Houston Radio: 4 Dead When Helicopter Hits Radio Tower

A helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston on Sunday night, falling to the ground in a fireball and killing people onboard including a child, officials said.

The NY Times reports The Houston Fire Department said the accident happened in the city’s Greater East End neighborhood at 7:54 p.m. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show the aftermath.

The website of Radio Insight reports that the tower served several broadcast stations including Univision FM stations KLTN and KAMA, as well as Pueblo de Galilea station KCOH.

Four people were aboard the helicopter when it struck the tower or a cable connected to it, J. Noe Diaz, Houston’s chief of police, said at a news conference. There were no casualties on the ground.

MYSTUDIO HTX security camera caught the moment a helicopter crashed into a radio tower in Houston's Second Ward, East End at 7:51:19 PM. #helicopter #helicoptercrash #houston #breaking #breakingnews #houston #secondward #mystudiohtx #jaymarroquin @KHOU @abc13houston @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/rap61Xr0XN

— Jay Marroquin (@JayMarroquin) October 21, 2024

After the radio tower collapsed, a fire the size of two to three city blocks ignited in a grass field, fire officials said. Emergency responders were at the scene within minutes, Fire Department Chief Thomas Munoz said at the news conference. The radio tower was the only structure on the ground that was impacted by the crash, officials said.

Audacy Bolsters its Addressable Audience Targeting

Audacy is strengthening its addressable audience and identity capabilities through a collaboration with Experian, a global data and technology company.

Audacy will leverage Experian's digital identity graph to gain a more comprehensive view of listeners’ digital identifiers, ultimately enhancing the listening experience for its digital audience across the Audacy app and website. By better understanding its consumers and their preferences, Audacy plans to deliver more relevant content and offer more precise advertising solutions, enabling advertisers to reach specific groups with greater accuracy.

Additionally, Audacy will integrate Experian's Audiences into its platform. This will allow advertisers to build and reach target audiences in real-time using accurate listener insights such as demographics, shopping behaviors and interests. This integration will lead to more personalized and relevant advertising experiences, providing advertisers with a higher return on investment.

“As we continue the re-imagination of Audacy, our investments in our digital audio product suite are essential,” said Brian Benedik, Chief Revenue Officer, Audacy. “The creation of an Experian-powered Audacy identity graph is an important step in the process and allows us to create more value for both marketing partners and our listeners.”

“We are collaborating with Audacy because of their innovative vision for the future of audio,” said Chris Feo, Chief Business Officer, Experian. “Historically, audio advertising lacked precise targeting capabilities, making it challenging for advertisers to reach specific audiences. By integrating our digital identity graph and syndicated audiences with Audacy's platform, we're transforming how advertisers connect with listeners. This collaboration enables more effective audience targeting and delivers personalized, impactful audio experiences across all channels.”

Trump Wants Fox to Drop Negative Ads From Critics

Former President Donald Trump said he will meet with media mogul Rupert Murdoch and urge him not to allow negative ads against the Republican nominee or provide airtime to his critics on Fox News in the final stretch before Election Day.

“I’m going to see Rupert Murdoch,” Trump said at the end of an interview Friday on Fox News’ Fox and Friends.

“I’m going to tell him something very simple, because I can’t talk to anybody else. Don’t put on negative commercials for 21 days. Don’t put them and don’t put on — they’re horrible people. They come and lie,” the Republican presidential nominee added, seemingly referring to allies of his election rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Bloomberg reports Trump said he was not sure Murdoch would be “thrilled” he had announced their meeting on air but added, “I’m going to say, ‘Rupert, please do it this way,’ and then we’re going to have a victory because I think everyone wants that.”

Rupert Murdoch

Murdoch owns about 40% of the voting stock in Fox Corp., which is the parent of Fox News, as well as News Corp., whose holdings include the Wall Street Journal and the Times of London.

