C.J.: Catching up with Shelby

Don Shelby's taking it all in as he appreciates his last State Fair as a member of WCCO-AM.

This time next year, he'll be doing the same, from the perspective of his main job at WCCO-TV. In December 2010, he'll retire from the station where he's worked for 31 years, the last 24 as a main anchor.

The TV anchorman who decided to stretch himself by doing radio nine years ago missed my previous deadline -- he was at the fair -- when a comment was sought about a time shift in his radio show.

"The change was not my idea, but I was totally supportive of it," he said. "The change from drive to early afternoon was presented to me as a move whose time had come based on the economy. I don't do any advertisements. In that time the station can make a lot of money off people who will do commercial [spots]."

Such as Michele Tafoya, who'll be away from her new WCCO-AM gig on the first day of the week to continue her "Monday Night Football" work, and Chad Hartman, who'll fill in for Michele on Mondays. Radio insiders believe Hartman and former K102er John Hines are the leading candidates to replace Shelby when his radio contract expires in December. "Since I knew I only had months to work at radio, I was fully on board," Shelby said.

"At the end of radio, in December, I will concentrate on my final year on television," he said. "I'll go back to radio, if they'll have me, at the conclusion of when television is done, maybe as just a commercial voice for energy-efficient things -- stuff I have no moral qualms about [endorsing]."

Although Shelby's current TV contract expires Dec. 31, 2010, I'm hearing that the WCCO audience may continue to see Shelby after that.

"I've got millions [of hobbies]" said Shelby, who's also seriously married. "I've got a lot of traveling to do. I've got one grandson, Hudson Benites, 2, and a granddaughter on the way Sept. 29. I'm going to be fine," he said with that familiar laugh.

Magician's RE-appearing act

Magician Michael Battle performed for Michael Jackson and his kids at their home a couple weeks before the King of Pop died.

Battle's name, act and website michaelbattlemagic.com were omitted from a previous item because he convinced me that disclosing those specifics would create problems with a confidentiality agreement he had signed. I wanted to protect Battle until I found out he was on FM107 with Sheletta flapping his gums about performing for Prince, Paris, Blanket and their dad, who was finally buried Thursday.

Do I have Sucker Chump written on my forehead?

Battle said his mother, singer Jearlyn Steele, of "Prairie Home Companion" and WCCO-AM, said he was being unnecessarily skittish.

"Question," Battle said. "You didn't publish anything before, did you?" Yep, there was an item that mentioned neither name nor profession -- magician. But both will now be revealed, Battle was informed. He laughed. "Thank you for being nice about it. I'm not trying to make something off of this or do something from this."

Must be a pretty good magician if Michael Jackson wanted his kids to see Battle's act?

"I don't know," he said.

Here we go again -- more sleight of tongue.