Disney layoffs have hit ABC News, with the unit expected to lose around 50 staffers total throughout the entire process, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
Those laid off include senior vice president of talent strategy and development Galen Gordon, senior vice president of newsgathering Wendy Fisher, vice president of talent strategy and development Mary Noonan, and VP of corporate communications Alison Rudnick as well as ABC News L.A. bureau chief David Herndon, senior executive producer Chris Vlasto and executive editorial producer Heather Riley.
Kim Godwin
ABC News president Kim Godwin said in a memo that, “While these actions are never easy, they are a necessary step to ensure we’re on solid footing for the years ahead as we chart a sustainable, growth-oriented path forward for the entire organization.”
The layoffs come as Disney cuts 7,000 jobs, and executives aren’t exactly safe. On Wednesday, Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter was laid off and the entire unit was folded into Disney.
Godwin also outlined the new structure, which includes Katie den Daas – who has been leading the London bureau – taking over as vice president of Newsgathering. She will oversee the domestic and international teams. Michael Kreisel, who will manage the domestic bureau chiefs aside from the DC bureau and NewsOne, will report to den Daas. NewsOne will continue to be headed by Al Prieto. Jonathan Greenberger will lead the DC bureau and political coverage, while Kirit Radia will oversee the London bureau, all other international bureaus and teams worldwide. Den Daas will transition in the coming weeks to New York, with a new London bureau chief to be announced soon.
Russia’s main security agency said Thursday it had detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for what it described as espionage.
Evan Gershkovich
WSJ reportsGershkovich, a U.S. citizen and member of the Journal’s Moscow bureau, was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg, around 880 miles east of Moscow, on Wednesday while on a reporting trip.
The Federal Security Bureau said Mr. Gershkovich, “acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.”
Gershkovich is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by the country’s Foreign Ministry.
“The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich,” the Journal said. “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family.”
Authorities took Mr. Gershkovich to Moscow, where he appeared in court with a state-appointed defense attorney and was ordered held in custody until May 29, said the press service of the court, according to state news agency TASS.
In Russia, espionage trials are often conducted in secret and it is rare for a court to acquit a defendant. Trials can take months to unfold. Gershkovich’s detention and charge on the allegation of espionage mean the case is likely to become a high-level diplomatic issue.
Disney has thrown a curve in the oversight game between the company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis concerning Walt Disney World's special taxation district.
Board members picked by the governors to oversee the governance of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District have had their powers muted as the board's predecessors passed restrictive covenants.
The board created by DeSantis is considering legal action, reports Fox Business.
Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving the governor effective control over a board overseeing municipal services and development in a special district encompassing the Walt Disney World resort.
But before the takeover by DeSantis's appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limited the board's action for decades, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
FL Gov. DeSantis
"All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida's Government in the Sunshine law," Walt Disney World resort said in a statement to Reuter.
State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, over a law restricting discussion of LGBTQ issues in classrooms.
Disney's then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about it becoming law.
Chapek stepped down from the position in November, with former CEO Bob Iger returning.
The legislation ended Disney's virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.
The episode of “60 Minutes” that followed Sunday’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament was the top-ranked prime-time program, its second consecutive win, scoring 9.291 million viewers, its largest audience since Jan. 8.
The CBS newsmagazine — consisting of reports on advancements in artificial prosthetics technology; newsletter authors Ina and David Steiner, who were stalked and harassed by eBay employees; and a profile of basketball analyst Charles Barkley — followed a 39-minute runover of the network’s coverage of Miami’s 88-81 victory over Texas in the Midwest Regional final in the Eastern and Central time zones.
The Jan. 8 edition of “60 Minutes” featured Prince Harry’s first American television interview in connection with the release of his memoir, “Spare,” and averaged a season-high 11.215 million viewers.
The only other prime-time programs between March 20 and Sunday to average more than 7 million viewers also had ties to the college basketball tournament, according to The L-A Times citing live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen.
