On a day full of criticisms from Donald Trump, political protests, linked arms, players taking a knee or not coming on the field during the National Anthem and renewed pleas for unity from the league NBC and the NFL took a hit last night on Sunday Night Football according to deadline.com.
In metered market numbers, the primetime match-up between the 27-10 winning Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders snared an 11.6/20.
The worst SNF has performed this season so far, that’s an 8% dip from the early numbers of last week’s Atlanta Falcon’s 34-23 win over the Green Bay Packers. Gaining cheers and boos from fans at FedEx Field in Maryland last night, the third week of SNF for the 2017-2018 season declined 10% from early numbers of the comparable game of last year on September 25, 2016.
Sports fans should never condone players that do not stand proud for their National Anthem or their Country. NFL should change policy!
The SNF numbers come on top of a tense Sunday that saw games across the nation under a new spotlight for how they would respond to Trump’s blasts of Friday at a speech in Alabama and on social media. Started by currently unemployed quarterback and then San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick over a year ago, a number of NFL players have been publicly protesting police brutality and racial injustice by not standing for the National Anthem. It was a move that the ex-Celebrity Apprentice host and football fan decried though the ever ratings conscious Trump later said in a tweet on Sunday that linking arms was OK.
Longtime Milwaukee personality Karen Dalessandro has a new radio home. She's joining Scripps Country WTKI 94.5 FM as PM Drive and Music Director duties, starting Wednesday.
In making the announcement on the WKTI wesbite, Dalessandro stated, "It’s for REAL! 94.5 KTI Country is my new radio home and my new shift is 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., which means no alarm clock! Jake will get you to work in the morning and I’ll be there for your ride home."
WKTI 94.5 FM (14 Kw) Red=Locl Coverage Area
The move come following 19-years as morning cohost in iHeartMedia's WMIL 106.1 FM. She 'retired' in March 2017. According to Dalessandro, "saying goodbye earlier this year was not easy for me. Country music fans all over Milwaukee had become friends. We spent our mornings together for almost 20 years ... saw each other all over town, partied at tons of concerts, vacationed in Nashville and Mexico., took shopping trips, ate fish frys and celebrated holidays with one another.'
She began her career at 19-years-of-age, as midday host at WSDS-AM/Ypsilanti, MI. She eventually landed mornings at WYCD in Detroit, then afternoons at crosstown WWWW.
In 1998, Dallesandro shifted to WMIL/MILWAUKEE for mornings, co-hosting the “Karen, Scott & Radar” morning show. In 2001, the show was honored with a CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year award.
Peter Bowen is out as VP/Market Manager for the Cumulus Media cluster.
The 46-year-old Bowen had been in the position for a little more than two years and previously was a sales executive for CBS Radio in Chicago and Los Angeles.
While in Chicago Bowen spent 16 years with CBS Radio, where he rose to director of sales for the seven-station group and also served as vice president and general manager of Top 40 WBBM FM 96.3 and classic hits WJMK FM 104.3.
Cumulus' Chicago Clusters includes: news/talk WLS 890 AM, Classic Hits WLS 94.7 FM, Classic Rock WLUP 97.9 FM and Alternative WKQX 101.1 FM.
WDEV and a group of sister stations known as the Radio Vermont Group will be sold to Steve Cormier, the sales director for Radio Vermont Group and the former radio show co-host of popular program “Corm and the Coach.”
Kenley Squier, the owner of the Radio Vermont Group, made the announcement late Friday afternoon.
According to vtdigger.com, The Radio Vermont Group includes four stations: WDEV 550 AM / 96.1 FM, 101 WCVT 101.1 FM Mt. Mansfield and sister station WEXP 101.5 FM 101.5 Rutland, and WLVB 93.9 FM in Morrisville.
Cormier will take over operations immediately pending eventual FCC OKs. General manager Eric Michaels, who served on the WDEV staff for 30 years, is leaving at the end of the month.
WDEV is a community radio station started by the Squier family 87 years ago. Politically, the station veers right and left with its eclectic programming.