The former president has stepped up his criticism of Fox News, a conservative-leaning network that is largely friendly territory for him and his allies, bristling in particular at negative ads that have aired as well as airtime given to Harris campaign officials and other liberal voices.

Trump has made numerous Fox News appearances in recent months and his aides and allies are also frequent guests on the network.

Opponents of the Republican nominee have been airing ads on the network seemingly in an effort to needle Trump, who is known to be an avid watcher of cable news programming.

“In the old days you never played negative ads. In other words, when I leave here, I’ll then be hit by five or six ads,” Trump said Friday. “When I leave, I’ll have 12 people from Kamala on and, you know, it’s pretty much unopposed for 19 days. I don’t think we should do that anymore. I think you shouldn’t play negative ads. It’s very tough.”

The criticism comes as Harris ramps up her outreach to disaffected Republicans and independents, an effort which saw her take part in her first sitdown interview with Fox News earlier this week, a combative affair with Fox chief political anchor Bret Baier.

Chicago Radio: Host Dennis Moore Says WFMT Has Fired Him

Dennis Moore

One of the city’s best-known classical music radio hosts has been fired after 30-plus years at WFMT-FM (98.7), he said last week.

Dennis Moore, who started at the radio station in July 1990 and had been host of the WFMT Morning Program since 2018, said he lost his job following a dispute about his work schedule.

“They have not shown any willingness to work with me, which is what I find so totally dismaying,” Moore told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Moore said his attorney has filed a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The host, who has been off the air since March, explained his situation in a Facebook post this week.

“My 30+ years at WFMT — during which I collaborated with so many wonderful colleagues, including Norm Pellegrini and Studs Terkel — were the highlight of my radio career. I will miss those colleagues and all of you, the engaged listeners who made my job worthwhile over the years,” he wrote.

Moore, 68, took a three-month leave of absence from the station earlier this year under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. He said he was expecting to return to work July 1.

“I was prepared to come back,” Moore said. “Things had largely resolved. I was feeling great.”

Moore wouldn’t discuss the specific reason for the leave of absence. Before his planned return to work, Moore had asked the station to make some accommodations for some “sleep issues,” he said.

NYC Radio: Yankees Win And John Sterling Makes Classic Call

John Sterling

John Sterling had plenty of iconic moments to call in the Yankees’ 5-2 victory over the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS on Saturday night, and for the final out — which secured their first World Series berth since 2009 — in the 10th inning, the legendary play-by-play broadcaster turned to one of his staples.

“Ballgame over, American League Championship Series over,” Sterling began after Juan Soto caught the final out in right field. “Yankees win. Theeeeeee Yankees win.

BALLGAME OVER! AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES OVER! YANKEES WIN! THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!

The Yankees are going NUTS on the field! It's a group hug! pic.twitter.com/oPV6SGzAZm

— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) October 20, 2024

“And the Yankees are going nuts on the field. It’s a group hug, like the end of the ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ It’s a group hug, and they jump up and down. Terrific. Terrific.”

Bally Sports Renamed For FanDuel

FanDuel, the online gaming giant,  will be able to crown the 16 regional sports networks operated by Diamond Sports Group with its moniker, wiping away the Bally Sports nomenclature that has been present on these regional sports outlets for the past few years. 

The networks and Diamond Sports’ digital and streaming products will all become part of the FanDuel Sports Network. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed. 

Diamond Sports filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023, and since that time, has had to grapple with intense discussions with the leagues it distributes, including the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. In some cases, the leagues have worked to distribute local and regional games on their own.

Variety reports the pact will give FanDuel, part of Flutter, even more opportunities to promote itself in an extremely competitive sector. “Partnering with Diamond provides us an opportunity to put the FanDuel brand at the intersection of the nation’s largest group of regional sports networks,” said Mike Raffensperger, president, of sports for FanDuel, in a statement. “A large cohort of FanDuel customers are devoted RSN viewers and this agreement allows us to further cement the FanDuel brand with sports fans and provides a unique vehicle to reward our users.”

