The 'Fake News' Fight Benefits Media

Surprise firings, criminal investigations and vague statements that have world leaders scratching their heads has turned President Donald Trump's administration into political theater.

And the media – one of Trump's favorite go-to targets- is reaping the benefits, according to CNBC. Experts expected media ratings to normalize after the election when the NFL and other popular TV shows started to air. That's clearly not the case.


Trump's fight against 'fake news' has been a boon for media companies from CNBC.

Baltimore Radio: iHM Names Aaron Hyland Market President

Aaron Hyland

iHeartMedia announced today that it has elevated the role of 19-year media veteran Aaron Hyland to Market President of iHeartMedia Baltimore.

The Baltimore cluster includes WPOC-FM, WZFT-FM, WQSR-FM and WCAO-AM.

Hyland will be responsible for overseeing the Baltimore market’s programming, advertising and operations across its multiple platforms. He will also continue to oversee Sales for the Washington, DC Region as Regional Senior Vice President. Hyland will continue to report into Michael Preacher, Region President, iHeartMedia.

“We’re thrilled Aaron will be leading our Baltimore team, working closely with our key advertisers and partners on developing effective opportunities to reach their consumers through our unmatched assets,” said Preacher. “Aaron has built a very positive and successful culture for iHeartMedia in Washington, DC and I’m excited that he will now be leading all aspects of Baltimore’s operations. His experience and familiarity in Baltimore make him the perfect choice.”

“iHeartMedia Baltimore has a strong presence in the market and throughout the community, with an amazing programming lineup including the Laurie DeYoung Show and the Kane Show,” said Hyland. “I’m excited to be joining this solid team here and having the opportunity to further grow these incredible brands.”

Spotify Unveils New 'Freemium' Features

Spotify today announced a new version of its free app, reflecting the company’s belief that creating a better user experience for unpaid subscribers will result in more paid subscribers.

VentureBeat reports among changes, users can now pick and play songs in any order from 15 of Spotify’s personalized discover playlists. Previously, users of the free app could only listen to playlists on shuffle.

Users can still create their own playlists on the free app, but they don’t get control over the order those songs are played. The free users also now get recommendations of other songs to add when they save a new song to a playlist. And the free mobile app comes with a new home screen that emphasizes the playlists.

Spotify is also introducing a “data saver” option that the company claims can help users of the free app cut their data consumption by up to 75 percent. Users will have to manually switch on the data saver option if they want to use it when they download the new version of the free app.

During an hour-long presentation, Spotify’s chief R&D officer Gustav Söderström, vp product development Babar Zafar and global head of creator services Troy Carter outlined the company’s multi-pronged upgrades, which give its 90 million-plus "freemium" users around the global greater control and a simpler interface when browsing and listening to the service’s 35 million licensed tracks, as well as new controls to help them manage the data that streaming takes up on mobile phones, according to Billboard.

"Previously, personalization took too long to kick in," Zafar said, noting that new users who download the app will be asked right away to identify their favorite artists, meaning that recommendations begin immediately. "We have accelerated our ability to understand what people want to hear."

That also means an upgrade to how playlists are made, with an eye towards taking the appeal of radio out of the equation. Zafar introduced a tool called "assisted playlisting," a tool that allows users to type in an event or mood -- "birthday party" was the example used -- and receive "contextual recommendations relevant to your music tastes," which will be continually-updated as users add songs to the playlist.

Carter, in his remarks, put a more finely-tuned point on it: "Our ad-supported service functions like the biggest radio station in the world," he said, noting that "10 billion times a month, listeners across both Spotify and Spotify premium stream a new artist they’ve never heard before." He also pointed out that 71 percent of Spotify’s monthly active users -- 157 million worldwide -- are under the age of 34. "This makes the free product that much more important for artists," Carter said. "There are millions of music fans who can’t afford $9.99 a month. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t music fans. Artists can’t afford to ignore that audience."