WDEV 550 Am (5 kw-D, 1 Kw-N, DA2)
Squier, 82, put the stations up for sale in June, with the intent of finding a local buyer who could carry on his father Lloyd’s community vision for the station.
Squier, a legendary sportscaster, started his career at age 12 on WDEV and made a name for himself nationally as a commentator for NASCAR on CBS. In 1960, he opened the Thunder Road International SpeedBowl in Barre. Squier sold Thunder Road in April.
WDEV 96.1 FM (400 watts) Red=Local Coverage Area
Cormier, is perhaps best known in Vermont for his award-winning radio program, Corm and the Coach, and as Program Director for WIZN from 1986-1997. Most recently he was the station and sales manager at WTSA FM and AM in Brattleboro.
“I am honored to work at a station where radio serves the public good, need and necessity as it has since the beginning in 1931,” Cormier said in a statement.
The Squier family will remain involved in Radio Vermont Group going forward. Kenley Squier will serve as senior advisor to the Radio Vermont Group and his daughter, Ashley, will serve on the Radio Vermont Advisory Team.
Nine days after Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg dismissed as “crazy” the idea that fake news on his company’s social network played a key role in the U.S. election, President Barack Obama pulled the youthful tech billionaire aside and delivered what he hoped would be a wake-up call, according to a report in Sunday's Washington Post.
Two months before Trump’s inauguration, Obama made a personal appeal to Zuckerberg to take the threat of fake news and political disinformation seriously. Unless Facebook and the government did more to address the threat, Obama warned, it would only get worse in the next presidential race.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the problem posed by fake news. But he told Obama that those messages weren’t widespread on Facebook and that there was no easy remedy, according to people briefed on the exchange, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of a private conversation.
Like the U.S. government, Facebook didn’t foresee the wave of disinformation that was coming and the political pressure that followed. The company then grappled with a series of hard choices designed to shore up its own systems without impinging on free discourse for its users around the world.
One outcome of those efforts was Zuckerberg’s admission on Thursday that Facebook had indeed been manipulated and that the company would now turn over to Congress more than 3,000 politically themed advertisements that were bought by suspected Russian operatives.
Some critics say Facebook dragged its feet and is acting only now because of outside political pressure.
“There’s been a systematic failure of responsibility” on Facebook’s part, said Zeynep Tufekci, as associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies social media companies’ impact on society and governments. “It’s rooted in their overconfidence that they know best, their naivete about how the world works, their extensive effort to avoid oversight, and their business model of having very few employees so that no one is minding the store.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said that “free speech in practice seems to be under siege in this country,” pointing to protests to silence speakers on college campuses and to messages that the commission receives to try to shut down news channels.
“Fewer today seem to be willing to defend to the death others’ right to say things with which they might disagree,” Pai said in a speech earlier this month before the Future of Speech Online forum. He called the attempt to shut down speeches and free expression on college campuses “especially distressing,” and cited incidents at Evergreen State, Yale, and Berkeley. Conservative writer Ben Shapiro spoke at Berkeley on Thursday, amid heavy security given threats of protest and even violence.
According to Variety, Pai added that the “common thread is the belief, shared by too many, that those with views perceived as unpopular or offensive should be silenced. One has to wonder whether those who will one day carry the torch will be dedicated to open debate or will instead seek to marginalize viewpoints they don’t like.”
Pai said that he also sees “worrying signs” at the FCC, pointing to Twitter messages in which “people regularly demand that the FCC yank licenses from cable news channels like Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN because they disagree with the opinions expressed on those networks.”
“Setting aside the fact that the FCC doesn’t license cable channels, these demands are fundamentally at odds with our legal and cultural traditions,” Pai said.
The event was sponsored by the Newseum Institute, the Charles Koch Institute, and the Center for Democracy and Technology.
CBS RADIO will present its third annual STARS AND STRINGS show, in honor of our nation’s Veterans and their families, on Wednesday, November 15 at The Chicago Theatre in downtown Chicago.
The all-star lineup features Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Darius Rucker, Kelsea Ballerini, Lady Antebellum, and Sam Hunt with a special appearance by Lindsay Ell. Doors open at 6:30 PM; show begins at 7:30 PM. Stylz & Roman, the popular morning show duo on US99 (WUSN/Chicago), made the announcement this morning.