"Rhapsody in Blue" Turns 100

This year, musicians all over the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl, are celebrating the 100th birthday of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

CBS Sunday Morning Correspondent David Pogue looks into the history of Gershwin's first major work, a piece that melded jazz, classical and orchestral music, and became a fixture of American culture.

Celebrating 100 years of Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin shocked critics who did not know how to process the unconventional work when it debuted in 1924. 

Gershwin’s melding of American jazz and classical music broke boundaries and shattered norms. Today, he is revered as one of the greatest American composers of all time.

Rock Hall Inducts Cher, Foreigner, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy and Others

Pure pop kicked off the inductions at the the Rock & Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony on Saturday as Dua Lipa and Cher sang "Believe" before ceding the stage to a medley of rump shakers by funk masters Kool & the Gang, rock classics by Foreigner and Peter Frampton, and a powerhouse performance by gospel icon Dionne Warwick, bringing the house down at 83.

The inductees this year also included: Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and posthumous recognition for Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, Norman Whitfield and Big Mama Thornton.

"Where do I even begin? Cher is not one person," Zendaya said when inducting Cher. "Her name is just as legendary as her legacy." Zendaya noted that Cher, 78, is the only woman to have a No. 1 hit on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades. "Cher has got the goods," Zendaya said before the singer performed a rocking version of "If I Could Turn Back Time."

❤️‍🔥 Cher performed “If I Could Turn Back Time” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. pic.twitter.com/M9RsFphl3c

— Cher Universe (@TCherUniverse) October 20, 2024

In her speech, Cher said she was inspired by Cinderella and thanked her mother for instilling in her to always get back up after defeat. "The one thing I got from my mom is to never give up," she said. "I never give up. I'm talking to the women - down and out, we keep going."

Chuck D inducted Kool & the Gang, saying "This is a long-due celebration." The band had 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including the 1980 chart-topper "Celebration" as well as "Cherish," "Get Down On It," "Jungle Boogie," "Ladies Night" and "Joanna." They've been eligible for the hall since 1994.

The Roots helped the band do a medley of hits that got the crowd grooving led by Robert "Kool" Bell — bass guitarist, co-founder and last original member — and longtime singer James "JT" Taylor. Confetti shot into the arena and Taylor asked the crowd to use their cellphone lights as he read off the names of 10 members who were critical to the band's success. 

Dr Dre inducted Blige, who is credited with creating a completely new category of music - hip-hop soul. The nine-time Grammy-winner's best-known song is "Family Affair″ from her triple-platinum 2001 album "No More Drama." "When you listen to Mary, you understand you're not alone in heartbreak," Dre said.

CBS News reports Warwick arrived at the ceremony only a few days after attending a memorial to her longtime friend and collaborator, Cissy Houston, in Newark, New Jersey. Teyana Taylor called her "truly one of a kind" as well as telling off the teleprompter operator for not putting "Ms." before her name. Jennifer Hudson sang "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and was joined by Warwick, who also sang "Walk On By."

Disney Names New Chairman, Waiting On CEO Decision

Walt Disney Co. named James Gorman chairman of the board and said it will appoint a new chief executive officer in early 2026.

Bloomberg reports Gorman, the former chief executive officer of Morgan Stanley who was appointed to head Disney’s succession planning in August, will succeed Mark Parker as chairman. Parker is departing the board on Jan. 2 after nine years of service, Disney said in a statement on Monday.

John Gorman

“A critical priority before us is to appoint a new CEO, which we now expect to announce in early 2026,” Gorman, 66, said in the statement. “This timing reflects the progress the Succession Planning Committee and the Board are making, and will allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger’s contract in December 2026.”

CEO succession at Disney has been tumultuous and a subject of much speculation. Iger returned to the top job in late 2022 for an initial period of two years after the ouster of his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek. The company has since extended his contract. In Iger’s first tenure, he and the board negotiated several extensions over 15 years.

