Louisiana authorities are digging into whether Telemundo Super Bowl reporter Adan Manzano was drugged before his death in a New Orleans hotel room, especially since another victim claims the suspect, Danette Colbert, left him for dead in a similar scheme years earlier.
Danette Colbert
Manzano, 27, was last seen on camera being led into a hotel by Colbert, 48, who was later found with his phone and credit card. Kenner police say Colbert has a history of drugging and robbing men, and they’re waiting on toxicology results to confirm if Manzano fits the pattern.
Since Colbert’s arrest for robbery in this case, others have come forward with their stories.
David Butler, 52, says he met Colbert in a French Quarter bar in 2021, where she and another woman gave him a drink that left him disoriented. He remembers being helped into a black Suburban, then nothing—until he woke up, robbed of his phone, wallet, and over $80,000 from a crypto account, reports NBC News.
Colbert’s trail doesn’t end there: Nevada records show she faced charges in 2022 for larceny and drugging others, but those cases were dropped when victims wouldn’t testify. She was convicted last October for unrelated fraud and theft, but Judge Nandi Campbell opted for probation and restitution instead of prison.
Butler, outraged, says Manzano might still be alive if Colbert had been locked up. He’s called the light sentence a slap in the face to justice, warning that more deaths could follow if Colbert isn’t held accountable. Campbell’s office hasn’t commented, and Colbert’s lawyers couldn’t be reached while she’s held in Jefferson Parish.
Butler, 52, who did not want to share his location for privacy reasons, said he was among those who reached out to the Kenner Police Department after he learned of Manzano’s death. He had been regularly monitoring Colbert online since 2021, he said, “because I knew she wouldn’t stop.”
During the week of February 3 -9, FOX News Channel (FNC) continued to lead all of cable television while securing 65% of the total day and primetime audience.
Notably, FNC has now seen the top 695 cable news telecasts since Election Day.
In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC soared to 3.1 million viewers and 398,000 in the 25-54 demo, commanding all of cable with viewers. In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 2 million viewers and 258,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News’ daytime program The Story with Martha MacCallum beat ABC’s The View with viewers for the week. The Five was the most-watched show in cable with 4.8 million viewers and has now commanded over 4 million viewers for the 12th consecutive week.
For the week, The Five averaged 4.8 million viewers and 563,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news across the board. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3.7 million viewers and 469,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 3.7 million viewers and 480,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 4.3 million viewers and 556,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 3.5 million viewers and 464,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.9 million viewers and 314,000 in the 25-54 demo.
FNC’s newest program The Will Cain Show continued to drive up the ratings at 4 PM/ET for FOX News commanding 2.8 million viewers and 348,000 in the 25-54 demo. Compared to this week in 2024, Cain boosted the audience by 89% with viewers and 110% in the 25-54 demo.
At 10 PM/ET, FNC’s late-night offering Gutfeld! secured 3.5 million viewers and 504,000 with A25-54. Gutfeld! once again topped the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1,949,000 P2+; 308,000 A25-54), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,481,000 P2+; 229,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,111,000 P2+; 270,000 A25-54).
Daytime: FNC continued to see a number of programs outpace the broadcast competition. Most notably, The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 2,598,000 P2+) led ABC’s The View (2,565,000 P2+). Outnumbered (weekdays, 12-1 PM/ET; 2,551,000 P2+), America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 2,508,000 P2+), Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,427,000 P2+) and America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 2,300,000 P2+) all led CBS This Morning (2,066,000 P2+), NBC’s Today Third Hour (1,917,000 P2+) and ABC’s GMA3 (1,429,000 P2+) with viewers.
On Saturday: The Big Weekend Show (weekends, 6-8 PM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 2.2 million viewers and 232,000 in the 25-54 demo. Life, Liberty & Levin (Saturday, 8 PM/ET) led in primetime commanding 2.1 million viewers. One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) followed with 2 million viewers.
On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures was the top show of the day with 2.2 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demo. MediaBuzz (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) secured 1.8 million viewers.
Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 2-3-25 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.
Super Bowl LIX’s final viewership numbers are out, and Fox’s push to broaden access to the game clearly paid off. Initially projected at 126 million, the game ultimately averaged 127.7 million viewers across all platforms—a 3% jump from last year’s 123.7 million and a new record for a single event in U.S. TV history.