“STARS AND STRINGS is CBS RADIO’s annual tribute to our nation’s military veterans who do so much to protect our freedoms and our very way of life,” said Chris Oliviero, Executive Vice President of Programming, CBS RADIO. “We’ve assembled an amazing roster of artists to help us celebrate this special group at the landmark Chicago Theatre.”
Chase cardholders have access to pre-sale tickets and Darius Rucker sound check packages beginning Tuesday, September 26 at 10:00 AM, CT, through Thursday, September 28 at 10:00 PM, CT. General ticket sales begin on Friday, September 29 at 10:00 AM, CT, through Ticketmaster. To honor and celebrate our nation’s Veterans, a portion of the show’s proceeds will benefit Folds of Honor, which provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members.
CBS RADIO is also offering country fans an opportunity to win tickets to the show through two national contests. First, from October 16 at 12 Noon, ET, to October 27 at 12 Noon, ET, listeners can enter online at Radio.com and StarsandStrings.com for their chance to win a grand prize trip, including roundtrip airfare for the winner and one guest to Chicago, hotel accommodations, and two tickets to STARS AND STRINGS. One winner will be chosen randomly. Then, from October 23-27, CBS RADIO’s country stations will host a local text-to-win contest. Three times per weekday, each station will offer a special entry code on-air that listeners can text to be entered for a chance to win roundtrip airfare for each winner and one guest to Chicago, hotel accommodations, and two tickets to the show. Fifteen national winners will be randomly chosen.
Returning this year is the Veteran’s Village Tent adjacent to The Chicago Theatre in the Benton Place Alley. The Tent is open to the general public from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM and then exclusively to show ticket holders. There, Lindsey Ell will perform an acoustic set for attendees.
Walt Disney Co has threatened to pull its programming from the fourth largest U.S. cable distributor, Altice USA, if the two parties cannot reach a deal before the end of the month, the cable company said on Sunday.
Reuters reports New York-based Altice, which is owned by a European conglomerate and is better known as Optimum, said Disney had asked it for “hundreds of millions of dollars” in new fees to be able to continue carrying ESPN and ABC, even as ratings suffer.
The two parties have been working on a new contract to replace the one that expires at the end of the month, and Walt Disney has warned customers that its channels will go dark on Oct. 1 if a new deal is not worked out, according to media reports.
“We are always working hard to negotiate carriage agreements that reflect the best interest of all our customers. We want to carry ESPN and its sister networks, including ABC and Disney, at a reasonable rate and have already offered an increase in retransmission fees and sports programming costs,” Altice said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Sunday.
The majority of Altice’s customers live in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and parts of Pennsylvania.
Disputes between cable companies and media groups over the cost of carrying channels are common, but the dispute marks the first time a cable company has pushed back at increased fees for ESPN, the most popular sports network.
The typical customer pays $160 or more each month for service to Altice, she said.
Altice charges its customers $34, which is more than 15 times the amount Disney is seeking for the market’s most watched station, WABC, she added.
A recent report from Nielsen spotlights the growing influence of Hispanic radio consumers in the American media landscape.
The study, titled “State of the Media: Audio Today, A Focus on Black & Hispanic Audiences,” looks at data from the second quarter of 2015 and points to an all-time high for the second year in the row in terms of the broad national radio audience: currently, there are a whopping 245 million Americans 12 or older using radio each week.
Here’s the insightful part: African Americans and Hispanics together represent a record 71.7 million audio consumers, equal to almost a third (29.3 percent) of that national audience. Specifically, Hispanics account for 16.5 percent and African Americans account for 12.8 percent.
The weekly reach of radio among these two audience groups has been consistently growing over the past five years, the study shows. In 2011, Hispanics accounted for 36.5 million of the weekly national radio listeners, while in 2015, that number has grown to 40.4 million, representing a growth of 11 percent. By comparison, African American radio audience has grown 5 percent since 2011, from 29.8 million to 31.3 million.