Since his return, Disney has adopted a more formal succession planning process, creating the special committee that Gorman chairs. Iger has insisted he is leaving this time for good when his contract expires.

Gorman, who is executive chairman of Morgan Stanley and is stepping down from that role on Dec. 31, defied deeply entrenched Wall Street norms with a bloodless handoff at the investment bank, picking a successor from within the firm while persuading the losing candidates to stay. His departure caps a nearly two-decade run at the firm.

CBS News Breaks Its Silence

CBS News pushed back against former President Trump’s claim that “60 Minutes” deceptively edited its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, dismissing the allegation as “false” in a statement released Sunday.

After weeks of staying mum despite mounting backlash over the interview, CBS published a statement Sunday evening addressing the outrage that ensued after airing two different answers to the same question in the “60 Minutes” interview earlier this month with the Democratic nominee.

“Former President Donald Trump is accusing 60 Minutes of deceitful editing of our Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. That is false,” the statement began.

“60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to ‘Face the Nation’ that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response. When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide-ranging 21-minute-long segment.”

“Our long-standing invitation to former President Trump remains open,” the statement continues. “If he would like to discuss the issues facing the nation and the Harris interview, we would be happy to have him on 60 Minutes.”

The NY Post reports CBS News has yet to release an unedited video or full transcript of the interview. 

The Trump campaign responded to CBS News’ statement, continuing its call on the network to release the transcript.

“60 Minutes just admitted to doing exactly what President Trump accused them of doing. They edited in a different response – from another part of her answer – to make Kamala Harris sound less incoherent than she really was. Their statement is not a denial, it is an admission that they did exactly what they were accused of,” the Trump campaign said. “This is another reminder of how hopelessly biased 60 Minutes is, and how correct President Trump was to decline their invitation to be subjected to their fake news hackery. Release the Transcript!”

Fox Host Pushes Back On Trump Claims

Fox News’s Howard Kurtz pushed back on former President Trump’s claims about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, during an interview Sunday.

“Your famous line about Springfield, Ohio, and I take your point that 15 to 20,000 legal [Haitian immigrants] settling in that area causes a lot of friction,” Kurtz said on his show “MediaBuzz.” “But when you said, and you know it’s gone viral … ‘They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats.’”

“You say [you’re] just reporting what had been said, but why not say now, ‘Well, look, that turned out not to be true,’” Kurtz continued, before Trump cut in.

The former president responded by saying he doesn’t “know if it’s true or not true,” and Kurtz later noted that the Springfield claims have “been debunked.”

Trump remarked that “you can’t put 30,000 people into a 50,000-person town or city and expect this city to even survive or do well.”

“What they’ve done to Springfield, Ohio, is very, very unfair,” Trump said. “And, I mean, [there are] a lot of stories, there are a lot of other stories that I’ve heard that are horrible … haven’t said it. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t, but that’s a story that was reported, and I said that. Why don’t you go after the newspaper that wrote it?”

Trump was on @HowardKurtz's #Mediabuzz today. Fox viewers are furiously tweeting at Kurtz, accusing him of hating Trump, having "TDS" (Trump Derangement Syndrome, etc. Why are they so mad? Because he gently corrected some of Trump's false claims. This clip is emblematic.. pic.twitter.com/j8JYgC45hy

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 20, 2024

During a presidential debate against Vice President Harris last month, Trump falsely claimed Haitian migrants are “eating the dogs” in the Ohio city.

Mediaite reports later, Kurtz and Trump discussed Jan. 6 in greater detail. During one moment, Trump claimed a “small group” of people “went down to the Capitol” and were welcomed in by police. He added the day was one of “beauty” and “love.”

Kurtz pushed back, commenting the day was “very violent” and that many police officers were assaulted. Trump said that his supporters were in Washington that day to peacefully protest a “stolen” election.