CBS finished first for the seventh time in nine weeks, averaging 4.88 million viewers. It aired 10 of the week’s top 17 programs, including the highest-rated scripted program, “The Equalizer,” fourth for the week, averaging 6.831 million viewers; the top-ranked comedy, “The Neighborhood,” 10th for the week, averaging 5.679 million viewers; the most popular first-season program, police drama “East New York,” 15th, averaging 5.114 million; and the ratings leader for programs beginning at 10 p.m., “NCIS: Hawai’i,” 17th, averaging 4.982 million viewers.
The only times CBS has not finished first in the past nine weeks were the weeks of Feb. 6, when Fox aired Super Bowl LVII, and March 6, when ABC aired the Oscars.
NBC was second for the second consecutive week, averaging 3.36 million viewers. “Chicago Fire” was its highest-rated program, finishing fifth for the week, averaging 6.777 million viewers.
ABC was third among the broadcast networks for the second consecutive week, averaging 2.84 million viewers. “American Idol” was ABC’s ratings leader program for the fifth time in the six weeks it has aired this season, finishing 11th, averaging 5.253 million viewers. The only interruption to the streak was the week that ABC aired the Oscars.
Fox averaged 2.04 million viewers. The procedural drama “9-1-1” topped its ratings for the third consecutive week, finishing 24th, averaging 4.414 million viewers.
The top 20 prime-time programs consisted of six CBS scripted programs, “60 Minutes” and alternative series “Survivor”; four NCAA men’s basketball tournament games — three on CBS and one on TBS; two NCAA men’s basketball studio shows — one each on TBS and CBS; five NBC programs — the scripted programs “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” and the two editions of its singing competition “The Voice”; and the ABC singing competition “American Idol.”
Today, BET announced a partnership with iHeartMedia that will bring the award-winning hit morning show “The Breakfast Club” starring DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God from iHeartMedia New York’s Power 105.1 to BET’s 2023 programming lineup.
BET will televise a one-hour special edition of “The Breakfast Club” daily Monday through Friday. These specials will feature unrivaled interviews and conversations with celebrities, artists, and thought leaders along with entertainment news and conversations punctuated with The Breakfast Club’s signature blend of honesty and humor. The wildly popular, culture shifting morning show will be available weekdays to millions of fans starting Monday, April 17 at 9 AM ET on BET and VH1. Episodes from the week will all be available to stream every Sunday on BET+.
“The Breakfast Club on BET” marks the brand’s return to producing daily programming for the first time since “106 & Park” in 2014. It also marks the brand’s noteworthy and exciting introduction to daytime television.
“We’re thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia to bring The Breakfast Club and their unique brand of entertainment and cultural commentary to our audiences,” said BET CEO and President Scott Mills. “We recognize the show’s influence and popularity, and we are confident that the partnership will be meaningful to our viewers and to our partners. Hosts Charlamagne and DJ Envy are long time members of the BET and Paramount family, so we couldn’t be more excited to welcome The Breakfast Club home to BET.”
Hundreds gathered Wednesday night for the citywide vigil to mourn for the three children and three adults who were killed at The Covenant School in Nashville earlier this week. The crowd of mourners stood shoulder-to-shoulder holding small white candles as speaker after speaker honored the six victims. First lady Jill Biden visited Covenant earlier and stood alongside the rest of the vigil's attendees. Nashville Mayor John Cooper stepped up to the podium first. "Just two days ago was our city's worst day," Cooper said. "... I so wish we did not need to be here, but we need to be here — together as a community."
First lady Dr. Jill Biden attended a candlelight vigil on Wednesday evening in Nashville honoring the six victims of the shooting at the Covenant School earlier this week. https://t.co/GHYrz7CTSt
➤MANIFESTO TO BE RELEASED: Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale’s pre-killing spree manifesto is set to be released to the public after the FBI and its’ highly skilled team of criminal profilers analyze its contents, a Nashville Council Member said. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is working “in tandem with” the Metro Nashville Police Department to complete “a very in-depth analysis of certain aspects of the shooter’s life,” Robert Swope said Wednesday.
