenities include new seats, painting and the vaunted "VIP Indulgence Package," where audience members are served champagne and can stare at monitors showing behind-the-scenes footage ...

Category 5 arcane from Dennis Miller, 2002, then performing at the Danny Gans Theater at the Mirage: "I have never lived in Las Vegas, but years ago I had relatives who did live here and worked in the sequin mines. Much like the Persian rug makers, the Las Vegas sequin artists like to deliberately include a flaw in the pattern. They, too, believe that perfection is solely the realm of the Creator." Miller is at the Orleans Showroom from Friday through Sunday ...

Speaking of Gans, this week marked his seventh anniversary as a headliner at the Mirage. The topic of controversy at that time was Gans' alarmingly high ticket prices of $100 in his final months at the Rio, where he performed before the Mirage. In a nifty bit of PR, Gans and then-manager Chip Lightman were quick to remind fans that the Rio, not the performer, set the ticket prices. Gans opened at $67.50 at the Mirage, with select seats costing $100, and today all seats are holding at $100 ...

Reader reports a black four-door sedan (no make) being towed on I-215 westbound. The plate: TYM2BUY.