Before Fox News cut to an ad break, Kurtz told his viewers, “To clarify, police did not usher protesters into the Capitol. They were totally overrun, though in some cases, they may have beaten a tactical retreat. Donald Trump continues to argue, as you know, that the last election was rigged, though that’s never been proven in any of the lawsuits filed.”

On Sunday, Trump faced a friendly town hall event in Lancaster, where the president spent more than an hour fielding questions and making his closing pitch to voters just 16 days before Election Day.

 Much of the conversation, moderated by ex-sportscaster Sage Steele, centered on immigration, his proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, and energy production. Questions included, “What is your plan to lower taxes?” and “How soon will the wall get finished?”

PA Governor Calls Elon Musk Payments 'Deeply Concerning'

During a rally in Pittsburgh Saturday night, Elon Musk — the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the owner of the social media platform X — announced he would randomly give $1 million to Pennsylvania voters every day through Election Day on Nov. 5. He gave away his first check to a man identified as John Dreher, and a second Sunday afternoon to a woman named Kristine Fishella, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In order to qualify for Musk’s self-funded sweepstakes, you have to be registered to vote in Pennsylvania and sign a petition from his political action committee to support two constitutional amendements — the freedom of speech and the freedom to bear arms. Musk also said he would expand his lottery to include voters from six other battleground states — Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.

It’s the first part — the requirement that someone be registered to vote — which some experts are calling illegal. According to federal law, it is illegal for someone who “pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting,” with penalties including a fine up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison.”

“Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal,” UCLA Law School political science professor Rick Hasen wrote on his Election Law Blog Saturday.  Hasen told the Associated Press what makes Musk’s $1 million payment illegal is he’s only offering it to people who are registered to vote. “If all he was doing was paying people to sign the petition, that might be a waste of money. But there’s nothing illegal about it,” Hasen said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called Musk’s payments “deeply concerning” and said law enforcement should investigate whether they are legal.

In 2020, Mark Zuckerberg spent $400M+, not to mention Act Blue. Dems/Meet the Press were okay with it.

But they’re mad at @elonmusk’s giveaways to petition-signers

Josh Shapiro: It's dark money “It raises serious questions...something that law enforcement could take a look at" pic.twitter.com/uXNH8feCun

— Eddie (@Eddies_X) October 20, 2024

“Musk obviously has a right to be able to express his views. He’s made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump,” Shapiro said on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday. “I don’t deny him that right, but when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks might want to look at.”

Study: High Amount of Misinformation On Wisconsin Talk Radio

Left to right: Michelle Bryant, WNOV; Pat Kreitlow, Civic Media; Rob Ferrett, WPR; Steve Scaffidi, WTMJ; Dan O’Donnell, WISN; Vicki McKenna, WIBA (Madeline Vogt for Wisconsin Watch)

In a recent study published in Wisconsin Watch, University of Wisconsin journalism students listened to six Wisconsin talk radio shows from across the political spectrum, finding that hosts often spread political misinformation.

The students categorized every opinion they heard as liberal, moderate or conservative, and fact checked every statement the hosts made.

The Badger-Herald reports the student researchers found that the stations with the largest number of listeners and advertising gave platform to the hosts who presented the biggest amounts of misinformation, according to Wisconsin Watch.

Professor at the UW School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Lewis Friedland, spoke to the impact of misinformation in the media.

“In a period where there is tremendous polarization in the country and suspicion and mistrust of people on not just both sides, but from all sides, even a modest amount of misinformation could have very negative effects on democracy,” Friedland said. 

The study found that WIBA and WISN host Vicki McKenna made the most misleading statements, with 39 inaccuracies found in four hours of programming. These statements are either unsupportable or have been proven false, according to Wisconsin Watch. 

McKenna took a special interest in the case of Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe, falsely claiming that she reduced the election integrity of absentee ballots and arranged drop boxes that permitted unmonitored and unverifiable ballot harvesting.

Each of these statements has been fact checked by the students, who said there is no proof that Wolfe committed any of the acts McKenna alleged or ever violated the law, according to Wisconsin Watch.

