Doubling down on the industry-leading ROI guarantee of its Westwood One division, Cumulus Media will launch an innovative program leveraging the proven effectiveness and reach of broadcast radio, combined with the precise targeting capabilities of its digital products. The program, announced today by Dave Milner and Bob Walker, the EVPs of Operations of Cumulus Media’s Radio Station Group, will support local advertisers’ number one objective: attracting more customers.
Cumulus will guarantee participating local advertisers a minimum number of Engaged Potential Customers (“EPCs”): listeners who have contacted the business as a result of the coordinated program. Should the program not deliver the guaranteed results, the business will receive free advertising.
“Marketers took notice of our commitment to results when we debuted the Westwood One ROI Guarantee and challenged us to deliver something similar to our local advertisers. After touting the benefits of a combined radio and digital campaign, we’re now putting our money where our mouth is in our local markets with the EPC Guarantee,” said Milner. Walker added, “Using radio’s exceptional 10:1 ROI, and a proven 19% lift when messages are coordinated between media platforms, we are delivering a hyper-efficient brand building and customer generation program all in one. We’ve known all along that we can be an advertiser’s one-stop shop for results; now we guarantee it.”
“As a long-time buyer of radio, I’ve always known what an effective and efficient medium radio is, but this program delivers a new kind of confidence,” said Jeff Abbott, EVP/Media Director at Chemistry Advertising. “By combining radio and digital solutions, Cumulus Media is taking attribution to the next level by guaranteeing what every business actually wants – engaged potential customers.”
The EPC Guarantee will launch in 65 Cumulus markets later this month, in the home and professional services categories, and will be available in all 90 Cumulus markets in 2019.
For more information, contact your local Cumulus market.
As expected, CNN sued the Trump administration on behalf of reporter Jim Acosta on Tuesday, asking a court to restore Acosta’s White House press pass after President Trump suspended it last week.
According to The Washington Post, the unusual lawsuit, an escalation of Trump’s long running war of words with CNN, seeks a judge’s intervention after Trump banished Acosta from the White House grounds for an indefinite period after a brief altercation between Acosta and a White House press aide.
After a testy exchange between the president and the reporter, the unidentified press aide went up to Acosta to take a microphone out of his hands. As a result, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a few hours later that the White House had revoked Acosta’s “hard pass,” which enables reporters to enter and leave the grounds each day.
CNN filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington. “We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process,” the network said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
Legal experts say the network’s chances of winning in court are favorable. The First Amendment protects journalists against arbitrary restrictions by government officials.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded to the lawsuit saying, “This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.”
Amazon.com Inc. announced Tuesday New York City and a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., would be homes for the company’s second and third headquarters, ending a more than yearlong public contest that began with 238 candidates and ended with a split of its so-called HQ2.
The Wall Street Journal reports Amazon will invest $5 billion across the two new offices that will each have more than 25,000 employees in New York City’s Long Island City and in Arlington, Va., at the National Landing area, which encompasses Crystal City and is located in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
The company also said it would create a new operations center in Nashville with more than 5,000 jobs.
Amazon split HQ2 in half between New York and Northern Virginia in part because it wanted to recruit enough of the best tech talent. The decision effectively gives Seattle-based Amazon a major presence in three coastal hubs that politically lean left, at a time when tech companies are under scrutiny for their perceived elitism and liberal social views.
iHeartMedia Orlando has announced the retirement of veteran talk host Jim Philips. The final live “The Philips Phile” will air from 3-7pm on November 20 on personality talk WTKS-FM Real Radio 104.1.
The station will also celebrate Philips retirement with a special “Phinal Philips Phile” tribute show on Wednesday, November 21 from 3-7pm. Philips has hosted “The Philips Phile” on WTKS for more than 30 years.
During his tenure with WTKS, Philips has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Central Florida charities including The Mustard Seed and A Gift For Teaching and has dedicated countless hours to causes including first-amendment issues, adult literacy, mentoring at-risk youth and championing LGBTQ rights. The University of Florida graduate has also received numerous awards and honors including the Debbie Simmons Community Excellence Award lifetime achievement honor and has been recognized as the “Best Radio Personality” more than a dozen times by readers of the Orlando Sentinel, the Watermark and the Orlando Weekly.