Even with the Eagles’ 40–22 rout of the Chiefs, which could’ve led to tune-outs, several factors drove the strong numbers.
Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, averaged 13.6 million viewers (per their data), contributing to a record digital audience of 14.5 million. Tubi doesn’t usually stream live sports, but Fox heavily promoted its Super Bowl availability.
Data: Nielsen; Note: Includes both live TV and streaming; Chart: Axios Visuals
Spanish-language coverage also got a boost through a rare cross-network strategy: Telemundo (owned by NBCUniversal) joined Fox Deportes, drawing a combined 1.87 million viewers—down from 2.3 million on Univision last year, but still notable. The pregame show, starting at 1 p.m. ET, also set a record for its slot with 23.4 million viewers. Nielsen’s new out-of-home audience tracking, especially in rural areas, further padded the totals.
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show hit 133.5 million viewers, the highest ever for that segment. The game itself peaked at 137.7 million in the second quarter.
Fox said the game peaked in the second quarter between 8pm and 8:15pm ET when 137.7 million people were tuned into the game. Tubi also earned the honors of hitting record-high streaming viewership with an “average minute audience” of 14.5 million viewers, the network said.
Even the halftime show broke records, with Kendrick Lamar’s performance earning an average of 133.5 million viewers thus making it the “most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance in history,” Fox said.
The Super Bowl’s massive viewership makes it all the more valuable to advertisers trying to reach a mass market. Some companies dished out $8 million to secure a 30-second spot during the big game.
The record ratings shows that NFL is still a magnet for viewers, despite the regular season ratings slightly falling 2% for the year. Football games still regularly out-rate anything else on TV during the year, with streaming services wanting a piece of the action. For the first time, Netflix aired a slate of games on Christmas last year.
More Democrats are watching Fox News than liberal outlets like CNN or MSNBC, as execs at the company have boasted of big-name advertisers flocking to the network.
According to Nielsen MRI Fusion data seen by DailyMail.com, Fox News is the number one cable news network for both Democrats and independents.
The statistics, taken from January of this year, show the outlet performs better than CNN and MSNBC in the 18 and over demographic.
Total primetime viewers for the network totaled 427,000 for Democratic voters, CNN reached only 174,000 Dems, while MSNBC hit 255,000.
In the same data bracket for independents, or those with no party affiliation, the network again was way out in front, raking in 709,000 viewers.
CNN managed to rake in only 117,000 independent viewers, while MSNBC took in 155,000, according to the data.
In the highly sought after 25 to 54 demographic, Fox again is out in front before the two. Bringing in 54,000 Democratic voters during primetime hours.
CNN managed only 34,000 of those in the same Demographic, while MSNBC managed a meager 18,000.
The new data comes after Jeff Collins, President of Advertising Sales at the company, told Puck that advertisers are now swarming the brand due to their record audience share.
Every day, people rack up over 1 billion hours watching YouTube on their TVs. According to CEO Neal Mohan, TVs have overtaken smartphones as the go-to device for US viewers tuning into everything from podcasts and livestreams to Shorts, sports, and shows available to YouTube TV’s 8 million+ subscribers. YouTube has also pulled ahead of Netflix as the top streaming platform.
So, how’d this shift happen? The pandemic got people watching YouTube on TVs more, and the habit stuck, as The New York Times reported. YouTube’s diverse content pulls in all kinds of viewers, especially during major events like elections, games, or festivals. On the tech side, they’ve upgraded the TV app, making it easier to navigate and blending video and social features.
Then there’s the creators. Unlike big streamers splashing cash on originals, YouTube’s creators fund their own work. Flops don’t cost the company, but hits earn them a 45% cut of ad revenue. Quality has come a long way since the platform’s early days—today’s creators churn out talk shows, shorts, series, and even full-length movies. Many prefer YouTube’s speed and creative control over traditional Hollywood.
Looking ahead, YouTube’s rolling out new tools: autodubbing for global reach, better podcast discovery and monetization, and AI to help with video ideas, titles, and thumbnails. They’re also working on a “second screen” feature, letting viewers use their phones to comment or shop while watching on TV, plus new ad formats like pause ads and QR codes for always-on screens.