Those interested can find a list of all recorded statements and the study’s fact-checking methodology through its official record.

The study also followed WISN host Dan O’Donnel, finding 14 inaccuracies, WTMJ host Steve Scaffidi with 2 inaccuracies, Civic Media host Pat Kreitlow and WNOV host Michelle Bryant with 3 inaccuracies each, and WPR host Rob Ferret, the only host with 0 inaccuracies found.

Ferret is also the only host of the six that were studied whose show has been canceled since the study was conducted, according to Wisconsin Watch.

Atlanta Radio: Kevin McAlpin Exits 680 The Fan, Braves

Kevin McAlpin

Kevin McAlpin is leaving the Braves Radio Network and 93.7 and WCNN 680/The Fan after 12 years.

He was a game reporter for eight years and hosted pregame and postgame shows for the past five seasons.

“It was all my decision,” McAlpin told Rodney Ho The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I have two kids growing up way too fast. I just felt like it was time to be a dad a bit more.”

He has begun work at Marietta-based Impact Partnership, which offers media and marketing services to financial advisers based out of Kennesaw. The hours, he noted, are more normal.

McAlpin said as a host for financial adviser shows, he is learning about money management as he goes, which he admits isn’t his strong suit. “As we help educate the listeners, I hope to get an education as well,” he said.

He grew up a sports fan who interned with the Philadelphia Phillies while attending Temple University and worked in baseball operations there for six years. He landed a job at an AM station owned by Philadelphia Eagles announcer Merrill Reese, then the local sports talk station now known as 95.7/The Fanatic (where former Fan host John Kincade hosts the morning show.)

In 2010, McAlpin landed the job as the Phillies beat reporter for the station after Meredith Marakovits left to cover the New York Yankees. In 2011, he saw an opening for the Atlanta Braves Network and landed the gig as their beat reporter.

From 2012 until 2019, he was with the Braves every single game, from spring training until the end of the season, doing interviews and providing news to the network.

NBCUniversal's Peacock To Stream More Sports

Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Phillies fans will soon be able to watch their teams’ games on NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service. 

The entertainment company plans to add its regional sports channels to Peacock as soon as early 2025, according to people familiar with the plans.

The Wall Street Journal reports the four NBC Sports networks that will be added have local broadcast rights in Boston, Philadelphia and across Northern California, including to games for high-profile teams such as the Phillies of Major League Baseball and the Golden State Warriors and Celtics of the National Basketball Association. The games will continue to be available on television.

The company is still completing details of the plan and the rollout could be delayed. One option executives are discussing is to make the channels available as add-ons in the local markets so that fans there can pay extra to stream games. 

As major entertainment companies compete to attract customers to their streaming services, many are turning to live sports as a way to differentiate their offerings and appeal to cable-TV cord-cutters. Even Netflix, which has long stayed away from live sports, has begun buying the rights to one-time events, such as this season’s Christmas Day NFL games.   

Earlier this year, NBCUniversal agreed to pay $2.5 billion a year for the rights to 100 NBA games per season across NBC and Peacock, as well as first- and second-round playoff games and six conference-finals series, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company already streams programming from the National Football League, Big Ten college sports, English Premier League soccer, golf and the Tour de France. 

Regional sports networks had 115 million subscribers at the end of 2023, a 29% drop from five years earlier. NBCU’s four wholly owned regional sports networks had 10.7 million subscribers at the end of 2023, down from 13.4 million five years earlier, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Chicago Radio: Q101 Unveils Twisted Xmas Concerts

Cumulus Media’s Q101, Chicago’s Alternative music station, announces that it will present the 30th Annual Twisted XMAS, a four-night all-star music event for Alternative music fans, on December 10-13, 2024, at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom. 

This year’s concert series features global headlining talent Cage The Elephant, The All-American Rejects, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Franz Ferdinand, AWOLNATION, and more.