“The manifesto is going to be released. It’s just a matter of when. There are some incredibly brilliant psychological minds and psychological analysts combing through her entire life,” added Swope, who is a member of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. Transgender Hale, 28, left behind the manifesto as well as detailed maps of the school she methodically planned to attack, leaving three schoolchildren and three staff dead. The shooter arrived at the Covenant School around 9:54 a.m. Monday, exterior surveillance images show.
➤HALE SAID TO HAVE BEEN 'HEARTBROKEN': Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale was “heartbroken” over the 2022 death of a girl she was “infatuated” with, who had played on the same basketball team in school. Samira Hardcastle told The Post “tomboyish” Hale had been deeply affected by the death of Sydney Sims, who was killed in a vehicle accident in August 2022, according to an obituary. Hardcastle, a classmate of both girls in middle and high school, said, “After Sydney’s tragic death, Audrey was really heartbroken over it … I just feel like she took it differently than some of us did. She was still posting about Sydney almost daily. “What I knew of her was more admiring [Sydney]. Maybe even infatuation. That’s specifically who she really, really looked up to.” Hale, who police said was transgender and had started to identify using he/him pronouns, posted a TikTok in February on a since-deleted account, “iam_aiden10,” dedicated to “Syd”.
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott blasted the network’s fact-checking of then-President Donald Trump’s false election fraud claims as “bad for business” in an email shortly after the 2020 presidential election, according to Forbes citing citing a court presentation from Dominion Voting Systems, which has portrayed Fox News as a network in turmoil after the election as it moves forward with its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit.
Scott reportedly told prime time programming executive Meade Cooper in an email dated December 2, 2020 that the fact-checking “has to stop now,” arguing the reporting showed “a lack of understanding” about what Fox News’ audience wanted.
Suzanne Scott
The message came shortly after Fox News correspondent Eric Shawn appeared on Martha MacCallum’s show and lambasted a truck driver who claimed in a largely uncritical interview with Sean Hannity that he took part in vote “dumps”—a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement: “This is not about fact checking - the issue at hand is one host calling out another.”
The email came weeks after Scott privately said, “I can’t keep defending these reporters who don’t understand our viewers and how to handle stories,” blaming them for a loss of 25,000 Fox Nation streaming service subscribers—a spokesperson later said the exchange had to do with “the tone and delivery of the correspondent.”
Dominion Voting Systems reportedly showed the messages in a slideshow in court last week as an April 17 trial start date looms in its defamation case against Fox News—though both sides have pushed for resolving the lawsuit through a pretrial summary judgment.
Fox News admonished Dominion in a statement for a “continued reliance on cherry-picked quotes without context to generate headlines in order to distract from the facts of this case,” calling the lawsuit an attack on the free press.
According to the Statement from Fox: “These documents once again demonstrate Dominion’s continued reliance on cherry-picked quotes without context to generate headlines in order to distract from the facts of this case. The foundational right to a free press is at stake and we will continue to fiercely advocate for the First Amendment in protecting the role of news organizations to cover the news.”
Super Hi-Fi, the global leader in AI-powered radio experiences for digital music services and radio broadcasters, has announced a partnership with ElevenLabs, the world’s leading text-to-audio AI software, to use AI to make fully customized and personalized radio experiences available to global audiences.
To experience the power of this partnership, a live radio station, called “AI Radio”, is now available as a real-time example of how powerful and entertaining these AI-driven music experiences can be. Streaming content 24-hours per day, the station is completely autonomous; created and managed exclusively by AI using Super Hi-Fi’s MagicStitch™, ElevenLabs’ Prime Voice AI and ChatGPT. The station and a request for a product demo for broadcasters and music services can be found now at www.superhifi.com/AI-Radio.