“It has been a great 50-year career and now it is time to move on with the next phase of my life,” said Philips. “I can’t thank the Orlando community enough for letting me into their homes, their cars and their offices for all this time.”
“As a broadcaster, Jim Philips is unmatched not only in Orlando, but nationwide,” added iHeartMedia Division President Linda Byrd. “He will be missed by his listeners and by his iHeart family. We are grateful that Jim chose to call iHeartMedia Orlando his radio home all these years and we wish him all the best in retirement. Now Jim, go do what you’ve always told your listeners – eat dessert first, grin like a dog, wander aimlessly, pound your conch as often as you can, buy your books with cash and eat some ants.”
After Philips’ retirement, “The Jim Colbert Show” will air on WTKS from 3-7pm beginning Monday, November 26.
iHeartMedia/Orlando has announced the launching of "The Jim Colbert Show," weekdays from 3-7pm on WTKS Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando.
The show launches Monday November 26 and year-long weekly tunes-up on Friday afternoon.
Led by Jim Colbert, a 26-year Orlando morning show veteran, the program will jam its comedic noses into everyone's business while taking a sarcastic and humorous look at the day's news, entertainment and political landscape. Colbert is joined by co-host Deborah Roberts from sister-station N/T WFLA-WFLA 540 AM / 93.1 MC, stand-up comedian Rauce Padgett and Executive Producer and 20-year Real Radio veteran Jack Bradshaw.
"We are very excited about The Jim Colbert Show expanding to five days a week," said iHeartMedia Division President Linda Byrd. "After 26 years of entertaining morning audiences as part of the Monsters of the Morning show on Real Radio, Jimmy will now be doing the same in afternoon drive time with his unique comedic take on the world."
"Before I was in radio I was a long-time listener of Jim Philips and Philips Phile" said Colbert. "It is an absolute honor to bring my show to the same time slot on Real Radio 104.1."
WTKS 104.1 FM (100 Kw) Red=60dBU Coverage Area
"The Jim Colbert Show" replaces "The Philips Phile "time slot following the retirement of host Jim Philips that was announced earlier on Monday.
This week on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli told radio personality Bobby Bones he looked like someone who “gate crashed a Victoria Secret show” and judge Len Goodman said Bones put the boy in flamboyant.
According to The Tennessean, Bones danced twice Monday night in the semi-final round – the first a shirtless salsa that earned him the colorful comments and a 21, the lowest score of the night. He dedicated the dance to his “people” saying he was still on the show because of the voters and not because of his scores.
“I don’t call my people my fans because they’re my friends,” he said. “There’s a very open line of communication that I try to maintain with them. I’m really lucky to have the biggest country morning show ever, but without anybody listening to it, there would be nothing.”’
While the dance only earned Bones three sevens from the judges, he said he “hit every step for the first time ever” and was “so proud of myself.”
The next dance was judges’ choice and Goodman selected the jive for Bones and his professional partner Sharna Burgess to redo. The jive was Bones’s first dance of the season and the judges found it a bit chaotic. Goodman visited Bones and Burgess during rehearsal to help him perfect his footwork in the fast-moving choreography.
“This is my last chance to prove that I belong in the finale,” Bones said before the dance.
At the end, he ripped off his gold jacket to reveal a tee shirt emblazoned with Goodman’s head.
“I almost peeled it off after the last score, Len,” Bones quipped of the custom shirt.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said she could see improvement, and Tonioli commented that Bones was "jumping around like a golden cricket."
He and Burgess earned a 24 for their second dance – which given his level of experience Bones said was like earning three perfect 10s.
“The fact I was able to last this far and I’ve never danced before … I don’t know,” Bones said.
“It’s entertaining,” quipped host Tom Bergeron.
But was Bones combined score plus the audience vote enough to keep him on the show to the finals? The answer is: yes.