James Kurdziel, Director of Content and Programming, Q101, said: “We’re thrilled to continue what’s become a mainstay of Chicagoland with Twisted 2024. We challenged ourselves to provide four marquee nights of unforgettable shows filled with acts you rarely, if ever, see in an intimate venue like the Aragon.”

Indy Radio: Cumulus Media Wins Stations Of The Year Honors

Cumulus Media has announced that Indianapolis Top 40 station 99.5 ZPL (WZPL-FM) has been honored by the Indianapolis Broadcasters Association (IBA) with two 2024 Spectrum Awards for Station of the Year and Best Promotional Campaign for “Swiftie Swindler.” 

99.5 WZPL sister station, Indy’s Sports Ticket/1430 AM (WXNT-AM) was awarded Best Radio Sports Show or Sports Story for “Indy’s Sports Ticket 1430 AM Welcomes Dan Dakich.” The IBA’s Spectrum Awards recognize the best in Indiana broadcasting from the past year and were presented at the 2024 Spectrum Awards on Tuesday, October 15, at the Cabaret in Indianapolis.

Darlene Park, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, said: “Excited for our team to be recognized for all their hard work and dedication to providing exceptional content to our incredible listeners. Serving the Indianapolis and surrounding areas is a privilege, and we are honored to receive the Station of the Year, Best Promotional Campaign, and Best Radio Sports Show Spectrum Awards from the Indiana Broadcasters Association.”

Mike Killabrew, Director of Operations and Programming, Cumulus Indianapolis, and WXNT-AM Program Director, commented: “We’re very proud of our team’s work, creativity and commitment to their brands.”

Jimmy Steele, Program Director, 99.5 ZPL, remarked: “I am so pleased that the hard work and excellence the team provides every day to Central Indiana have been recognized. This team represents some of the most talented broadcasters in the country, and it shows in both ratings and recognition. These awards were truly a collaboration of an incredibly creative and talented team.”

🎧To stream 99.5 ZPL, visit: https://www.wzpl.com/. To stream Indy’s Sports Ticket/1430 AM, visit: https://www.indysportsticket.com/.

Fresno Radio: Cumulus' Patty Hixon Honored For Achievements

Cumulus Media has announced that Patty Hixson, Regional Vice President, Cumulus Fresno/Stockton/Modesto, was honored during the Marjaree Mason Center’s 41st Annual Top 10 Professional Women and Leading Business Awards. 

The hallmark awards ceremony, presented by CalViva Health, was held on Wednesday, October 16th at 11:00am in the New Exhibit Hall of the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center. The awards paid tribute to ten Central Valley women who have excelled professionally, served as role models, and given back to their communities, as well as one business honored for its support of women and women’s issues.

Patty Hixon

The honorees join an alumni class that has greatly impacted the Central Valley community over the last four decades. The 41st Annual Top 10 Professional Women and Leading Business Awards not only provides recognition to individuals and organizations but also serve as a platform to inspire others and promote the values of leadership, excellence, and community service.

Patty Hixson’s successful radio career spans 32 years serving the Central Valley. An active leader in the community, she has been a member of the Fig Garden Rotary Club for 30 years, serving as president in 2018, and was a longtime member of the California State University-Fresno’s Bulldog Foundation. Hixson also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce.

Patty Hixson said: “I’m honored and humbled to be recognized among this astute group of leaders. Giving back to the community is a central part of my DNA, and I thank the Marjaree Mason Center for this award and for its important efforts supporting all women in our community.”

The Top 10 Professional and Leading Business Awards benefit the Marjaree Mason Center, Fresno County’s only dedicated provider of domestic violence shelter and supportive services since opening in 1979.

Pro-Trump Flyover Trolls Taylor Swift Before Miami Concert

 An apparent Donald Trump supporter trolled Taylor Swift Saturday evening by delivering a message via flyover at the pop star’s Miami Gardens concert venue asking if she was ready for the ex-president to retake the White House.