Put another way: more than 9 out of 10 Hispanics are listening to radio each week, spending about 12 hours and 35 minutes a week tuning in, mostly outside of their homes.
Accordingto Billboard, the report goes on to state that “because radio reaches more than 90 percent of both of these audiences, the footprint of where that listening is highest mirrors the larger population trends taking place in the U.S. today.” So it should come as no surprise that the top five Hispanic radio-listening markets in the U.S. are Los Angeles, New York, Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Houston/Galveston, and Chicago (in that order) -- all cities in which Latinos are served by a multitude of stations. Maps in the report also show that California and Texas are substantially above the national average for Spanish-language radio listening -- no surprise, since both states have a high percentage of immigrants who are Spanish-dominant.
As for what Hispanics are listening to across the 250 U.S. markets large and small analyzed in the report, regional Mexican takes the cake -- which is good news for labels and brands making a significant investment in that format.
The biggest takeaway, according to the study: “These black and Hispanic consumers spend more time with radio each week than any other group, and possess enormous buying power for advertisers looking to reach a qualified audience when they are away from home and in the marketplace ready to purchase.”
African-American women’s consumer preferences and brand affinities are resonating across the U.S. mainstream, driving total Black spending power toward a record $1.5 trillion by 2021, according to African-American Women: Our Science, Her Magic, according to a new a Nielsen report.
Self-made and self-reliant, the number of businesses majority-owned by Black women grew 67% between 2007 and 2012, more than all women combined. The latest U.S. Census figures show African-American women have majority ownership in more than 1.5 million businesses with over $42 billion in sales.
In Nielsen’s new Diverse Intelligence Series report, the global performance management company paints a portrait of Black women as trendsetters, brand loyalists and early adopters who care about projecting a positive self-image. They are playing an increasingly vital role in how all women see themselves and influencing mainstream culture across a number of areas, including fashion, beauty, television and music. Young, independent and 24.3 million strong, Black women comprise 14% of all U.S. women and 52% of all African-Americans. Relatively young with an average age of 35.1 years (versus 42.8 for non-Hispanic White women and 39.4 for all women), they have enjoyed steady growth in population, incomes and educational attainment. Sixty-four percent enroll in college right out of high school and 23% over age 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (up from 18% in 2005).
“Black women have strong life-affirming values that spill over into everything they do. The celebration of their power and beauty is reflected in what they buy, watch and listen to, and people outside their communities find it inspiring,” says Cheryl Grace, Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, Nielsen. “Understanding how Black women’s values affect their buying decisions has long been a marketing necessity. Now, marketers must also recognize the intercultural influence of Black women on the general market as an increasingly vital part of how all women see themselves, their families and the rest of the world.”
INDEPENDENT AND SELF-MADE
The African-American woman’s independent mindset is present in her growing confidence, self-awareness and rising income. Black women are not only redefining what it means to be a woman for themselves, but are at the vanguard of changing gender roles and unlimited possibilities for American women of all ages and races.
64% of Black women agree their goal is to make it to the top of their profession (95% higher than non-Hispanic White women).
58% agree that they don’t mind giving up their personal time for work (20% higher than non-Hispanic White women).
14% of Black women have annual incomes of $50,000 or higher (up from 9% in 2005).
Ages 35–49 have the highest income within the black female cohort.
For Black millennial women (18–34), 81% have never been married, up from 71% in 2005.
With an average household size of 2.47, 29% of total Black American households contain a married couple.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
Black women have embraced the social media movement #BlackGirlMagic, a term that describes a cross-platform gathering of empowered Black women who uplift each other and shine a light on the impressive accomplishments of Black women throughout the country. Especially adept at using technology and social media to trade opinions and offer recommendations, Black women (18+), more than any other demographic group, have taken social media and adopted it for higher purposes. Whether they are buying cars, jewelry, smartphones or beauty products, the advice, referrals and feedback they receive from friends and community play an important role in Black women’s purchases.
43% of Black women say they like to share their opinions about products and services by posting reviews and ratings online.
47% agree that people often come to them for advice before making a purchase.