Two teams were eliminated Monday night: Joe Amabile and professional partner Jenna Johnson were sent home as was the often perfect-scoring Juan Pablo Di Pace and pro-partner Cheryl Burke.
Boos could be heard sounding off throughout the crowd. The hosts and judges were visably upset about Di Pace’s elimination. Judge Len Goodman shouted that “there was no justice here.” While DWTS said goodbye to di Pace and Amabile, there are still four couples heading into this season’s jam-packed finals: Ren and Bursten, Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch and partner Keo Motsepe, radio star Bobby Bones and partner Sharna Burgess, as well as Disney channel star Milo Manheim and partner Witney Carson.
See who wins the mirror ball trophy next week when “Dancing with the Stars” airs 7 p.m. Monday on ABC.
Radio host and "Dancing with the Stars" competitor Bobby Bones said he plans to run for governor of Arkansas.
"I'm going to run for governor of Arkansas for sure," Bones, 38, told Fox News after Monday night's "DWTS," in which he advanced to next week's finale.
Bones is a native of Hot Springs, Ark., and was born to a mother who got pregnant at 15. He told Fox News he is shooting for either "2022 and maybe 2026" for a run for governor.
"I would love to be the governor of Arkansas. That's my home state and I want to show people that it really doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you're looking or where you're going," Bones said. "I want to help people who grew up like I did and give people a chance with education [and then]…hopefully, [become] president."
Bones said he's not a Republican or a Democrat: "I'm in the middle. We're going to see what happens. I'm a registered Independent right now.
"Here's what I believe: We all have sensibilities that fit with red or blue, and I have some things that I believe on the blue side and some things I believe on the red side. But I'm not committing to one or the other because I'm not strictly red or blue. I don't follow a single person. I follow my ideas. We'll see where that lands. I do believe in the next few years you're going to see this polarization. We're just going to be exhausted of it and I plan to be part of that change."
Bones and his DWTS partner Burgess will be presenting the vocal duo of the year award at the CMAs this Wednesday night.
iHeartMedia/Seattle has unveiled a new morning show for its 'under construction' CHR KBKS 106.1 KissFM.The show will air from 6 AM to 9:30 AM
Wake-Up duty goes to Carla Marie & Anthony, as the station continues the search for 'Seattle's Funniest Person' to join the show. On-air auditions are expected in January.
The duo had been hosting evenings, after a stint as morning hosts on crosstown CHR KPWK 98.3 FM.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Carla Marie and Anthony to mornings on KBKS,” said Pacific Northwest SVP/Programming and KBKS PD Tim Herbster. “They are funny, engaging and have built a true emotional connection with Seattle and its passionate radio listeners.”
“I’m so grateful for the support that our iHeartMedia family has given us as well as the support of everyone who has listened to us from station to station and timeslot to timeslot,” said Carla Marie. “Anthony and I are beyond ready for this next chapter and can’t wait to grow our show. I’ve missed waking up Seattle these last few months and can’t wait to do it again!”
“It’s hard to put into words how excited and honored I am to have the opportunity to hold down the morning show on this historic station in a city that has become my home,” said Anthony. “I’d like to thank iHeartMedia Seattle for granting us this amazing opportunity. Simply put, Carla Marie and I are best friends that created a morning show and the people of Seattle who spent time listening to us became family. I can’t wait to make our family even bigger!”
Entercom has announced the launch of WDZH 98.7 FM The Breeze in Detroit. The station will provide the Detroit region with relaxing favorites at work with hits from artists like Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Boyz II Men to Adele, Alicia Keys and Sara Bareilles.
The move comes as iHeartMedia AC 100.3 WNIC air holiday tunes.
“We are excited to launch 987 The Breeze and to fill this void in the Motor City’s music scene,” said Debbie Kenyon, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Detroit. “We know the station will become a must-listen to make your work day breeze by.”