Meanwhile, Netflix is chasing podcasters for talk shows, per Business Insider, which might click with the 89% of Gen Z podcast fans who prefer video formats. But YouTube’s already the top podcast platform in the US, so Netflix has its work cut out.
Elon Musk, in a rare Oval Office appearance, claimed his government cost-cutting efforts were fully transparent but didn’t back up his accusations of widespread corruption in the federal bureaucracy, according to The NY Times.
Speaking alongside President Trump, who nodded in approval, Musk took the floor for about half an hour, framing his overhaul as a defense of democracy. Standing by the Resolute Desk, he argued that an unchecked bureaucracy undermines the public’s voice, asking, “If the bureaucracy’s in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?”
Musk accused officials at the dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development of taking kickbacks and claimed “quite a few” bureaucrats had mysteriously amassed tens of millions in personal wealth while in office. He also alleged that some Social Security recipients were as old as 150. None of these assertions were substantiated with evidence during the session, his first media Q&A since taking charge of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk defended the work of the Department of Government Efficiency Tuesday, saying the US should not be run by a “bureaucracy.”
Here's a compilation of all of Elon Musk's comments on DOGE's action earlier today at the White House:
0:00 Restoring Democracy 1:58 Addressing the deficit 2:55 Suspicious personal wealth 3:46 Basic payment controls 6:18 Social security fraud 7:03 The Retirement Mine 8:48… pic.twitter.com/Ki2cPRczLD
The tech mogul argued he’s carrying out the commander-in-chief’s mandate by moving to fire thousands of government workers and cutting back on federal spending.
“If the people cannot vote and have their will be decided by their elected representatives in the form of the president and the Senate and the House, then we don’t live in a Democracy. We live in a bureaucracy,” Musk said.
The president gave Musk another mandate Tuesday to direct agencies to keep only “essential” employees and eliminate unneeded agencies altogether — giving him even more authority to overhaul the US government.
The White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from an event in the Oval Office on Tuesday after demanding the news agency alter its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump has ordered renamed the Gulf of America.
The reporter, whom the AP would not identify, tried to enter the White House event as usual Tuesday afternoon and was turned away. Later, a second AP reporter was barred from a late-evening event in the White House Diplomatic Room.
The highly unusual ban, which Trump administration officials had threatened earlier Tuesday unless the AP changed the style on the Gulf, could have constitutional free-speech implications.
Julie Pace, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, called the administration’s move unacceptable.
“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism,” Pace said in a statement. “Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
The Trump administration made no immediate announcements about the moves, and there was no indication any other journalists were affected. Trump has long had an adversarial relationship with the media. On Friday, the administration ejected a second group of news organizations from Pentagon office space.
Before his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump announced plans to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the “Gulf of America” — and signed an executive order to do so as soon as he was in office. Mexico’s president responded sarcastically and others noted that the name change would probably not affect global usage.
Besides the United States, the body of water — named the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years — also borders Mexico
The AP said last month, three days after Trump’s inauguration, that it would continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico while noting Trump’s decision to rename it as well. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP says it must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.
Radio legends like Charlie Tuna and Wolfman Jack could be making a comeback to FM in Los Angeles. Marco Broadcasting, led by President Marc Paskin, claims he has secured a $4 million deal to purchase a signal in the metro area, though he’s keeping the station’s identity under wraps for now. This move will shift his oldies format from a leased Mexican 1090 AM station to the FM dial.
Wolfman, Charlie Tuna
Inside Radio reports Paskin, a San Diego real estate developer, sees this as a prime opportunity. “Radio stations are going for peanuts right now,” he says. “The station I’m buying was valued at $100 million once. Now it’s $4 million. It’s like real estate—buy low.”
The deal ends Marco Broadcasting’s lease of XEPRS Tijuana-San Diego (1090) on February 27. Since November, the station’s powerful signal, which reaches parts of Los Angeles, has been broadcasting an oldies format with remastered shows from talents like Charlie Tuna in the morning and Wolfman Jack at night, both distributed by Talent Farm. The lineup also features M.G. “Machine Gun” Kelly in the afternoon, El Chingon at midday, and Real Don Steele in the afternoon drive.