Black Women over-index by 29% for spending 3–4 hours each day on social networking sites and by 86% for spending 5 or more hours each day on social networking sites.
Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. is sponsoring an airlift and participating in a cruise shipment, which will include as much as 100,000 pounds of food and supplies raised by the company and its South Florida and radio and TV audiences, to Puerto Rico.
Royal Caribbean International, whose ship Adventure of the Seas is based in San Juan, will carry relief donations to the island. SBS is also flying a senior management group from the company to Puerto Rico to directly help in the relief effort.
SBS’ radio stations in Puerto Rico, La Mega 106.9 FM and La Nueva 94 FM have been the only FM stations transmitting live on the island – before, during and after the storm – serving as a key source of information for residents in San Juan and many rural communities. Powered by generators, the station has maintained open communications with its listeners and is also engaging via social media.
Supporting the effort, SBS’ radio stations in Miami, WXDJ-FM EL NUEVO ZOL 106.7FM, WCMQ-FM ZETA 92.3FM, WRMA-FM RITMO 95.7FM, LAMUSICAPP, MEGATV united to collect food and supplies for Puerto Rico. SBS on-air talent has also joined forces to urge audiences to provide goods and to inform listeners and viewers on what’s happening in the island. All goods will be collected at the SBS Broadcast Center from September 21st through Saturday September 23rd from 6AM-8PM each day with the transport expected to occur by Sunday morning.
In addition, SBS’s radio stations in New York, WSKQ-FM MEGA 97.9FM and WPAT-FM AMOR 93.1 FM, are hosting a related campaign to collect food and supplies from listeners for transport to Puerto Rico. The New York metro region is home to close to 1.3 million people of Puerto Rican decent, the largest Puerto Rican population in the nation.
"We are united in tapping all of our resources to directly help the victims of Hurricane Maria.," said Mr. Raul Alarcon, President and CEO of Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. "Our management, our on-air talent, our employees and our listeners and viewers are all pitching in to raise food and supplies to contribute to the massive relief effort underway across the island. We have a deep bond with our loyal audiences across Puerto Rico and we will remain with them in the long recovery and rebuilding program. We will also continue to utilize our FM radio station on the island to provide information around the clock to residents and their families in the US.”
“We are pleased to connect SBS’ efforts to those most in need in Puerto Rico,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Royal Caribbean has sailed to the Caribbean for over 50 years, and with such a long-standing relationship comes a sense of responsibility to do our part to help Puerto Rico in its times of need.”
When CBS announced Sept. 7 the first U.S. celebrity version of Big Brother, veteran host Julie Chen let it slip to The Hollywood Reporter that her husband, CBS chief Leslie Moonves, strong-armed her into taking a pay cut because of the edition's shorter run.
"If you know one thing about my husband, it has to make economic sense. He comes home for dinner and says in a very Godfather, mafioso-style, 'Jules, you tell your lawyer this is not a negotiation. This is what the deal is and you're going to accept it.' And I said, 'Is that the way you speak to your wife?'" she laughed, before continuing, "He said, 'You tell your attorney this is not a game we're playing. Everyone's taking a haircut. This is the only way it will make sense financially. You shouldn't be expected to be paid as if it's a full series. It's a condensed version.'"
The twist: Chen's lawyer is none other than Les' brother, Jon Moonves.
The reason Les wanted his wife to take a hit to her wallet is due to the season's shorter schedule, which will require less time for both her and the stars that they get to participate. Though a schedule has yet to be announced, it's expected to be significantly shorter than the typical 90-plus-day summer broadcast of Big Brother. One thing that won't change: The installment will still invite viewers in for their 24/7 unfiltered live feed.
➦In 1933...Tom Mix was heard for the first time on NBC Radio. His show ran until June,1950.
Here's the Tom Mix tie-in to the call sign of Hubbard Radio's WTMX Chicago.
WKBI AM in St. Marys PA went on in
1950. This was the first of a group of stations that would become
the Allegheny Mountain Radio Network headed up by Cary Simpson. In
1966, WKBI-FM went on the air Licensed to Ridgeway, Elk County PA's
County seat.