WDZH 98.7 (50 Kw) Red=54dBU Coverage Area
987 The Breeze is celebrating its launch by playing 10,000 songs commercial-free, starting today at 5:00 p.m. ET. 987 The Breeze replaces 98.7 AMP Radio.
iHeartMedia’s ALT 105.3 WNOH-FM, Hampton Roads Alternative Rock, has announced the debut of The Woody Show. The top-rated morning show now broadcasts on the station Monday through Friday from 6 – 10 a.m. ET.
The Woody Show is highly-interactive, socially-engaging appointment radio. Featuring Woody, along with co-hosts Ravey, Greg Gory, Menace and Sebas, The Woody Show is described by listeners as “authentic,” “raw,” “unapologetic” and “recess/happy hour on the radio.” In 2016, the popular program was a NAB Marconi Radio Award finalist for “Major Market Personality of the Year,” and it was launched into national syndication by Premiere Networks in 2017. Fans can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“We are so Norfolk(ing) appreciative of Brett Ballard and the local muckity mucks for asking us to be a part of their station, despite the more responsible options that I’m sure were available to them,” said Woody.
WNOH 105.3 FM (50 Kw) Red=54dBu Coverage Area
“We are excited to have The Woody Show on ALT 105.3,” said WNOH-FM Program Director Brett Ballard. “We feel the content that The Woody Show provides in mornings is perfect for Hampton Roads!”
Entercom has announced Corey Bonalewicz as afternoon drive host for ALT 92.3 WNYL-FM in New York. Bonalewicz can be heard on air weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. In addition, current Saturday evening drive host Kevan Kenney will transition to host the station’s late-night drive weekdays from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ET.
Corey Bonalewicz
“ALT 92.3 has proven to be a strong addition to Entercom’s New York portfolio, showcasing that alternative music has a steady place in this market,” said Susan Larkin, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom New York. “We are certain that Corey and Kevan will be assets to the team and continue to elevate ALT in New York.”
Kevan Kenney
“As we continue to grow our dynamic team, it’s vital to have talent that can create memorable content across all platforms,” said Mike Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Programming and Program Director, Entercom New York. “Corey and Kevan’s innovative minds will add to these efforts.”
“From the day I began my career in radio, it has been a goal of mine to make it to New York City,” said Bonalewicz. “Finally that day has come. I’m so pumped to join the amazing team at ALT.”
Prior to joining ALT 92.3, Bonalewicz held on-air roles for Entercom sister stations B96 (WBBM-FM) in Chicago and B97 (WEZB-FM) in New Orleans.
“Growing up as a kid in New Jersey, this opportunity is nothing short of a lifelong dream come true,” added Kenney. “I can’t wait to grow the station’s late-night listening experience. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
WNYL 92.3 FM (6 Kw) Red=54dBu Coverage Area
In addition to his role with the station, Kenney also holds on-air roles for Billboard across the brand’s online video programming and Dick Clark Productions.
Singers Miley Cyrus and Neil Young were among hundreds of people who lost their homes in wildfires that destroyed parts of the California seaside town of Malibu, where flames burned for a fourth day on Monday.
“I am one of the lucky ones,” Cyrus wrote on Twitter. “My animals and LOVE OF MY LIFE made it out safely & that’s all that matters right now. My house no longer stands but the memories shared with family & friends stand strong.”
Cyrus is engaged to actor Liam Hemsworth.
Lady Gaga and members of the Kardashian family said they were forced to evacuate their homes because of the Woolsey Fire, which authorities said has destroyed more than 370 structures, reports Reuters.
Robin Thicke’s home was totally destroyed, according to information first revealed by his girlfriend April Love Geary. “Family is safe! Praying for everyone out here!” Thicke post on Instagram while showing his evacuation route.
Neil Young wrote on his website that California was “up against something bigger than we have ever seen.”
“Firefighters have never seen anything like this in their lives,” he wrote. “I have heard that said countless times in the past two days, and I have lost my home before to a California fire, now another.”
Cammille Grammer
“Gods of Egypt” actor Gerard Butler and “Real Housewives” star Camille Grammer also said on social media they had lost homes.
On Sunday, Kim Kardashian spoke about the “really rough week” in her home in the evacuated town of Calabasas as well as nearby Thousand Oaks, site of a mass shooting that claimed 12 lives.