Paskin says the oldies format has seen a massive response since launching three months ago, pushing him to invest in FM. He’s planning a farewell broadcast for XEPRS listeners later this month, with the FM oldies station expected to hit the airwaves around June 1.
Marco Broadcasting is also scouting for an FM station in Miami.
One of the legendary voices of Denver radio station KOSI 101.1 FM’s morning show has retired.
Murphy Huston started at Denver radio station KOSI in 1997, where he’s been known for his deep voice, laughter and being an “all-around great human” to the station. While the radio station said Huston spent 34 years in Denver, what started his career was his college counselor. Murphy told his career story on The Kathie J Show, ahead of his retirement on Tuesday.
Fox 31 News reports Huston went to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to play baseball with the plan to become a history teacher and baseball coach. However, this was during the Vietnam War when students needed a deferment. Huston’s counselor said plenty of students were looking to become teachers and coaches, and after hearing Huston on the radio, Huston should try it out.
Now, 53 years later, Huston’s spending his last day at KOSI before the radio station said he’s heading home for good to his wife of 48 years, four children and seven grandchildren.
“Murphy, you will be deeply missed at KOSI and across Denver’s airwaves. It’s been an honor to work with you,” said Kathie J.
While Murphy couldn’t point to his best memory on The Kathie J Show, between having former President Richard Nixon walk out during a radio interview with him in college to dropping highly coveted Cabbage Patch Kids out of a helicopter over hundreds of people in Milwaukee in ’80s — which was shortly after shredded by the helicopter’s blades — Huston’s leaving the airwaves with a full career.
Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM in Seattle, owned by iHeartMedia, just launched "MJ in the Midday," a new show hosted by Marc James.
M J
It airs weekdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, starting February 10. James kicked off his sports radio career in 2004 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, later working as an afternoon host for ESPN radio in Tampa, WFNZ in Charlotte, and 92.9 "The Game" in Atlanta.
He also anchored at NESN in Boston while hosting on WEEI. Since 2020, he’s been with Sports Talk Florida, covering Tampa Bay events and hosting a college football podcast on BLEAV Network.
James called the gig his "dream job" and a chance to join a legacy station with a bright future. Rich Moore, iHeartMedia Seattle’s VP of programming, said James brings a passionate voice that’ll resonate with listeners.
Mark Glynn, iHeartMedia Washington’s area president, highlighted James’ energy and personality as a fresh spark for Seattle sports talk.
iHeartMedia St. Louis has announced that media veteran Libby Nolan has been named Market President. She will report to John Karpinski, Division President for iHeartMedia.
“Libby’s exceptional leadership, extensive industry knowledge and passion for innovation have driven tremendous local growth across both our radio and digital offerings. With experience spanning nearly every role in a radio station, she is uniquely positioned to lead from a place of deep understanding and drive continued success,” said Karpinski.
Libby Nolan
Nolan spent the last four years as Senior Vice President of Sales with iHeartMedia St. Louis. Her career began as a Morning Show Producer at KSD in St. Louis. She later joined 105.7 KPNT as Promotions Manager and served as an Account Executive with CBS in St. Louis. Nolan’s impressive resume also includes roles as Marketing Director of KWMU, Sales Manager for KTLK at Emmis Communications, General Manager of Zimmer Radio Group in Springfield, MO, and Market President of Townsquare Media’s stations in Quincy, IL/Hannibal, MO.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Nolan is deeply committed to community engagement. She has worked closely with numerous nonprofit organizations, serving on the board of the Missouri and Kansas Chapter of Make-A-Wish, the development board of the Saint Louis Zoo, and the Cardinals Glennon Children’s Foundation. Currently, Nolan is on the Board of Directors of Duo Dogs, an organization dedicated to training and connecting dogs with people to foster positive change in individuals, families, and communities.
Libby Nolan commented, “I’m honored to lead iHeartMedia St. Louis and work with such a passionate and talented team. Being entrusted with the opportunity to lead these iconic stations to its full potential is a gift. People are the heart of everything we do, and together, we will build on this legacy and continue shaping the future of radio in St. Louis.”