With this partnership, Super Hi-Fi will integrate ElevenLabs’ voice creation tools directly into Super Hi-Fi’s production platform, enabling their global customers to create incredibly realistic voices that can be used as DJs, read personalized news, provide localized weather bulletins, or for advertising, all through the same interface that they currently use to manage their radio experiences.
“We’re incredibly excited to work with ElevenLabs to help broadcasters and streaming music services offer their listeners totally custom, fully branded, and localized experiences all dynamically generated by AI,” said Zack Zalon, CEO of Super Hi-Fi. “To be able to instantly design and generate amazingly realistic voices, combined with our existing ability to mix, assemble, and deliver a radio station with maximum quality and scale, opens the door to use cases that will delight listeners like never before.”
Customers of Super Hi-Fi will now be able to offer their audiences radio content that is powered by a seamless combination of narration composed via ChatGPT and audio spoken by ElevenLabs’ next generation AI voices, woven together by Super Hi-Fi’s patented AI automated production suite.
Audacy’s 106.7 The Fan (WJFK-FM) has announced a multi-year extension to its flagship broadcast and digital partnership with the Washington Nationals. As part of the extended partnership, Nationals baseball will continue to be heard on 106.7 The Fan and streamed digitally via the Audacy app for fans within the Nationals broadcast territory.
“Opening Day is finally here and we’re thrilled to celebrate the return of baseball season by extending our partnership with the Washington Nationals,” said Ivy Savoy-Smith, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Washington D.C. “We’re looking forward to continuing to serve as the home for everything Nats for the foreseeable future and give the team’s fans a front row seat to the action on the field and top storylines throughout the year.”
Beyond game broadcasts, 106.7 The Fan will welcome Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo on “The Sports Junkies” every Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. ET, with additional player interviews and features set to be showcased via the expanded reach of “Nats Insider” hosted by Nationals broadcaster Dan Kolko. “Nats Insider” segments will not only air on 106.7 The Fan, but across multiple local Audacy stations and programs throughout the region.
“We couldn’t be happier to partner with Audacy in bringing Nationals fans even more of the interviews and exclusive access they love,” said Alan H. Gottlieb, Chief Operating Officer, Lerner Sports Group. “From in-depth interviews with execs and top players, to off-the-field profiles and more Spanish and English bilingual content than ever before, Audacy offers a comprehensive look at our ball club from all angles.”
Local Audacy stations will celebrate Nationals Opening Day on Thursday, March 30 with live broadcasts from inside and around Nationals Park. 106.7 The Fan’s Grant and Danny will be live from Nationals Park’s left-field studio from 10:00 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. ET, while 94.7 The Drive goes live from the center field Team Store from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET, and El Zol hosts Patricia & Chepe and WPGC 95.5’s DJ Flexx will provide live hits from the ballpark throughout the morning. Outside the park, 106.7’s BMitch and Finlay and The Team 980’s Chris Russell and Craig Hoffman are live from The Greene Turtle on First St. from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
Yankees fans in the tristate area and northeastern Pennsylvania will now have a way to watch the games without needing a cable or satellite subscription, according to The NY Post.
Wednesday, YES Network announced the launch of a direct-to-consumer subscription service that will air all of the content from the channel — including Yankees, Nets and Liberty games.
The platform will be priced at $24.99 per month or $239.99 per year, with early-bird rates of $19.99 per month or $199.99 for a year for anybody who signs up before the end of April.
The product is for customers in YES’ regional territory, so it is not a solution for out-of-market Yankees fans, who remain able to watch the team through MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings.
“We are pleased to introduce a direct subscription option,” YES Network CEO Jon D. Litner said in a statement.
“For more than 20 years, YES has provided fans with a best-in-class sports viewing experience. Fans continue to tune in to and engage with YES in record numbers for the most in-depth and most innovative coverage of our teams and our other award-winning programming.