“As horrible as this has been, it’s been amazing to see the resilient spirit of everyone involved,” she added.
KLOS 95.5 FM Los Angeles morning host Frank Kramer posted to Twitter that his home is gone:
Trying to grasp the situation this morning. I lost everything yesterday when my home was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire. My family is safe and that is all that matters. Things keeping popping in my head that I left behind, but we will build from our ashes. Thanks for the love pic.twitter.com/Axnyn7HSWH
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are getting major props from their neighbors for staving off the devastating Woolsey wildfire ... with the help of their private team of firefighters.
TMZ broke the story, the blaze started to creep up on Kim and Kanye's Hidden Hills mansion Friday after a mandatory evacuation of the area. The couple's home sits at the end of a cul-de-sac and borders a field -- meaning if their place went up in flames, it would start a domino effect on the whole neighborhood.
Sources tell TMZ Kim and Kanye hired a private team to battle the flames on their property. The team was armed with hoses, and also tirelessly dug ditches to create a fire break.
Ultimately, they successfully saved the Wests' $60 million house... and countless others on the block.
President Trump tweeted on Monday to his 56 million followers that he supported a small lobbying group that wants the Justice Department to open an investigation into anti-competitive behavior by Comcast and its NBCUniversal unit, reports philly.com.
The American Cable Association, a group with about 700 small cable members and 8 million cable-TV subscribers nationwide, released a statement Monday, saying that it had sent a five-page letter on Nov. 6 to Justice's antitrust division.
Small cable operators contend that Comcast gouges them for fees to carry Comcast-owned NBCUniversal broadcast and cable channels such as regional sports networks.
Comcast, the nation's largest cable-TV operator, is not a member of this association, and says it doesn't gouge.
"Trump does not like Comcast," Fox Business News' on-air reporter Charles Gasparino told FBN host Neil Cavuto on Monday, speaking about the American Cable Association's letter in a video clip. "The president of the United States himself has privately referred to Comcast as public enemy No. 1."
The list of companies that Trump has attacked is long. These feeling the president's wrath include Macy's, Ford, GM, Merck, Facebook, Apple, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, CNN, Nordstrom, Toyota, Delta Airlines, and, of course, Amazon.
Shortly after the Gasparino/Cavuto segment aired, Trump tweeted:
American Cable Association has big problems with Comcast. They say that Comcast routinely violates Antitrust Laws. “These guys are acting much worse, and have much more potential for damage to consumers, than anything AT&T-Time Warner would do.” Charlie Gasparino
The tweet seemed to boost the heat between Comcast and Rupert Murdoch-controlled Fox Business News, which competes with Comcast-controlled CNBC. Murdoch, whose family controls News Corp. and Fox News Channel, is a Trump ally and foe to Comcast.
Comcast beat Murdoch for control of European pay-TV operator Sky in a London auction in September, agreeing to pay $40 billion. Murdoch, meanwhile, steered the sale of most of his entertainment assets, including the Fox movie studio, intellectual property, cable channels, and other assets to the Walt Disney Co., snubbing Comcast.
AT&T Inc. Chief Executive Randall Stephenson fired back at the White House Monday over its decision to suspend the press credentials of a CNN correspondent, saying officials had ignored established procedures in a way that appeared to violate press-freedom protections, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration said it suspended credentials for Jim Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, because he “placed his hands” on a White House intern who was trying to take the microphone from him at a press conference after President Trump indicated he was no longer going to address him. Video of the press conference showed Mr. Acosta keeping hold of the microphone and making incidental contact with the intern briefly.
“If the White House wants to pull someone’s press credentials, there is a process,” Stephenson said at The Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Tech D.Live conference Monday. “That process must be followed, otherwise what is the criteria for pulling somebody’s press credentials?”
Stephenson, who has headed the telecommunications giant since 2007, has taken on a new role as a media mogul after AT&T completed its roughly $81 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc. in June following a lengthy antitrust fight. Time Warner includes CNN and other media outlets.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted a video of the incident involving Mr. Acosta that appeared to have been edited in a way that makes the reporter’s actions look more aggressive, according to an analysis by Storyful, a social-media intelligence firm owned by News Corp, the parent company of the Journal.
