April 20 In Radio History

In 1952...the "Big Show" finished a two year run on the NBC Radio Network.

In 1985...Flashback..From the pages of Radio&Records...

In 2007...a survey was released which said 54% of Americans thought firing talk show host, Don Imus, several days earlier, was justified for his comments about the Rutgers women basketball team.

The following is an excerpt from a 1999 memo written by Mark Katz, the in-house humorist at the Clinton White House, to presidential adviser Paul Begala regarding an interview request from radio host Don Imus:

Courtesy of the previously restricted documents released on Friday by the Clinton Library.

Saturday Aircheck: WABC 1960 And 1962

WABC 77 New York - Martin Block 1960 just before the WABC Top 40 era. Dan Ingram 1962, early Top 40 WABC.

This aircheck originally aired on 77 WABC Rewound on Memorial Day 2008.

April 19 In Radio History

In 1924…A year before the "Grand Ole Opry" hit the airwaves from WSM Radio in Nashville, "The Chicago Barn Dance" debuted on WLS Radio in Chicago. The country music show was later renamed "National Barn Dance" and continued on the air – on WLS, simulcast on the ABC Radio Network, simulcast on the NBC Radio Network, back to WLS only, then Chicago's WGN Radio – until 1968.

According to Edgar Bill, the first WLS station manager: "We had so much highbrow music the first week that we thought it would be a good idea to get on some of the old time music.  After we had been going about an hour, we received about 25 telegrams of enthusiastic approval.  It was this response that pushed the Barn Dance!"  Indeed, Sears-Roebuck management was aghast by this "disgraceful low-brow music" that was being broadcast on their new station.  When Bill and Agricultural Director Samuel Guard were confronted by the angry executives, they pointed to the audiences overwhelming approval.

The Barn Dance served two distinct audiences.  It targeted the rural farm audiences as well as city listeners that had come from rural communities or those whom had been told about the "good old times."

In November 1925, WLS claimed to be the first to build an audience studio when it moved to larger quarters on the 6th floor of the Sherman Hotel in downtown Chicago.  The theatre was designed to hold 100 people as well as technical and control room facilities. (WLS History)

In 1965..WINS 1010 AM in New York City dropped Top 40 to become the first all-news formatted radio station.

Two months earlier, personality Murray The Ki departed WINS...

Billboard Article 2/5/1965

Before 1010 WINS in New York City was “All News, All the Time,” it was one of the country’s first rock-and-roll stations.

WGBS signed on in 1924, owned by Gimbel’s Department Store.  William Randolph Hearst bought it in 1932, changing the call letters to WINS, which referred to Hearst’s “International News Service.”

Crosley bought WINS in 1945, then sold it in 1953 to Gotham Broadcasting Corporation.  WINS started playing rock music. Legendary broadcasters like Alan Freed and Murray “the K” Kaufman were some of the early WINS disc jockeys.  Here’s a sample of WINS from 1960:



Westinghouse bought WINS in 1962.  By that time, WINS was fending off three other stations for New York City’s rock audience.  WMCA, WMGM and WABC all were airing Top 40 and rock music.

WMGM bailed on Top 40/rock in 1962 and flipped to a beautiful music format under its former WHN call letters.

By 1963, WMCA became New York’s No. 1 Top 40 station.  WINS’ ratings slid below WMCA and WABC.

On April 19, 1965, Westinghouse pulled the plug on the Top 40 format at WINS.  The final song was “Out in the Streets” by The Shangri-Las.  WINS became the nation’s third all-news radio station.

Many observers predicted WINS would fail as other early all-news stations had. Westinghouse poured resources into the format and succeeded,  It flipped two other stations, KYW in Philadelphia and KFWB in Los Angeles, to a similar format.

Soon, CBS decided to complete in the all-news arena.  It flipped WINS rival WCBS toward an all-news format in 1967, eventually becoming a full-time all-news station in 1970.  CBS expanded the all-news format to other owned stations around the country, including KNX in Los Angeles and WBBM in Chicago.  NBC tried an all-news approach in the mid 1970s called “News and Information Service,” but it shut down after two years.