The emergence of direct-to-consumer options is of growing importance to teams concerned about the drop in subscribers for traditional pay-TV distributors, because sports-TV rights are a crucial revenue driver for local teams that have high expenses, such as player salaries.
Salem Media Group, Inc. has announced that the Salem Music Network based in Nashville, TN has added Kim Fitz to its weekly syndication lineup. The Kim Fitz Show is five hours from 10:00am-3:00pm CT on the Today’s Christian Music Network. The content is also available for daily syndication (Monday- Friday). The content is available for any daypart by FTP download. Kim also provides a weekend show for station use (Saturday-Sunday).
Kim Fritz
Kim was born and raised in Georgia. She started working in radio right out of high school in 2001. She worked at several stations until God guided her to Christian radio. When asked about being on the Salem Music Network team Fitz stated, “Beginning in radio in 2001, I never in a million years would’ve imagined this dream come true. Praying the positivity and joy radiates and helps change lives. Grateful, honored and so thrilled to be part of this incredible team!”
Salem Music Network Nashville Program Director Jayme Summers adds, “I am so excited to have Kim as part of our team. She brings laughter, fun, and the greatest mom advice to our amazing network. Having such a skilled air talent is a gift.”
For more information on adding the Kim Fitz Show to your station, contact Greg Roberson, Affiliate Relations at (615) 312-4229. Salem Music Network’s FTP talent includes: The Kevin and Taylor Show, Keep the Faith with Penny, The Scott and Sam Show, and Pastor Lenny’s Praise Party.
New survey data from Parks Associates shows that subscription video services are nearly ubiquitous in U.S. homes, with 87% of US internet households having at least one OTT subscription service, and that password sharing is also widespread, with 40% of homes sharing login credentials.
TV Technology reports the data is for 2022 from Parks’ OTT Video Market Tracker online service, which followed 354 independent OTT services in the United States in 2022,
“Despite the dominance of subscription over-the-top (OTT) services, 44% of households continue to watch some form of pay TV, indicating that there is still interest in live/linear and ad-supported forms of content,” said Jennifer Kent, vice president of research at Parks Associates. “As consumers examine their finances out of fear of a recession, free streaming television continues to gain popularity. Savvy, ad-tolerant customers will view advertisements in return for cheaper solutions.”
Other data points include:
40% of US internet households share or use shared credentials, up from 27% in 2019.
63% of US internet households own a smart TV.
Nearly half of OTT subscribers hop between services multiple times over a 12-month period.
48% of subscribers cited content or a specific program as the primary motivation to subscribe to a new service.
Bustos Media filed an application with the FCC for the acquisition of the assets of Tucson Radio, LLC. The DRIVE is the number two rated station in the market. It offers a large catalogue of music “baby boomers” love and is presented by popular local personalities.
Bustos Media already owns The Voice (KVOI 1030 AM), The Groove (KGTV 106.3 FM), Urbana (KZLZ HD 92.5 FM) and La Poderosa (KZLZ 105.3 FM). Patty Ruiz, the General Manager for Bustos Media in Tucson, will be the GM of the combined stations effective April 1, 2023. KDRI will continue to operate from its downtown studio.
“No other radio station cluster in Tucson will match Bustos’ new range and diversity of listeners,” said Fletcher McCusker, president and founder. “The combined audience will be the most representative of the Tucson market,” McCusker added.
“I am happy to have driven this special format. The listener response has been nothing short of phenomenal. I am also happy to transfer The DRIVE to Bustos so it takes its proud place as the flagship of his radio group,” said Bobby Rich, the Drive’s programmer.
Bustos Media entered into a Management Agreement allowing Bustos to manage the station pending FCC approval.
KGY has a long history in Olympia, going back to Saint Martin’s College (now Saint Martin’s University). It was there that Benedictine monk Father Sebastian Ruth began experimenting with radio, and when the FCC first started licensing radio stations, KGY was one of the first stations in Washington State to be licensed. “In fact, the three letter call stations are a heritage, the oldest around,” Kerry said.