NYC Radio: Report..Mike Francesa Wants Back On-Air

Mike Francesa desperately misses doing New York sports radio and is trying to get back on the air, sources told The NYPost.

When reached by phone and asked specifically about the WFAN possibility, Francesa was silent for a moment.

“I’m not answering questions about any specific stations,” Francesa told The Post during a five-minute conversation.

While Francesa or his representatives have had talks with executives from 98.7 ESPN New York and WOR 710 AM, according to sources, a return to WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM in some form could be in motion.

In Francesa’s place, WFAN has put the trio of Chris Carlin, Maggie Gray and Bart Scott in the afternoon. The threesome was beaten by ESPN New York’s “Michael Kay Show” in the ratings by a slim margin in the winter ratings book. Francesa had never lost to Kay’s show in a full rating period.

Francesa, 64, could have stayed at FAN in a reduced time slot. FAN was willing to shorten his hours, but he declined. He and company executives also held brief talks after Craig Carton was arrested for his role in an alleged Ponzi scheme. It opened the door for Francesa to remain at FAN without looking as if he were losing face. However, Francesa asked for a raise, and no deal was reached.

Francesa has been eligible to sign with any radio station since April 1, but has been unable to find anything as a second career after FAN. But now, he desperately wants to get back on the radio and is trying to find a job at a New York station.

Indy Radio: Kash Kashner Named APD For Country WFMS

Adam Kashner

Cumulus Media has announced that it has promoted Adam “Kash” Kashner to Assistant Program Director for Country radio station WFMS 95.5 FM in Indianapolis.

Kashner will retain his roles as On-Air Host, Weekends/Fill-ins on WFMS-FM and on Classic Hits station 104.5 WJJK-FM. Kashner joined Cumulus Media-Indianapolis in November 2012.

Tom Stemlar, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Indianapolis, said: “Adam is an essential piece of our Programming, Sales and Marketing organizations and I couldn’t be more excited that he’s decided to continue his career at Cumulus Indianapolis as APD of WFMS.“

Christopher “Boomer” Layfield, Operations Manager, Cumulus Media-Indianapolis, said: “Kash has proven he’s got what it takes to lead and played a critical programming role before my arrival in Indy. The opportunity to reward him with an elevation to Assistant Program Director is a well-deserved move, allowing us to continue to use his strengths to advance the WFMS brand and bolster the roster of talent at Cumulus-Indianapolis.”

WFMS 95.5 FM (13 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Kashner said: “Being named APD for a legendary station like WFMS is truly an honor. I look forward to working under the leadership of Boomer, Tom Stemlar and Doug Hamand and growing as a programmer. Quite a thrill for a hometown boy!”

Bay Area Radio: The Woody Show Returning To KFOG, KFFG

Cumulus Media has announced the return of The Woody Show to Bay Area morning radio on San Francisco’s iconic Rock radio station KFOG.

Woody and his co-hosts Ravey, Greg, Menace and Sebas debut on KFOG 104.5 FM and KFFG 97.7 FM on Monday, April 30, 2018. The Woody Show will air weekdays from 5AM-10AM.

Matt Bates, KFOG Program Director, said: “The opportunity to align KFOG with such unique and compelling talent doesn’t come along often. We recognized this and locked them in. As a fan of The Woody Show, it’s remarkable that it’s taken this long for them to have a major platform from which they can take back the Bay. The Woody Show represents that bright and entertaining spot in our morning routine. YOU KNOW!”

KFOG 104.5 FM (7.1 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Woody said: “Like the lions coming together to form Voltron, the Bay Area is where all the pieces fell into place and we launched The Woody Show. Needless to say, we are hella* excited (*it’s a Bay Area thing) to be back on the air, in the market that we owe everything to. Thanks to the folks at Cumulus for fighting for us, and allowing us to be part of the evolution/revolution of KFOG.”