In 1995, Westinghouse purchased CBS, making sister stations out of longtime rivals WINS and WCBS in New York.  The two stations continue their all-news formats, but gear them toward different audiences.

WINS has a harder approach, providing more of a headline service.  It has stronger ratings in New York City itself.  WCBS has a more conversational style, which does well with suburban listeners.  Both remain highly-rated stations and are among the nation’s biggest-billing radio stations.

Listening to a WINS broadcast today is not radically different from the station’s early days.  The teletype sound effect, the slogans (“All news, all the time,” “The newswatch never stops,” “Listen 2, 3, 4 times a day,” “You give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world”) and the basic 20-minute wheel format have remained in place for nearly 50 years.  (Faded Signals)

Atlanta Radio: Cumulus Slots Nine To Noon For Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Cumulus Media has announced that talk radio personality Michael Graham will host a new radio talk show on Atlanta's WYAY 106.7 FM. The show will air weekdays from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Graham moves to Atlanta from Boston, where he hosted shows on the New England Talk Network and on the BostonHeraldRadio.com, and was a columnist for the Boston Herald.

Graham has spent most of his life in front of a microphone, starting his career in college as a stand-up comic and spending six years on the national circuit performing with stars including Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Foxworthy and Robin Williams. He then worked as a GOP political consultant on campaigns from Chicago to the Carolinas. As a result, he was a frequent guest on FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC, and made several guest appearances on Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect” and “Real Time” television shows. Graham began his talk radio career at WBT-AM in Charlotte, followed by stints in Richmond and Washington, D.C. He then moved to Boston, where he became a fixture in talk radio and started his own network, New England Talk Radio Network, and formed a partnership with BostonHeraldRadio.com.

Graham is a popular public speaker and the author of four books, including the first major publisher book on the Tea Party movement in America, “That’s No Angry Mob, That’s My Mom!” (Regnery, 2010).

Randall Bloomquist, Corporate Programmer-News/Talk for Cumulus Media said: “Michael Graham is a next-generation talk radio talent—smart, opinionated and very funny. His show will be an entertaining and inclusive conversation about the things that are truly important and interesting to his Atlanta area audience.”

Graham said: “I’m not a radio host—I’m a radio FAN. I love being part of exciting, entertaining conversations and Cumulus is going to bring those conversations to fans like me. The fact that I get to be on the other side of the mic just lets me enjoy it even more.”

Graham added: “Growing up in rural South Carolina, I was taught ‘If you can’t say something nice… drink!’ Having never learned to hold my tongue or my liquor, radio in Atlanta is likely to get interesting very quickly.”

Salem OR Radio: Political Candidate Gets Free Equal Airtime

Barbara Jensen

A campaign dispute about Bill Post’s Salem OR radio talk show has been settled by N/T KYKN 1430 AM by giving Post’s Republican primary opponent Barbara Jensen 566 minutes of airtime, according to the Statesman-Journal.

“Although I’m not a professional radio talk show host, I feel that we were able to use the airtime in a way that helps our community get to the bottom of critical issues,” Jensen said in a statement. “I wanted to give voters deeper insight into some of the issues and causes I care about, and showcase those issues for KYKN listeners.”

Jensen will host three, one-hour round table discussions set to air at 3 p.m. on April 29, April 30 and May 1. The segments will focus on

education, small business and veterans issues.

Post announced he was running for the open seat in House District 25 in December, and Jensen entered the race in mid-February.

The issue for the Jensen campaign was that Post continued his daily show after Jensen entered the race. Her campaign alleged this violated Federal Communications Commission regulations—an allegation Post and the radio have denied.

KYKN's general manager Mike Frith previously told the Statesman Journal that FCC officials said Post could continue his show until an opponent filed a letter with the station asking for equal access.