Younger viewers are fleeing TV at an accelerated pace.
According to USAToday, the trend should surprise no one who has seen the rise of Netflix, a resurgence of video games and a shift to digital. But new Nielsen data show a widening gap in viewing behavior among young and old that's alarming some network executives.
For the four weeks ending Oct. 28, coinciding with the start of the official TV season, the number of people ages 18 to 34 using TV has plunged 15% and is down 36% from 2014. The drop-off among teens – 18% from last year and 48% since 2014 – is even more pronounced.
"It looks like a big, daunting number," says Peter Katsingris, senior VP of audience insights at Nielsen, and marks a sharp contrast with the mere 2% drop from 2017 among folks 55 and older, the most loyal viewers. But he says it reflects the new millennial mindset.
"Younger generations are growing up with more choices at their fingertips," he says. "They don't know that you had to watch at 3 o'clock on a Wednesday if you wanted to see a show." For them, dependency on a network schedule is "like looking at a typewriter."
In fact, the very definition of TV watching has changed. A broader measure of television usage that includes streaming through any device connected to a TV – but not websites or mobile apps – shows a less worrisome 5% yearly drop.
And, as often happens, executives question the reliability of Nielsen data, suggesting it could prove another statistical blip. But all signs point to contrary evidence: For the three months ending Sept. 30, cable and satellite systems reported the loss of another 1 million customers, the largest quarterly drop yet. (About 40% of homes led by millennials don't subscribe to cable or satellite services.)
AdLarge Media and WAVSTAR have partnered in an exclusive ad sales partnership which makes the cloud-based CRM/workflow management system available to radio stations on a barter basis for the first time. WAVSTAR is a comprehensive system that integrates CRM, sales, and production with a station’s existing traffic system to create a seamless workflow experience.
“WAVSTAR is a sought-after station management platform, backed by a team that collaborates with their affiliate stations,” observed Gary Schonfeld, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AdLarge Media. “From the first time we saw WAVSTAR's incredible interface and integrated workflow modules, we knew that the WAVSTAR software was very important to radio stations. Michael and his team at WAVSTAR have already started building a network of terrific radio stations, which will have great value to our advertisers and advertising agencies.”
Michael Boccardi, CEO of WAVSTAR, said, “We have worked for a few years perfecting the WAVSTAR software, and AdLarge is the perfect ad sales partner for helping us achieve our goals. With this partnership, more radio stations and groups can take advantage of WAVSTAR’s already cost-efficient integrated system. AdLarge’s relationships with national advertisers and agencies will bring us the revenue necessary for a successful radio barter model.”
WAVSTAR combines the functionality of multiple software solutions on one platform, eliminating the need to maintain multiple copies of a station’s client data on different systems for CRM, sales, and production tasks. WAVSTAR enables a user to send an order to leading industry traffic systems, eliminating the need to re-enter orders. Using WAVSTAR simplifies operations, reduces maintenance of client data, eliminates duplicate data entry, provides a single comprehensive view of a client relationship, and saves stations time and money.
Stations interested in learning more about the WAVSTAR workflow system may contact Pamela O’Connor at 855 927-7827 x204 or sales@wavstar.com. WAVSTAR is represented by Heather Cohen at the Weiss Agency.
United Stations Radio Networks (USRN) has confirmed the death of long-time friend and partner, Jeff Parets, on Wednesday, November 7 after a battle with cancer. He was 67.
Parets produced and hosted "The Acoustic Storm" on KSLX-FM in Phoenix before partnering with USRN in 2003 so he could focus on the show, while USRN handled affiliations, ad sales and distribution of the 3-hour weekend program. The program remains a mainstay of USRN's Classic Rock and Classic Hits lineup.