Pleading For Survival, Sun-Times Prints Blank Front

The Chicago Sun-Times left its front page blank in a plea for subscribers on Monday in an effort to “protect the long-term survival” of its newsroom.

According to The Hill, the unorthodox appeal comes one month after the 174-year-old newspaper completed a round of layoffs as it struggles with falling advertising revenue from its print edition.

The Sun-Times has been working to build digital subscriptions for content that readers in the past have gotten for free.

“We’re asking you to please support our daily work by subscribing to our website for $7.49 a month. That’s less than 25 cents a day,” writes the paper in a story titled “Imagine Chicago without the Sun-Times: An urgent appeal.”

“In return, you’ll get unlimited access to our web content and will help protect the long-term survival of our newsroom,” it continues.

“Imagine our city without our headlines. Without our journalists to tell your side of the story. Without our beat writers to cover sports. Without our watchdog reporters to keep an eye on government. Without our columnists and editorial board to be a second voice. Imagine it. Then help us make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post have seen rising subscriptions and record revenue since President Trump took office, but local newspapers have largely struggled as print editions continue to shrink and media becomes more fractured in the digital age.

Sean Hannity Defends Real Estate Deals

Following a report that contends he bought property with government assistance and then failed to disclose it, conservative commentator Sean Hannity on Monday said it was merely the "latest fake news attack."

"It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money," Hannity said in a statement. "The fact is, there are investments that I do not individually select, control or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support."

After the Fox News host last week was named as a client of Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the Guardian on Sunday reported that records link Hannity to a group of more than 20 shell companies. Those companies, registered in Georgia, spent at least $90 million on more than 870 homes in the past 10 years.

According to USAToday, the most controversial of those purchases: Hannity reportedly bought two large apartment complexes in Georgia, and the purchases were funded with mortgages obtained with help from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Hannity didn't disclose his dealings with HUD when HUD Secretary Ben Carson appeared on his show last year.

"I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the Obama years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter," Hannity said Monday. "I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments."

He noted that the requirements for securing the loans were "met, fulfilled and inspected."

A deed for Sean Hannity's mansion in Nassau County, N.Y., revealed that Hannity was the managing member behind a limited liability company titled "SPMK IV NY, LLC." (The Nassau County Clerk's Office)

The LATimes reports  Hannity's personal business dealings, and their mixture with his on-air media commentary, have recently been thrust into the public spotlight after President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, disclosed that Hannity was one of his other clients.

Hannity, who had been using his media platform to bash the criminal investigation into Cohen, said that his legal discussions with Cohen were "almost exclusively about real estate."

But it's hard to pin down what real-estate matters Hannity might have been discussing with Cohen, simply because Hannity has accumulated so much real estate. A review of corporate records revealed more than 20 holding companies with "SMPK" names registered at Henssler Financial's address in Kennesaw, Ga.

NYC Radio: Kanye West Risking Wrath Of Black Radio

Rapper Kanye West this weekend professed his “love” for President Trump and complained that he “couldn’t get anything done” with former President Obama, according to a radio host who interviewed West.

According to Page Six at The NY Post, the interview with Hot 97 host Ebro Darden came after West expressed his unexpected support for conservative activist and Black Lives Matter critic Candace Owens on Twitter.

“I love the way Candace Owens thinks,” West tweeted Saturday. The post followed a lengthy string of pseduo-philisophical one-liners and platitudes, including “all you have to be is yourself” and “images are limitless and words aren’t.”

Owens, who is black, has been criticized for her support of President Donald Trump and for her conservative political thoughts.

West took on groupthink and identity politics the next day, adding, “[W]e have freedom of speech but not freedom of thought.”

According to Darden, who recounted his conversation with the famed rapper on Monday’s “Ebro in the Morning” broadcast, West said he liked Owens because “she’s challenging conventional black thought.”

He also expressed love for Trump, Darden said, explaining that he had “reached out to Obama for years and couldn’t get anything done, but Trump gave me a meeting.”