Read More Now

MA Radio: Cumulus/Worcester Promotes Mark Veau

Cumulus Media has announced that Mark Veau has been promoted to Program Director of 98.9 WORC-FM in Worcester, MA. WORC is a Greatest Hits format with heritage call letters dating back to WORC-AM that was one of the first stations in the U.S. to play the Beatles.

Mark Veau

2014 marks Veau’s 12th year with WORC 98.9 FM FM, WWFX 100.1 FM, WXLO 104.5 FM. He has been on the air as WORC-FM's afternoon drive personality, hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program for all three stations in the cluster, produces imaging and commercials, and has deep knowledge of and experience with the community WORC FM serves.

Veau also serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of Broadcasters.

Veau began his broadcasting career in Worcester in 1982 at WSCW 640 AM on the campus at Worcester State College (now University). Aside from pulling regular airshifts, he also doubled up as program director, then general manager his final two years at the school. After interning at New City's WFTQ 1440 AM and its sister station WAAF 107.3 FM, he was hired full-time as the overnight on-air personality  at WFTQ and as part of the promotions street team at WAAF, a position he held into the late ‘90’s.

Veau said: "I look forward to this new opportunity working on a radio station that I know so well and enjoy so much.”

Cumulus Vice President and Market Manager Bob Goodell said: "In my six years here, Mark has always been a go-to guy to get things done with his specialized knowledge of the audience and promotional history of WORC-FM. There is no person with more passion and experience that could assume the duties of PD than Mark Veau."

Newly Acquired Stations Far From Alpha's Home Base

Alpha Media will now operate 68 stations in 12 markets, most far from the Portland headquarters. Alpha now operates in San Antonio, Louisville, Dayton, Savannah, Richmond, Biloxi and other markets in the South and Mid-Atlantic. In Portland, Alpha owns KINK, KUPL, KBFF, KUFO, KXTG and KXL-FM.

ALPHA, L&L MERGE AND WILL ACQUIRE MAIN LINE BROADCASTING:  Click Here

According to oregonlive.com, longtime radio veterans Bob Proffitt, Alpha's president and CEO, and Larry Wilson, the chairman, launched Alpha in Portland in 2009.

Bob Proffitt

Proffitt declined to discuss Alpha's revenues or profitability, but said the company employs about 110 full-time workers in Portland and about another 30 part-timers.

In the announcement, Alpha's Wilson said the merger and acquisition "will allow us to streamline our oversight of all 49 stations to take advantage of the many synergies.” Proffitt said that refers to corporate management functions, not to on-air talent or salespeople. He said the L&L stood for "live and local."

Wilson and Proffitt worked together at Citadel Broadcasting, a 205-station chain that Wilson sold to Forstmann Little & Co. in 2001 for $1 billion in cash, plus the assumption of debt. After Forstmann sold the chain to Disney five years later, the company ran into financial difficulty, and eventually, bankruptcy.

Proffitt said he doesn't expect Alpha to grow to the size of Citadel, nor to flip Alpha to a new buyer.

"We're operators," he said. "We see opportunity."

Major Labels Suing Pandora Over Pre-1972 Music

The major record labels are now suing Pandora for exploiting sound recordings made prior to Feb. 15, 1972, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Last September, a similar lawsuit was filed against Sirius XM. The subject of the lawsuit has to do with the fact that sound recordings didn't begin falling under federal copyright protection until the above date. As such, the streaming service might not be able to rely upon SoundExchange, the performance rights organization that collects digital and satellite royalties on the behalf of sound recording copyright owners.

The record labels are testing this belief, now asserting New York state misappropriation claims over older music being streaming on Pandora.

"Pandora's refusal to pay Plaintiffs for its use of these recordings is fundamentally unfair," says the lawsuit. Among the artists whose songs are said to be infringed upon Pandora are Bob Dylan, The Beatles, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, James Brown and Led Zeppelin.