Parets grew up in the New York City area and used what he learned from the legendary New York broadcasters he heard to create his own form of radio. He started out in the medium on the college radio station as a student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, before making his way out to the Phoenix area not long after graduation. During his long tenure in Phoenix, Parets worked at various stations, and like anyone with radio in their blood, he handled a variety of different jobs in radio, from news and weather chores to programming various genres of Rock radio. He was an award-winning broadcaster having won 8 broadcast journalism awards including the only national first place award in the Phoenix NPR affiliate's (KJZZ) 50-year history.
It was his experience as Program Director/Music Director at KSTM (The Storm) in Phoenix that convinced Paret that there was a sophisticated audience for music that needed to be served. "The Storm" lasted from 1981 to 1987, and not long after it changed format, Jeff landed at KDKB-FM. But his passion for digging deeper into music never faded, and in the late 90's, Jeff started producing and hosting "The Acoustic Storm" on KSLX-FM in Phoenix.
USRN's Andy Denemark commented, "Jeff was a gentle soul and a gentleman. He treated music and radio respectfully, and he recognized both as important art forms. We were lucky to have a partnership where we were mutually proud of our professional and our personal relationships, and he will be missed."
➦In 1906...Lee de Forest, who coined the term "radio", patented Audion tube.
Lee de Forest
De Forest was interested in wireless telegraphy and invented the Audion in 1906. He then developed an improved wireless telegraph receiver.
On 25 October 1906, de Forest filed a patent for diode vacuum tube detector, a two-electrode device for detecting electromagnetic waves, a variant of the Fleming valve invented two years earlier. One year later, he filed a patent for a three-electrode device that was a much more sensitive detector of electromagnetic waves. It was granted US Patent 879,532 in February 1908. The device was also called the de Forest valve, and since 1919 has been known as the triode. De Forest's innovation was the insertion of a third electrode, the grid, between the cathode (filament) and the anode (plate) of the previously invented diode. The resulting triode or three-electrode vacuum tube could be used as an amplifier of electrical signals, notably for radio reception. The Audion was the fastest electronic switching element of the time, and was later used in early digital electronics (such as computers). The triode was vital in the development of transcontinental telephone communications, radio, and radar until the 1948 invention of the transistor.
In 1904, a De Forest transmitter and receiver were set up aboard the steamboat Haimun operated on behalf of The Times, the first of its kind. On July 18, 1907, De Forest broadcast the first ship-to-shore message from the steam yacht Thelma. The communication provided quick, accurate race results of the Annual Inter-Lakes Yachting Association (I-LYA) Regatta. The message was received by his assistant, Frank E. Butler of Monroeville, Ohio, in the Pavilion at Fox's Dock located on South Bass Island on Lake Erie. DeForest disliked the term "wireless" and chose a new moniker, "radio."
De Forest is credited with the birth of public radio broadcasting when on January 12, 1910, he conducted experimental broadcast of part of the live performance of Tosca and, the next day, a performance with the participation of Italian tenor Enrico Caruso from the stage of Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
➦In 1913...actor/narrator Alexander Scourby was born in Brooklyn. His deep resonant voice was developed in radio drama of the 1940’s. He became one of TV’s most in-demand narrators, notably on Victory at Sea, the CBS series The Body Human, and the National Geographic specials. He died Feb 22, 1985 at age 71.
Jack Gale
➦In 1925...Legendary radio broadcaster Jack Gale was born. During his remarkable career he has been a radio performer, programmer, owner, voice-over talent, music publisher, manager and record producer spans more than 50 years.
Born in Baltimore, Gale started in radio prior to the emergence of rock 'n' roll and the Top 40 format.
He was heard on WSRS in Cleveland, WTMA in Charleston S.C., WITH in Baltimore, and WMEX in Boston before joining Stan Kaplan in 1965 at BIG WAYS in Charlotte, N.C., where the station and "Jack Gale the Morning Glory" achieved #1 ratings in 36 North and South Carolina counties.
Gale is still active and lives in the Fort Pierce, FL area.