Obama famously called West a “jackass” during a taping of an interview, and reportedly doubled down on that epithet later.

Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld said West’s comments are significant not because he endorsed any conservative views, but because he demonstrated a tolerance for hearing them.

“He challenged the mob,” Gutfeld said. “Their goal is to stigmatize. Smears always shut down debate. … There’s nothing scarier to a leftist than a free thinker.”

The Atlanta-born rapper has a history of provocative, unexpected statements.

Ad Sales Boost Alphabet's 1Q Earnings

Google parent company Alphabet just reported its first quarter earnings, beating analyst expectations on both the top and bottom line. CNBC reports the stock initially popped 3 percent, but seesawed before, during, and after the earnings call.

Although the company saw strong sales growth, its traffic acquisition costs continued to increase as a percentage of revenue and the amount of money it spent on real estate and computing power spiked, too.

Highlights:

• Earnings per share: $9.93 vs $9.28 expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
• Revenue: $31.15 billion vs $30.29 billion expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate
• Operating income for 2018 came in as $7 billion versus $6.6 billion in 2017

As usual, Google's advertising business accounted for most of its revenue, posting $26.642 billion in the first quarter, up nearly 20 percent year-over-year.

Meanwhile, its "other revenues," which include its cloud business and hardware sales was nearly $4.3 billion. That's up from $3.2 billion year-over-year and includes revenues from smart-home unit Nest for the first time.

Another important measurement of Google's ads business changed this quarter as it started reporting Network properties growth in impressions versus clicks to reflect the way advertisers buy programmatic ads.

Google properties, like search and YouTube, saw paid clicks (how many times people clicked its ads) increase 8 percent quarter-over-quarter while cost-per-click, or how much it can charge for its ads, decreased 7 percent quarter-over-quarter (with a 59 percent increase and a 19 percent decrease year-over-year, respectively). Properties revenues were nearly $22 billion.

Alphabet's operating expenses were $10.7 billion, which was up 27 percent year-over-year. Porat attributed that increase primarily to research and development. Meanwhile, its accrued capital expenditures were $7.7 billion, which is triple the expenditures for the same period in 2017. Porat attributed this huge spike to its $2.4 billion purchase of New York City's Chelsea Market building, as well as investments in data center construction.

Berk Out, Fruend In At PodcastOne

PodcastOne has announced veteran media executive Billy Freund has been added as co-COO. He'll work with with east coast-based Greg Batusic, sharing Chief Operating Officer responsibilities, and is based in the company's Beverly Hills headquarters.

Freund is a 20-year veteran operating and managing companies in the broadcast and digital media space.  Most recently, he served as EVP/Chief Revenue Officer of Clip Interactive.

Billy Fruend

Freund said, "I am very excited to join the PodcastOne team, working shoulder-to-shoulder with Norman Pattiz, Kit Gray and Greg Batusic to continue the company's explosive growth across its 250 exclusive podcast programs and highly effective, non-cluttered advertising environment in more than 2.9 billion annual user sessions."

Jim Berk

"Billy - his actual legal name - and I worked together at Westwood One for several years," said Founder and Executive Chairman Norman Pattiz. "He understands the space, and his background, not only in sales but also technology, operations and affiliations, will provide us with even more unique and valuable input to power the growth of the company."

Meanwhile, PodcastOne CEO Jim Berk has departed, saying he is moving on after positioning the company for its next chapter. Berk joined PodcastOne two years ago.

“Jim came in and has been very very helpful in positioning the company to do a number of things we weren’t able to do before hand,” Pattiz told Deadline. “Jim’s task has been pretty well completed. He wants to go on and examine some other things.”

PodcastOne is a producer and distributor of some 250 different podcasts, including shows from celebrities like Adam Carolla, Dan Patrick and Shaquille O’Neal. The company said it generated 2.8 billion podcast downloads over the last year.