Yaman Coskun, the founder and former CEO of Yamanair Creative, has announced the launch of his new venture, yaman.AI. This hybrid commercial creative services company blends human creativity with artificial intelligence to enhance offerings for radio sellers, branders, agencies and podcasters.
The newly established yaman.AI aims to revolutionize local-direct advertising with a suite of services that includes creative consultations, training and production across various media from audio and video to jingles and digital branding packages. A standout feature of the new company is yaman.PI (Performance Intelligence), a creative testing tool that provides scoring and feedback to optimize local campaigns.
Yaman Coskun
Coskun, a veteran in the radio industry, has a track record of success that dates back to his contributions to iHeartMedia's Creative Services Group in 2004 and the launch of Cash-by-Creative in 2007. His innovations have impacted radio advertising across the U.S., making him a respected figure in the industry.
"yaman.AI is the first AI-supported creative service designed and spearheaded by an actual group of industry creative vets. It is where the best of artificial intelligence meets the best of human intelligence," Coskun explained. He emphasized the personalized nature of the service, noting, "Yes, we provide one of the world's best self-serve AI spot creation tools. But our prime directive is to provide custom creative campaigns with sales support from my team and myself. That includes me going on virtual sales calls. This is a true partnership - The way we are wired to operate and succeed. It is what Radio needs today."
Scott Herman, CEO of SHH Media Management, praised Coskun's creative prowess: "When we partnered up with Yaman at CBS his creative magic, coupled with his passion, made us a ton of new money. He is the ideal partner for any radio station looking to increase their local direct dollars."
For more information and a demo of yaman.AI, visit: www.yaman.AI. Contact Yaman Coskun at yaman@yamanmediagroup.com or at 240.723.6688.
The Prince of Darkness, 76-year-old Ozzy Osbourne, shares that he can no longer walk amid his health battles.
During an episode of “OZZY Speaks,” on his Sirius XM radio station Ozzy’s Boneyard, Osbourne said, “You know what, Billy, I go on about the way I can’t walk and I can’t do this, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all of my complaining, I’m still alive.”
It as a melancholy statement wrapped in a glimmer of hope. The singer has had a long battle with surgeries, Parkinson’s disease, cases of flu, staph infections, COVID-19, back and neck issues and more. In the last few years, he’s had to cancel shows and tours due to his ongoing health issues.
In 2022, Ozzy had an interview with The Observer Magazine. At the time, he said his Parkinson’s disease was on the “milder” end. But it was still difficult to walk.
“You think you’re lifting your feet, but your foot doesn’t move,” Osbourne told The Observer. “I feel like I’m walking around in lead boots.”
He also expressed his thankfulness to his wife Sharon throughout his surgeries and recovery. “Without my Sharon, I’d be f**k*ng gone,” he said during the interview. Despite his health issues, the rocker seems to always have a positive message at the end of the day.
Black Sabbath Set to Perform One Last Time With Original Members. The concert will be staged July 5, 2025 in Birmingham, England.
Nearly a week ago, Black Sabbath announced they would take the stage to headline the festival “Back to the Beginning,” which features a hefty lineup of rock legends and the original Black Sabbath members. On Instagram, the band said Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward will play for the first time in 20 years. Ozzy will play his own set and then will perform with Black Sabbath for his final bow.
Other bands for the festival include Halestorm, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains and more.
Alvin "Big Al" Sams, is a Feature TV reporter, radio host, producer, and content creator with over 20 years of working in local TV and radio died this Tuesday.
Sams, 55, celebrated a birthday in December.
Alvin Sams was a prominent presence on Sacramento’s airwaves on KHYL-FM V101. After hosting his “V Mornings with Big Al” for nearly a decade on the hip-hop station, corporate owners iHeartRadio let Sams go in 2020. Sams was one of several high-profile Sacramento on-air personalities let go that year in mass layoffs by Audacy.
But Sams soon found a new home and new fans as a reporter on the popular morning show “Good Day Sacramento” on KMAX-TV, Channel 31. The Sacramento station, owned by CBS, announced the news of Sams’ death on Tuesday. A cause was not disclosed. The station plans an on-air tribute to Sams’ life and work on Sunday.