In 1939 Nick Kerry’s great-grandfather Tom Olsen, an Olympia native, purchased the business. In 1960 KGY moved to its current location on Marine Drive overlooking Budd Inlet and neighbor to Swantown Marina and Hearthfire Grill.
It was built on pilings and has dramatic views of Budd Inlet and the Olympic Mountains. “This was the perfect location for an AM tower. The radials went into the saltwater which they believed created a stronger signal,” said Kerry.
Barbara Olsen Kerry ran the stations until the mid-2000s and today the family continues to remain owners, the majority of whom live in Olympia.
➦In 1922...WWL-AM, New Orleans signed-on.
Circa the '50s
After receiving permission from the Vatican, the Jesuits at Loyola University started WWL on March 31, 1922, with a piano recital and a three-minute request to listeners to support construction of a new classroom building on campus. The advertisement above says the 10-watt transmitter was “made from $400 worth of spare parts from a Government War Surplus Ship. The studio audience — 20 Loyola students —- gave a spontaneous cheer at [the] conclusion of [the] historic broadcast.”
The advertisement also claims other firsts. For instance, the 1922 broadcast of a recording of John McCormack singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” is claimed as the first music broadcast in the South.
Over the years, WWL moved to different positions on the dial and steadily increased its power. In 1938, WWL boosted its signal to 50,000 watts, sending the sounds of New Orleans across much of North America.
WWL became a CBS affiliate in 1935. During World War II, Loyola University offered WWL’s facilities to train soldiers in radio operations. The station also produced wartime radio programs. WWL again allowed the government to use its facilities in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
WWL-AM avoided the turn toward rock in the 1950s and became well known in the region for its broadcasts of local Dixieland jazz bands and big band music. The Leon Kelner Orchestra was popular for its broadcasts from the Roosevelt Hotel’s Blue Room. The broadcasts were heard far and wide over WWL’s 50,000-watt signal. The LPB radio history site says comment cards were received from as far away as Finland.
In 1971, the station started a long-running overnight country music show targeted at long-haul truck drivers called “The Road Gang.”
Loyola sold the WWL stations to separate companies in 1989. WWL-AM and WLMG-FM are now owned by Audacy.-Faded Signals
➦In 1936...Backstage Wife, a soap opera radio program that details the travails of Mary Noble, a girl from a small town in Iowa who came to New York seeking her future, moved fro the Mututal Broadcasting System to NBC Radio.
Vivian Fridell had the title role from 1935 until the early 1940s. It was then taken over by Claire Niesen, who played Mary Noble for 14 years, until the end of the series. Mary's husband, Larry Noble, was portrayed by Ken Griffin, then James Meighan and finally, Guy Sorel. The music was supplied by organist Chet Kingsbury.
The program continued on for the next 23 years. Claire Niesen played the title role for the last 17 years.
➦In 1937...Charles Wesley Leonard born (Died – August 12, 2004). Known as Chuck Leonard. he was a radio personality at 77WABC during the 1960s and 1970s. His deep voice and smoothness resonated across 38 states for 14 years at ABC.
Jack Harris, longtime host of the AM Tampa Bay talk radio show for NewsRadio 970 WFLA, says he has been fired.
Jack Harris
“After I signed off from my show at 7 a.m. today, iHeartRadio bosses told me that they were cutting back on expenses and had to let me go,” said Harris, 81, who has been with the station off and on since 1970, including the last 29 years. “I didn’t think I was that big of a burden on them. I was making a seventh of what I made three or four years ago.”
Harris was shocked by the decision and wished that they’d given him one more show to say goodbye to his fans, reports The Tampa Bay Tiimes.
“Just tell them that they have been great to me over the years,” he said of his fans. “They are what I will miss most.”
On Twitter, Ryan Gorman wrote that his “The Ryan Gorman Show,” which has been airing weekdays from 7 to 10 a.m., will take Harris’ time slot. His show will now run from 5 to 9 a.m.
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