Getchen Carlson Returning To TV

Gretchen Carlson

A instrumental force in the #MeToo Movement and one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2017, renowned journalist, author and female empowerment advocate Gretchen Carlson is returning to television, joining forces with A+E Networks to create and host a series of documentary specials.

The documentary specials will be developed by A+E Originals™, the newly launched non-fiction content development company.  The first of these specials, The Brave with Gretchen Carlson (working title) for Lifetime, will focus on how Gretchen's courageous actions to confront the scourge of sexual harassment in the workplace has served as a catalyst for so many other women to say #MeToo.

“It has now been confirmed that our voices are amplified and actually get heard when we stand together, and I am proud to partner with Lifetime to make change happen by presenting the heartbreaking, but previously untold, stories of everyday working women,” said Carlson.  “We need to shine a light on the predators and their enablers, rather than ostracizing and blacklisting the innocent victims whose dreams and careers have been destroyed. I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with A+E Networks on this important project.”

“Gretchen has stood at the forefront of this powerful movement, risking her own career to protect all women.  She’s a trusted, courageous journalist and a tireless advocate for women from all walks of life,” said Steve Ascher, Vice President of A+E Originals™.  “We’re honored that she has chosen to partner with A+E Originals™ to bring her voice, passion and unique perspectives to Lifetime.”

The other two specials in the series will focus on inspirational stories of every day Americans. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat, Liz Gateley and Gretchen Carlson will serve as Executive Producers.  Executive producers for Lifetime are Gena McCarthy and Brie Bryant.

Net Neutrality Expires, But Not The Fight

Media outlets have raised the alarm about the repeal of net neutrality, which took effect on Monday.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai initially introduced the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which repeals the Obama-era Open Internet Order net-neutrality rules. It was passed by a vote of the FCC in December.

The “internet as we know it may not exist,” CNET said on Monday as the repeal took effect.

“Net neutrality is officially dead today, but the fight to revive it lives on, ” TechCrunch declared.

The “end of the Internet as we know it,” read the main headline on CNN.com after December’s vote.

According to the National Review, net neutrality imposed heavy regulations on Internet-service providers, classifying them as public utilities. Critics said that the rules choked companies like popular streaming services by regulating how they present content to consumers. Those pushing for the rules argued that control of the Internet should not be left to the whims of private companies.

Pai has called the Obama-era rules “heavy-handed” and has remained firm in his conviction that less regulation is the best path to a more free and open Internet.

“Following today’s vote, Americans will still be able to access the websites they want to visit. They will still be able to enjoy the services they want to enjoy,” Pai said in December. “There will still be cops on the beat guarding a free and open internet. This is the way things were prior to 2015, and this is the way they will be once again.”

Tickets Available For Country Radio Hall Dinner

The Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has announced that individual tickets and tables are available for the 2018 Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards ceremony, to be held Wednesday, June 20, 2018, at the Nashville Marriott by Vanderbilt. A cocktail reception will take place at 6 p.m. CDT with the induction ceremony to follow at 7 p.m. CDT.

Individual tickets are $130 each and tables are $2500. Individual tickets can be purchased here or by contacting Darcie Van Etten at darcie@crb.org. For tables and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Holly Freeman at holly@crb.org or Brooke Sanders at brooke@crb.org.

Seven on-air personalities and two off-air broadcasters will be honored and include Radio category honorees Michael O’Malley of the Albright, O’Malley & Brenner consulting firm, and the late Lisa McKay, VP/Programming at Curtis Media/Raleigh, who doubled as PD for WQDR. The On-Air Personality category includes Andy Ritchie and Alison Mencer (“Andy & Alison”) formerly of WIVK/Knoxville; Steve Harmon and Scott Evans (“Harmon And Evans”) formerly of KPLX/Dallas and WXTU/Philadelphia; and Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry (“Barrett, Fox, And Berry) still active at KKNU/Eugene, OR.