“Trump 2024 – Ready For It, Cat Lady? MAGA!” was scrawled in big block letters in a message pulled by a small plane, according to social media footage.

The NY Post reports the flyover — a play on the singer’s 2017 hit “…Ready For It?” — happened before Swift took the stage for night two at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens as part of her second North American leg of the Era’s Tour.

BREAKING: This banner was flown over Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in Miami.

“TRUMP 2024 - READY FOR IT, CAT LADY? MAGA!”

Let's make this go VIRAL! 😂🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/VgVZ2nVR0u

— Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 News (@DonaldTNews) October 20, 2024

The “Bad Blood” singer, 34, made political waves earlier this year when she announced her intention to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris for president over Trump.

Radio History: Oct 21

➥In 1908...The first two-sided vinyl record was offered for sale.

The first sound recordings at the end of the 19th century were made on cylinder records, which had a single round surface capable of holding approximately two minutes of sound. Early shellac disc records records only had recordings on one side of the disc, with a similar capacity (both media could hold between three and four minutes by 1910). Double-sided recordings, with one selection on each side, were introduced in Europe by Columbia Records, and by 1910 most record labels had adopted the format in both Europe and the United States; the ability to effectively double the amount of sound on the disc was one major factor in its rising to dominance over the cylinder record which was obsolete by 1912.

There were no record charts until the 1930s, and radio stations (by and large) did not play recorded music until the 1950s (when top 40 radio overtook full-service network radio). In this time, A-sides and B-sides existed, but neither side was considered more important; the "side" did not convey anything about the content of the record.

➦In 1915...First transmission of speech across the Atlantic Ocean was made by radiotelephone, Arlington, Va., to Paris.

➦In 1969...Radio personality Roby Yonge aired the infamous “Paul is Dead” show at 77 WABC, NYC.

Originally hired for the 1 - 3 PM shift, Yonge was moved into the overnight shift in August 1969 when Charlie Greer left the station. He was told by program director Rick Sklar in the early fall, that his contract would not be renewed. He subsequently went on the air with the Paul McCartney "death" rumor on October 21, 1969, having heard the rumor from WKNR Detroit radio personality Chris Randall.

Robey Yonge

Stating that he had already been fired and that at 12:39 AM, he would not be "cut" because there was nobody around, Yonge began to speculate on rumors circulating about the possible death of McCartney. He enumerated various "clues" in album cover art which he said had been catalogued by thirty Indiana University Bloomington students. Callers lit up the station switchboard. It was an hour and a half before program director Rick Sklar got Les Marshak in to relieve Yonge. Marshak continued to do Yonge's show until a replacement was hired.

Yonge was hired by WCBS 101.1 FM, where he helped introduce their "Oldies" format in the early'70s. After a few years, he returned to his native Florida, where he served as general manager of Mother WMUM, an early FM rock station in Palm Beach. After the demise of Mother in 1972, Yonge became a morning personality on Y100 WHYI in Fort Lauderdale/Miami. He was fired after the first day on the air, August 3, 1973. He moved to the competitor WMYQ-FM, where he spoke as a commentator with a morning show. In 1987, Yonge did a morning show at WKAT in Miami, then returned in 1993 to do a music/talk show on 790 WMRZ.

Roby Yonge died on July 18, 1997 of an apparent heart attack at age 54.

Frankie Cocker

➦In 2000...NYC Personality Frankie Crocker died from pancreatic cancer.

Crocker began his career in Buffalo at the AM Soul powerhouse WUFO (also the home to future greats Eddie O'Jay, Herb Hamlett, Gary Byrd and Chucky T) before moving to Manhattan, where he first worked for Soul station WWRL and later Top40 WMCA in 1969.

He then worked for WBLS-FM as program director, taking that station to the top of the ratings during the late 1970s and pioneering the radio format now known as urban contemporary.

Frankie Crocker was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2000, and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

➦In 2014…Veteran Boston radio personality Dale Dorman died at age 71 after a long illness (Born September 2, 1943).