Sams’ career on Sacramento’s radio and television airwaves spanned a quarter-century. Sams also worked as a co-host and entertainment reporter at KTXL-TV, the Sacramento television station better known as Fox 40.
Big Al used his voice and talents to many community endeavors and charities, including the American Cancer Society, The SOL Project, the American Federation for Suicide Prevention, MLK365, the American Diabetes Association, and others. He's helped raise funds and awareness for cancer and diabetes research, spoken out against smoking, helped church groups assist the homeless and unsheltered, helped youth to bridge the education gap, and fought for social justice and equity.
His Facebook introduction was an apt summation: “Do what I do like I do it for TV & radio.”
Calling him a “fun and fantastic part of the ‘Good Day’ weekend show,” Sams “loved being out in the community, focusing on positive stories in neighborhoods all over Northern California,” CBS Sacramento said on its website.
“It was an honor to have such a caring and talented man as Big Al on our team,” the station said.
➦In 1904...radio/TV talent show host Ted Mack was born William Edward Maguiness in Greeley Colorado. Mack died July 12, 1976 at age 72.
Mack succeeded Major Bowes as host of The Original Amateur Hour for the period 1948-52 on radio, and until 1970 on TV. His discoveries include Gladys Knight, Pat Boone, & Teresa Brewer. He also hosted TV’s Ted Mack Family Hour, a show similar to Ed Sullivan.
The Original Amateur Hour began on radio in 1934 as Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, and ran until the 1946 death of its creator, Major Bowes. Mack, a talent scout who had directed the show under Bowes, revived it in 1948 for ABC Radio and the DuMont Television Network.
The show lasted on radio until 1952 and until 1970 on television, where it ran on all four major networks, ending as a Sunday afternoon CBS staple. A success in the early days of television, the program set the stage for numerous programs seeking talented stars, from The Gong Show to Star Search to American Idol to America's Got Talent.
➦In 1909...singer/producer Barry Wood was born in New Haven Conn. He was the singing star of radio’s Lucky Strike Hit Parade in the early 40’s just ahead of Frank Sinatra, and went on to perform in lesser-known radio shows. In the TV era he was host of several shows including Places Please & Backstage with Barry Wood, and producer for The Bell Telephone Hour & Wide Wide World. He died July 19 1970 at age 61.
➦In 1910...Longtime radio announcer Ken Roberts born (died at age 99 June 19, 2009). He was known for his work during the Golden Age of Radio and for his work announcing the daytime television soap operas The Secret Storm, Texas and Love of Life, each for a two-decade span.
Ken Roberts
His first announcing job was at WMCA in New York lasting three weeks. Next at WLTH in Brooklyn. In an interview for the book The Great American Broadcast, Roberts told Leonard Maltin that he had started at the Brooklyn station in 1930, where his responsibilities included answering phones and sweeping the floors, in addition to on-air roles playing piano and reading poetry.
During the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the radio era, Roberts' voice appeared widely in live programming to introduce programs, moderate game shows and do live reads for commercials. Despite his Errol Flynn-like good looks and the frequent broadcasts featuring his voice, as often as several times each day, few listeners knew who he was or would have recognized him in public.
Radio credits include The Shadow (including the 1937-38 season on the Mutual Broadcasting System with a 22-year-old Orson Welles starring in the role of Lamont Cranston), the comedy Easy Aces, along with soap operas Joyce Jordan, M.D. and This is Nora Drake. In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.
He also announced or hosted a number of game shows, such as What's My Name? and the parody It Pays to Be Ignorant, in which he would pose questions to actors portraying contestants such as "Who came first: Henry I or Henry VIII?" that would be answered incorrectly. At various times, he performed on eponymous programs for Fred Allen, Milton Berle, Victor Borge and Sophie Tucker.
In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.
➦In 1912..Bigtime radio announcer Del Sharbutt was born in Cleburne Texas.
Del Sharbutt
His first appearance on radio was in 1929 as a singer on WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. He became a staff announcer for CBS Radio in 1933, and is best remembered as spokesman for Campbell’s Soup (“Mmm mmm Good!”) beginning in the ’30’s. He was also TV announcer for Your Hit Parade, and worked until retirement in 1976 as newscaster for the Mutual Radio network. He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.