R J Curtis

Additionally, special presentations honoring this year’s 2018 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award and 2018 President’s Award will be held. Recipients of these achievements will be released in the coming weeks.

Country Radio Hall of Fame Chairman, RJ Curtis comments, “We gather each year to celebrate the accomplishments of our incoming Hall of Fame Class, President’s Award recipient, and Artist Career Achievement honoree; in the process, the evening inevitably rises to another level, and takes on a greater meaning. This event also serves as an inspirational, invigorating experience for all who attend, reaffirming their passion for radio, and appreciation for the talented, dedicated professionals who make it a necessary, rewarding medium. If you’ve never been to this dinner, you’re really missing out on a special, unforgettable night.”

The Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the Country format.  The Country Radio Hall of Fame was founded in 1974 to recognize outstanding individuals working in the broadcasting industry who are promoting the Country radio format.

The event coincides with the Country Radio Broadcasters annual summer Board and Agenda committee meetings.

Westwood One News Wins Prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award

Westwood One Monday announced that Westwood One News has won the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award from The Society of Professional Journalists for its breaking news coverage of the Las Vegas concert shooting last October 1, 2017.  The “Radio Breaking News Reporting Award” recognizes resourceful and complete coverage of a major breaking news event, emphasizing both deadline reporting and continuing coverage as the story develops over succeeding days.

The winning entry represents the scope and scale of Westwood One News coverage, including on-scene reporting by lead correspondent Jim Roope and contributions from the entire Westwood One News staff; accuracy in reporting; resources in Las Vegas; and live anchored special reports.

Westwood One News is one of the largest U.S. radio news networks, with major affiliates including all news WINS/NY, KYW/Philadelphia, and major market news/talk stations such as WABC/NY, WMAL/Washington DC, WLS/Chicago, KGO/San Francisco, and WBAP/Dallas.  Westwood One News is heard on nearly 900 affiliates throughout the United States.

For more information about Westwood One News, contact Jim Jones at jimjones@westwoodone.com or (202) 840-7933.

WAB Announces Two HOF Inductees

The Western Association of Broadcasters announced that two individuals have been selected as inductees into the 2018 WAB Hall of Fame - Joanne Johnson, recently retired Morning Show Co-host at XL 103 Calgary (Newcap Radio) and Bob Layton, News Manager with 630 CHED Edmonton (Corus Entertainment).

The WAB Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award given to a Canadian Broadcaster who has demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence, community service and shown extraordinary leadership throughout their distinguished careers. “The WAB is thrilled to recognize the career and contributions of two outstanding broadcasters,” said Karl Johnston, President of the Western Association of Broadcasters. “Joanne and Bob have shared their talents with enthusiasm and have represented the broadcast industry with distinction for many years. We are pleased to put the spotlight on them at our annual Awards Gala.”

Joanne Johnson is one of the most recognized broadcasters in Calgary. For the final 25 years of her career she was a member of the Don, Joanne & the Coach morning show on Lite 96 and XL 103. She is the well-deserved recipient of 2 Gold Ribbon Awards from the Canadian Association  of Broadcasters and a "Generosity Of Spirit Award" from the Calgary Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals. Joanne has helped raise over $3 million dollars for Kids Cancer Care with the Don, Joanne & the Coach Golf A Kid To Camp Tournament. She's also helped raise money for Hospice Calgary, the Salvation Army, the Brain Tumour Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Calgary Firefighters Burn Treatment Society and for many years worked with Cystic Fibrosis and their 65 Roses Golf Tournament. After a broadcasting career spanning 35 years with CFFR, Lite 96 and XL 103, Joanne retired at the end of 2017.