If the plaintiffs prevail, many of the songs could be off Pandora, as Capitol Records, Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music and ABKCO Music are demanding an injunction in addition to compensatory damages, punitive damages and all proceeds gained as a result of the exploitation of pre-'72 music.

Pandora has more than 250 million users.

The complaint points out that Pandora features specific stations that leverage the older music including "50s Rock 'n' Roll," "60s Oldies," "Motown," "Doo-Wop," "Early Jazz," and others.

Read More Now

Politico Explores 'The Tea Party Radio Network'

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck worked the crowd like a preacher at a rally this month in Louisville, Ky., declaring that God had responded to conservatives’ prayers by sending a slate of tea party candidates to wrest control of the Republican Party from Mitch McConnell.

But, according to a piece posted on the Politico website,  there was a more earthly benefit to the arrangement that brought Beck to the rally. It was organized by the tea party nonprofit group FreedomWorks, which had endorsed the candidates — and which has paid more than $6 million in recent years to have Beck promote the group, its initiatives and events.

According to Politico, The FreedomWorks-Beck relationship is just one example of a powerful and profitable alliance between the conservative movement’s most aggressive groups and the most popular radio hosts.

The details of the arrangements are little-known, but they have been lucrative for the recipients, and, in turn, have helped ensure that the groups get coveted airtime from hosts with a demonstrated ability to leverage their tens of millions of listeners to shape American politics. It’s an alliance that helped spawn the anti-establishment tea party and power Republicans to landslide victories in the 2010 midterms. It’s also exacerbated congressional gridlock by pushing a hard line on the budget, immigration and Obamacare, and it is roiling the Republican Party headed into critical midterm elections.



A Politico review of filings with the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Election Commission, as well as interviews and reviews of radio shows, found that conservative groups spent nearly $22 million to broker and pay for involved advertising relationships known as sponsorships with a handful of influential talkers including Beck, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh between the first talk radio deals in 2008 and the end of 2012. Since then, the sponsorship deals have grown more lucrative and tea party-oriented, with legacy groups like The Heritage Foundation ending their sponsorships and groups like the Tea Party Patriots placing big ad buys.

Read More Now

Boston Radio: This Pirate Is A Former Mayoral Candidate

Federal agents can take Charles Clemons off the air. But they can’t take away his Internet connection.

According to the Boston Business Journal, Clemons says agents representing the Federal Communications Commission raided Touch 106.1’s office in Dorchester’s Grove Hall section Thursday, seized equipment and unplugged the station because it was broadcasting without an FCC license. But Touch 106.1’s Facebook page describes this as a temporary situation, and boasts that it is still continuing its programming and advertising via online streaming.

Clemons, one of a dozen people who ran for mayor last year in Boston, has tangled with the FCC before. At one point, in 2008, the agency levied a $17,000 fine against him for operating an unlicensed station.

Clemons, who co-founded the station in 2005, offered up a defense in a video posted on YouTube today.

He conceded that he was operating without a license: “Touch 106.1 has its paperwork pending for its license, and we don’t have a license.”



He then launched into a blistering attack on the FCC, accusing of the government bureaucracy of trying to silence the audience served by Touch 106.1, a focal point for Boston's black community.

Read More Now.

Austin Radio: Fringe Austin To Air On 105.3 FM

Fringe Austin, the city’s newest radio station, is launching Monday, April 21 and bringing your old morning show friends, J.B. and Sandy, back to the airwaves.

According to austin.culturemap.com,  Austin radio veteran Bob Cole of KOKE FM announced Thursday that Fringe Austin’s radio frequency will be Translator 105.3 FM (currently one of KOKE FM's three frequencies). J.B. Hager and Sandy McIlree sat in on the KOKE FM show, as a primer for their new morning show which returns after the weekend.

Fringe Austin is a joint venture between Cole and Jason Nassour, both of whom own KOKE FM, and it will be part of a five-station radio group known as the Austin Radio Network. Each station will be independently owned by local investors. Fringe Austin's profile will feature a mix of new rock and indie bands, reflecting the station's preference for off-center music that falls outside of the corporate radio realm.