Old-time radio shows for which Sharbutt was an announcer included The Man I Married, Lavender and Old Lace, Guy Lombardo, Jack Pearl, Ray Noble, Bob Hope, The Song Shop, Hobby Lobby, Myrt and Marge, The Hour of Charm, Melody and Madness, Colgate Ask-It-Basket, Lanny Ross, Amos 'n' Andy, Club Fifteen, The Jack Carson Show, Lum and Abner, Your Hit Parade, The Campbell Playhouse, Request Performance, Meet Mr. McNutley and Meet Corliss Archer.
In 1958,Sharbutt became a disc jockey on 77WABC in New York City. He and another old-time radio announcer, Tony Marvin, began "hosting afternoon record shows in their distinctively deep voices."
He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.
➦In 1915...newscaster/actor Lorne Greene was born in Ottawa. He was called “The Voice of Doom” as the nightly newsreader on CBC Radio during World War Two.(1939-42) On TV he starred in Bonanza, Battlestar Gallactica & Code Red. He died Sept 11, 1987 after an operation for a perforated ulcer, at age 72.
➦In 1924…The Eveready Hour was the first commercially sponsored variety program in the history of broadcasting. It premiered February 12, 1924 (other sources: December 4, 1923 or November 4, 1923) on WEAF Radio (now WFAN) in New York City. Radio's first sponsored network program. it was paid for by the National Carbon Company, which at the time owned Eveready Battery
In early 1924 The Eveready Hour began to be carried simultaneously by a second station, WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, and the number of outlets was expanded to a group of Eastern and Midwestern stations "as quickly as WEAF could add stations" to its "WEAF chain" radio network. On election night, November 4, 1924, the program, hosted by Wendell Hall, was carried by 18 stations, with Will Rogers, Art Gillham, Carson Robison and the Eveready Quartet entertaining between election returns given by Graham McNamee. Joseph Knecht led the Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra.
The Bowery Boys were featured on the Eveready Hour
In 1926 the WEAF chain operations were purchased by the Radio Corporation of America, becoming the basis of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in early 1927. The Eveready Hour continued as a featured broadcast on NBC until 1930.
Calvin Coolidge
➦In 1924...President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to make a political speech on the radio. It originated from New York City and was broadcast on five radio stations to an audience of an estimated 5M listeners. During his presidency, Coolidge made around 50 broadcasts. He soon learned how to make best use of the new technology, adding a consultant to his staff to help him polish his radio persona.
While Coolidge was a radio pioneer, the American president most associated with radio is Franklin D. Roosevelt. From 1933 to 1944, Roosevelt delivered 30 “fireside chats,” in which he addressed the American people in a friendly, plainspoken manner about his efforts to bolster the depressed economy through innovative government programs and about global challenges in the run-up to World War II.
➦In 1940…New York radio station WOR presented the first broadcast featuring the comic-strip hero, “Superman“. The 15-minute juvenile adventure became a feature of the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1942, three times a week to start, then daily.
\On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on American radio.
The Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character took on an added dimension with Bud Collyer in the title role.
During World War II and the post-war years, the juvenile adventure radio serial, sponsored by Kellogg's Pep, was a huge success, with many listeners following the quest for "truth and justice" in the daily radio broadcasts.
➦In 1951...Radio Personality, Pat St. John, was born in Detroit.
Pat St John age 18
In early 1969, at the age of 18, he landed his first gig as a radio personality on Windsor's CKLW, where he also worked for CKLW's 20/20 news doing newscasts one day a week, and part-time booth announcing on CKLW-TV Channel 9. In late 1970 he moved across the border to WKNR and was then hired in early 1972 at the ABC-owned album-oriented rock (AOR) station WRIF until 1973.
In April 1973, St. John began an almost 15-year stint at New York's WPLJ. He survived the station's transition from AOR to top 40 in 1983.
He left WPLJ in 1987, and returned to his rock roots on WNEW-FM, which had been WPLJ's rival during its AOR years. He became the station's program director in the early 1990s. St. John remained with the station until it switched to a hot talk format in 1998.