Almost a decade removed from being recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), Bob Layton continues to play a pivotal role as News Manager, Lead Anchor and Editorialist for one of Canada's top ranked News/Talk radio stations, 630 CHED. Beyond the numerous awards he has received in his career, he is a decadeslong champion, spokesman and volunteer for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous, an annual campaign that encourages listeners to donate and help deliver new toys to more than 25,000 children each Christmas. Bob has also played a lead role in the recent rebranding and relaunching of CHQT Radio to Global News Radio, 880 Edmonton. Nearly 50 years into his career, Bob still pre-reads and practices every word of every newscast out loud. Bob has always understood that listeners deserve nothing less than our absolute best; 48 years into his career, Bob continues to deliver exactly that.

The induction ceremony for Bob Layton and Joanne Johnson will take place Thursday, June 7, 2018 at the WAB President’s Dinner & Awards Gala at the Fairmont Banff Springs. The WAB Gold Medal Awards for Community Service and Leader of Tomorrow Award will also be presented that evening. Tickets are available to be purchased by visiting www.wab.ca/extra-ticket-2018.

Nashville Radio: Carrie Visits Ty, Kelly & Chuck Show

Ty Bentli, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Ford and Chuck Wicks

It was a Carrie Takeover this morning when Carrie Underwood stopped by Ty, Kelly and Chuck's studios at the NASH Campus in Nashville for a FULL HOUR!

Ty, Kelly and Chuck talked to Carrie about her new song and album Cry Pretty, what it was like for her being out of the public eye for six months after her fall, life as a mom, her husband Mike Fisher coming out of retirement and much more!

St. Louis Radio: Hubbard Hosts "World's Largest Garage Sale"

New Country WIL 92.3, WARH 106.5 The Arch, and WXOS 101ESPN - hosted their annual World’s Largest Garage Sale this past Saturday, April 21st.
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Despite some rainy weather, the annual event - which hosts 200 garage sales in one location - saw thousands of bargain hunters eager to shop for "treasures" beginning bright and early at 7:00 am (until 1:00 pm) at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.

A portion of the event proceeds benefited Goodwill.

April 24 Radio History

➦In 1947...Jack Webb introduced his short-lived pre-Dragnet detective-adventure radio show Johnny Madero: Pier 23 on Mutual. His first post-San Francisco series (from Hollywood) featured those radio stalwarts Gale Gordon & William Conrad in the supporting cast.

➦In 1949…Dick Powell began a four-year run as "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" on NBC Radio. In the late 1950s, Powell's company, Four Star Television, produced a TV version of the series starring David Janssen. His secretary, Sam, was shown only from the waist down to display her beautiful legs. Initially, those were the legs of budding actress Mary Tyler Moore, but later, the legs of other actresses were shown.




➦In 1953...Eric Bogosian was born in Woburn, Massachusetts. Bogosian is best known for his starring role in the movie, Talk Radio.

➦In 1954...Billboard magazine, the music industry trade publication, headlined a tsunami to come in the music biz. The headline read, “Teenagers Demand Music with a Beat — Spur Rhythm and Blues” … a sign of the entertainment revolution that was underway.

➦In 1959…After 24 years of Saturday nights on radio and nine years on television, the final installment of the musical countdown show "Your Hit Parade" was presented on NBC-TV.

The final Top Five: Elvis Presley, "I Need Your Love Tonight" (#5), Brook Benton, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (#4), Ricky Nelson, "Never Be Anyone Else But You" (#3), Dodie Stevens, "Pink Shoe Laces" (#2), and the Fleetwoods at #1 with "Come Softly To Me."


➦In 1972…John Lennon's controversial single, "Woman Is the N#gger of the World" was released in the U.S. The song reached #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though only two major radio stations – KDAY in Los Angeles and WCFL in Chicago – aired it. Yoko Ono originally uttered the phrase during a magazine interview in 1967 and John explained that he was making a point that women deserved higher status in society.

Abbott & Costello

➦In 1974...comedian Bud Abbott, the straight man in the movie/radio/TV team of Abbott & Costello, succumbed to prostate cancer at age 78