In the 70's WKBI-FM changed formats
from Top 40 to Country and at that time changed call letters to WTMX
in honor of one of Hollywoods early famous cowboys of the silver
screen, Tom Mix. Mix was born in Southern Elk county.
WTMX would become WKBI-FM again in
1983.
In Chicago, WCLR changed it's call sign
to WTMX in 1989.
(H/T: Jim Linn Jacksonville.)
➦In 1967...Bob Hall, Host of Music Til Dawn on WCBS 880 AM passed away. "Music Till Dawn" premiered on April 13, 1953. WCBS announcer Bob Hall was the model for hosts on that program around the nation.
➦In 1975...While performing "Lonely Teardrops" onstage at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, NJ during a Dick Clark oldies revue, Jackie Wilson collapses from a heart attack, bashing his head on the stage and lapsing into a come from which he will remain until his death in 1983.
Video features Wilson on the TV Show Shindig with Billy Preston on the keyboards.
➦In 1976...Frampton Comes Alive! by Peter Frampton stood alone at the top of the album chart for the eighth week. Silk Degrees from Boz Scaggs was a strong second with Linda Ronstadt's Hasten Down the Wind close behind.
The self-titled Fleetwood Mac was now moving back up after 61 weeks of release.
The rest of the Top 10: Wild Cherry, War with their Greatest Hits package, Spirit from John Denver at #7, Spitfire by Jefferson Starship, All Things in Time by Lou Rawls at #9 and Chicago X.
➦In 1978…Radio actor (The Shadow, The First Nighter Program, Heartbeat Theater) Bret Morrison died following a heart attack at the age of 66.
➦In 1989...Jacor launched "Power 93: the Power Pig" in Tampa.
A year earlier, Jacor Broadcasting bought WFLA-FM 93.3 and its sister station, WFLA-AM 970, and switched the FM’s format and calls to oldies WFLZ “Z93.” The format lasted only about a year.
After a weekend of stunting, including an hour of an urban contemporary micro-format, WFLZ would flip to Top 40 on September 25, 1989 at 8:15 AM to compete against local CHR Q105 (the first song under the new format was "Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul). The station became "Power 93" or "The Power Pig", and aggressively targeted Q105 with promotions such as handing out "Screw The Q" t-shirts at various on the street events.
The station took over first place in 72 days and became one of the most legendary radio stations of all time.
Power Pig WFLZ #1
The first full-time Power Pig on-air lineup in October 1989 included Dr. Don Carpenter and the “Three Little Pigs” – Jack Harris, BJ Harris, and PD Marc Chase – on the morning show. In middays was long-time Tampa radio vet Dave Mann; afternoons were led by former Q105'er Jon 'Rock N Roll' Anthony, and nights were hosted by Tim and Tom. The original Beaver Stevens held down 10pm-2am, and Russell ‘The Love Muscle’ handled overnights from 2am-6am. The Pig continued its double-entendres on the weekends, too, with Hot "Dickie" Damn, Booger, Hardin Long, Jason (Mason's illegitimate son) Dixon, Jomama Johnson, Boner, and Brian Christopher.
Ratings for “The Power Pig” took off with listeners 12+ and 18-34 who bought specially-designed T-shirts imprinted with “Screw the Q” on them from the station’s pink-colored mobile unit dubbed “The Pig Van.” Lawsuits ensued and, in the end, Q105 took quite a beating and switched to country in 1993. In 1995 WFLZ dropped its aggressive approach and re-imaged itself more mainstream Top 40 as “93.3 FLZ The New Music Revolution” and, in 2000, “The #1 Hit Music Channel”.
➦In 2001…XM Satellite Radio began fulltime operations. It was set to officially launch on September 12, but due to the September 11 attacks, the kickoff was postponed to the 25th.
➦In 2003...Bob Murphy broadcast his last MLB NY Mets radio broadcast
➦In 2005…Longtime radio favorite in Seattle (KOL, KJR) and Chicago (WLS, WCFL), Jerry Kay died at the age of 67.