➦In 1937...The National Broadcasting Company, (NBC) formed the first full-sized symphony orchestra for the sole purpose of broadcasting on the radio. Arturo Toscanini worked as its conductor for the first 17 years
➦In 1956...Dickie Goodman and Bill Buchanan (known as novelty records duo Buchanan and Goodman) appear in a New York City court to begin untangling the thicket of lawsuits brought on by their hit "Flying Saucer," which utilizes any number of "drop-ins" of other artists' hit records for comedic effect. This novelty song reached #3 on Billboard in 1956.
➦In 1965...The Album Charts..After 35 weeks, the Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" reached #1 on the album chart. That album toppled Help! by the Beatles while the Ramsey Lewis Trio dropped with The In Crowd. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass moved back up with Whipped Cream & Other Delights and Bob Dylan was down after peaking at #3 with Highway 61 Revisited.
The rest of the Top 10: Look At Us from Sonny & Cher, Out of Our Heads by the Rolling Stones, the Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins", Barbra Streisand was emphatic with My Name Is Barbra and Herman's Hermits dropped to #10 with Herman's Hermits On Tour.
➦In 2001...Yankees Radio Broadcaster Frank Messer died.
An Asheville, North Carolina native, Messer was a member of the Marines during World War II in the South Pacific. After the war, he worked as a broadcaster in minor league baseball in the 1950s.
He got his major-league break when he joined the Baltimore Orioles and worked alongside their noted longtime voice, Chuck Thompson. In 1966, the year Bill O’Donnell also joined the broadcast crew, the O’s won their first world championship. Messer also called Baltimore Colts football during the 1960s.
Messer’s next major-league break came after the 1967 season, when Joe Garagiola left the Yankees broadcast crew to concentrate on the network jobs he also had at NBC Sports and NBC News. Messer took Garagiola’s place for 1968, working with ex-Yankees Jerry Coleman and Phil Rizzuto.
Jerry Coleman, Frank Messer, Phil Rizzuto
The Yankees’ longtime public-relations director Bob Fishel had urged team management to approve a traditional play-by-play sportscaster, which the Yanks had not had since the firing of Red Barber after the 1966 season.
Hubbard Radio has announced that it is looking for a new Program Director for its HotAC WTMX 101.9 FM as longtime programmer Mary Ellen Kachinske exits.
No reasons for Kachinske's departure was given; however Chicago Media Watcher Robert Feder notes the move coincides with a recent dip in audience ratings for The Mix. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, the station ranked fifth overall with a 4.6 percent share. Among listeners between 25 and 54, The Mix fell behind Univision regional Mexican WOJO 105.1-FM for the first time.
Kachinske was one of Chicago radio’s longest-tenured and most successful program directors and has been with Mix 101-9 for more than 18 years.
Jeff England, vice president and market manager of Hubbard Radio Chicago, told staffers Monday that Kachinske has left the company effective immediately.
“We thank Mary Ellen for her contributions to the success of Mix 101.9 and wish her the best for the future,” England said in a statement. “Our search for the next great programming leader for Mix 101.9 begins today.”
Nikki Chuminatto, music director of The Mix, will serve as interim program director.
iHeartMedia Philadelphia announced today the launch of 106.1 The Breeze, Philly’s Relaxing Favorites, effective immediately.
106.1 The Breeze will launch at 12 p.m. today by playing 10,000 commercial-free songs in a row. The new station will broadcast a soothing blend of music from artists such as Chicago, Whitney Houston, Air Supply and Adele. The full talent line-up for 106.1 The Breeze will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
“This is a sound that was long abandoned by other stations, said Nick Gnau, President of iHeartMedia Philadelphia Region. “Listeners can now hear relaxing Adult Contemporary genre music that hasn’t been played on the radio in years from their favorite artists.”
“There is a huge appetite in Philly for a softer, relaxed sound, especially during the workday, said Brian Check, Vice President of Programming for 106.1 The Breeze. “I’m happy to say we’re bringing “The Breeze” to Philadelphia.”
WISX 106.1 FM (22.5 Kw) Red=54dBu Coverage Area
As part of this move, programming on Real 106.1 changed on Friday November 9th to a Holiday music format and will now transition to 106.1 The Breeze.