K287FG 105.3 FM (75watts) 60dBu Coverage

Study Profiles Online News Video Viewers

News audiences are watching more digital news video than ever before and newsrooms are investing in creating more video content. The challenge—as is the case with other digital ad revenue—is that big tech firms such as Google and Facebook are poised to pocket a large share of the digital video ad dollars because they are able to more effectively monetize video content.

As part of its State of the News Media 2014 report, the Pew Research Center surveyed U.S. adults about their digital video habits to get a sense of that marketplace today. Here’s a highlight:

Indy Radio: Personality to Fight I-D Theft Charges

Kelli Jack-Kelly

RTV6 in Indianapolis hasinterviewed former Indy radio personality Kelli Jack-Kelly, who was arrested earlier this and accused of using the identities of four family members to open credit accounts.

She plans to fight the charges.

"My goal right now is to get my name cleared," she said to RTV6's Rafael Sanchez.

According to court documents, the identity theft began in 2007.

Jack-Kelly faces multiple criminal charges -- four counts of identity deception and eight counts of fraud -- in the case, which will be handled directly by the Indiana Attorney General’s office.

Jack-Kelly's father, Gene Jack, and her mother-in-law, Frances Kelly, are among her alleged victims, officials said.

But she said two people (whom she won't name) are responsible for the financial mess costing her her freedom.

"I have no doubt charges will be dropped (and) dismissed," Jack-Kelly said.

Reports: Glen Campbell Moved To Alzheimer's Facility

Glen Campbell has been suffering from Alzheimer's for over three years, but the Grammy-winning singer, 78, has recently moved into a facility, PEOPLE has confirmed.

"He was moved to an Alzhemier's facility last week," says a family friend. "I'm not sure what the permanent plan is for him yet. We'll know more next week."

The "Rhinestone Cowboy" crooner first opened up about having Alzheimer's to PEOPLE in an exclusive 2011 interview.

Campbell and his fourth wife, Kim Woolen, decided to go public with the news because Campbell hoped to embark on a final farewell live tour. The couple wanted his fans to be aware of his condition in case he forgot lyrics or flubbed a song during the performances.


The "Goodbye Tour" tour was filmed for a documentary called Glen Campbell … I'll Be Me, which will make its debut Friday at the 2014 Nashville Film Festival. The documentary follows Campbell, his wife, and their three adult children – Cal, Shannon, and Ashley – as they deal with the various stages of the disease and perform on the road together.

Iowa Radio: Lost Hank Williams Songs Being Released

Hank Williams

Previously unreleased recordings of country music legend Hank Williams performing songs on a 1950 radio show will be released next month for download and on vinyl, according to KCCI News8.

"The Garden Spot Programs, 1950" features 24 songs and jingles from a taped show that aired on early country radio stations, sponsored by a Texas plant nursery.

Most of the tapes were lost, but only the copies from one station, KSIB 1520 AM in Creston, Iowa, survived.

The recordings were transferred, restored and mastered for release May 20 by Omnivore Records.

The singer's daughter, Jett Williams, said in a written statement that no one knew these recordings existed.

Dan Dierdorf Joins Wolverines Radio Broadcasts

Dan Dierdorf

The University of Michigan Athletic Department and IMG College announced Thursday that former CBS NFL color analyst and former offensive lineman for U-M Dan Dierdorf will be joining Jim Brandstatter in the radio booth for the upcoming season.

With this addition, it means that Brandstatter will handle play-by-play duties.

"Jim and Dan are hall of fame broadcasters and great Michigan Men," said Michigan coach Brady Hoke in a statement. "They will provide a unique perspective to the broadcasting booth that I’m sure our fans will enjoy on football Saturdays, and you can guarantee they will have a keen analysis of Michigan Football on each broadcast."

Dierdorf, who was teammates with Brandstatter during the 1969 and 1970 seasons returns home to where it all started.