➦In 2010…Radio-TV show announcer (Amos 'n Andy, The Adventures of Frank Race, Dr. Christian, The Sears Radio Theater, Stars over Hollywood, The Golden Days of Radio, The World Tomorrow, The Red Skelton Show, Highway Patrol, The George Gobel Show, Mackenzie's Raiders) Art Gilmore died at age 98.
➦In 2013…News correspondent (CBS, NPR, CNN) Lee Thornton, the first African American woman to cover a regular White House beat for one of the big three broadcast networks, died of pancreatic cancer at 71.
➦In 1933...the first dramatic presentation for radio, "Roses and Drums", was heard on WABC (then a CBS station) in New York City.
➦In 1934...Seattle Radio Legend Pat O’Day was born (Pat W. Berg). He is probably best known as the afternoon drive personality at Seattle's KJR 950 in the 1960s, he would eventually become program director and general manager. He owned KYYX 96.5 FM in Seattle in the mid seventies and early 80s. This frequency is now occupied by KJAQ.
➦In 1942...Glenn Miller ended his Moonlight Serenade series on CBS radio. It was time for Miller to go to war. The show had aired three times a week for Chesterfield Cigarettes.
➦In 1948..."Axis Sally" (real name Mildred Gillars) pleaded innocent to charges of treason. She was convicted and wound up serving 12 years behind bars for being a Nazi wartime radio propagandist.
Mildred Gillars
In 1934 she moved to Dresden, Germany, to study music, later being employed as a teacher of English at the Berlitz School of Languages in Berlin. In 1940 she obtained work as an announcer with the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft (RRG), German State Radio.
Until 1942 Gillars' broadcasts were largely apolitical. This changed when Max Otto Koischwitz, the program director in the USA Zone at the RRG, cast Gillars in a new show called Home Sweet Home.
Soon she acquired several names amongst her GI listeners, including Berlin Bitch, Berlin Babe, Olga, and Sally, but the one that became most common was "Axis Sally".
This name probably came from the time when, asked to describe herself on the air, Gillars had said she was "the Irish type… a real Sally."
In 1943, an Italian-American woman, Rita Zucca, also began broadcasting to American troops from Rome, using the name "Sally". Often the two women were thought to be one and the same.
Gillars' main programs from Berlin were:
Home Sweet Home Hour, from December 24, 1942, until 1945, a regular propaganda program the purpose of which was to make American forces in Europe feel homesick. A running theme of these broadcasts was the infidelity of soldiers' wives and sweethearts while the listeners were stationed in Europe and North Africa.
Midge-at-the-Mike, broadcast from March to late fall 1943, in which she played American songs interspersed with defeatist propaganda, anti-Semitic rhetoric and attacks on Franklin D. Roosevelt.
G. I.’s Letter-box and Medical Reports 1944, directed at the US home audience in which Gillars used information on wounded and captured US airmen to cause fear and worry in their families.
She remained in Berlin until the end of the war. Her last broadcast was on May 6, 1945, just two days before the German surrender.
Mildred Gillars died of colon cancer at Grant Medical Center in Columbus on June 25, 1988
➦In 1957...MLB Dodgers play last game in Brooklyn airing on WMGM 1050 AM
➦In 1960…Radio announcer (Truth or Consequences, The Baby Snooks Show, The Amos 'n' Andy Show, Fibber McGee and Molly)/commercial pitchman (Johnson Wax, Pet Milk, Auto-Lite, Rinso, Reynolds Aluminum) Harlow Wilcox died at the age of 60.
➦In 1977...The Hot 100...The Emotions returned to #1, making it five weeks for "Best of My Love". The Floaters had to settle for #2 with "Float On" while another hit from Rumours--"Don't Stop" kept Fleetwood Mac in the limelight. K.C. and the Sunshine Band were up with "Keep It Comin' Love" and the Brothers Johnson were at 5 with "Strawberry Letter 23".
The rest of the Top 10: Andy Gibb's previous #1 "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" tumbled, ELO moved up with "Telephone Line", Meco's instrumental "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" moved from 13-8, Shaun Cassidy had a hit with the Eric Carmen song "That's Rock 'N' Roll" and Foreigner cracked the list with "Cold As Ice".
➦In 1977...The Album Charts..Rumours by Fleetwood Mac was #1 for a record 20th week. It wasn't done yet.
➦In 1988...The Hot 100...Bobby McFerrin took over at #1 with his positive song "Don't Worry Be Happy". Guns N' Roses slipped to 2 with "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Taylor Dayne edged up with "I'll Always Love You". Robert Palmer fell after a long run with "Simply Irresistible" and Leppard had their third Top 10 song from Hysteria--"Love Bites".
The rest of the Top 10: Huey Lewis & the News with "Perfect World", Peter Cetera from Sun Valley, Idaho with "One Good Woman", the New Edition dropped with "If It Isn't Love", Kenny Loggins had the #9 song--"Nobody's Fool" and Cheap Trick joined the party with their remake of the Elvis Presley classic "Don't Be Cruel".
For 51 years Rick Shaw’s resonant and melodious voice echoed through the airwaves — from St. Louis to Omaha to Denver and finally to Miami, where he spent most of his career spinning vinyl and playing oldies, goldies and rock ‘n roll.
In 1964, while he worked for WQAM, Shaw was the first radio disc jockey in South Florida to play the Beatles. He met them later that year in Jacksonville.
During a 46-year career in Miami, Shaw finished each program with the 1959 Ray Peterson classic Goodnight My Love.
Friday, just over a decade into his retirement, Shaw died. He was 79, according to The Miami Herald.
Shaw began his decorated disc jockey career in 1956 in St. Louis. After gigs in Omaha and Denver, he landed a job with WCKR, which later became WIOD, in Miami in 1960. Along with his career taking off in Miami came another change: His name.
Friend and former co-worker Joe Johnson, who now works for WLRN, said when Shaw first came to Miami his name was James Hummell. But that changed quickly when Shaw’s new boss looked at him and said, “No it isn’t. From now on you’re Rick Shaw.”
It stuck. And Shaw’s career took off. By 1963 he was working at WQAM, where he recorded a record-shattering 54 share — more than all the other local stations combined.
Then in 2006 Shaw surprised listeners by announcing his retirement midway through a broadcast on Majic 102.7 FM.
Nielsen Holdings filed a lawsuit on Friday to stop comScore Inc from using its technology to launch a competing service for measuring television audiences.
In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Nielsen is seeking an injunction to stop the launch of comScore’s Extended TV service, which it said would incorporate its proprietary Portable People Meter data.
Reuters reports ComScore declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the matter was being addressed through binding arbitration.
The dispute arose from Nielsen’s 2013 purchase of Arbitron Inc, which was completed after those companies promised federal regulators to preserve competition for “cross-platform” services measuring both television and online viewership.
Nielsen, based in New York, said it contracted in 2014 to let its Reston, Virginia-based rival use Portable People Meter data to measure both TV and online audiences.
But it said that contract forbade using the data for “individual, stand-alone services,” which it said include Extended TV.
Nielsen said it has several large contracts up for renewal, and would suffer “irreparable harm to its business through [the] loss of important customers and decreased market share” if comScore launched Extended TV, perhaps by the end of 2017.
According to the complaint, Nielsen has filed for arbitration as required by the contract to establish comScore’s alleged breach, but is entitled to seek a court-ordered injunction before the arbitration is resolved.
The LATimes is reporting, the superstar rapper was offered the prestigious gig at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota on Feb. 4, but turned it down.
The NFL released a statement that (kind of) addressed the matter.
“No decisions have been made on the performer(s) and we are not going to speculate on particular artists,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy stated. “Along with Pepsi, we know that we will put on a spectacular show. When it is time to announce her name we will do it. Or his name. Or their names.”
There has been speculation that Jay-Z said no to the Super Bowl offer as way to show support for former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has yet to land a job in the NFL after opting out of his contract with the 49ers in May. Some people think Kaepernick has been blackballed from the league because he refused to stand for the national anthem last season as a way to protest social injustice.
Jay-Z dedicated his song “The Story of O.J.” to Kaepernick during a performance earlier this month.
