Beasley Media Group has announced Tampa Bay’s Morning Krewe with J.R. and Melanie will officially be heard weekday mornings from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on WQYK-FM beginning on Monday, March 2, 2020.
J R
J.R. Jaus most recently spent the past three years hosting the J.R. & Beth Show on Y100 in San Antonio, Texas, prior to working in Orlando and San Diego. He currently serves as the host of United Station’s syndicated Twenty Country Countdown. In addition to radio, J.R. has a background in television and co-starred on shows such as Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and ABC Family’s “Greek”.
“We are building something really special here and J.R. is the final piece of the puzzle that is built on unique content made in Tampa Bay for Tampa Bay,” said Operations Manager Travis Daily. “J.R. and Melanie will very quickly become the show everyone is talking about.”
“This is a very exciting time for me,” said J.R. “To be able to build a show under the direction of Travis Daily and alongside a talented Cohost like Melanie Mineau is the opportunity I have been looking for. We are going to have a lot of fun in an amazing city! I am very grateful to Travis and the Beasley Family for this opportunity and can’t wait to create live, local, and unique radio for the Tampa area. HERE WE GO! “
ViacomCBS Inc. reported a loss in the final quarter of last year as Viacom completed its merger with sister company CBS and prepared to compete with the likes of Netflix Inc. in the increasingly crowded arena of online streaming video.
The Wall Street Journal reports ViacomCBS posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $258 million, or 42 cents a share, compared with a profit of $887 million, or $1.44 a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were 97 cents a share.
Revenue fell 3% to $6.87 billion from the prior year as content-licensing revenue fell 11% to $1.28 billion. Analysts were looking for revenue of $7.34 billion.
The company also said it is targeting $750 million in cost cuts for the year.
The company’s advertising revenue fell 2% to $3.03 billion, and its publishing and theatrical revenues also declined. Its affiliate revenue rose 1% to $2.13 billion, fueled by growth in reverse compensation, retransmission and subscription-streaming revenue that offset declines in pay TV.
ViacomCBS said it had $1.6 billion in streaming video revenue last year and finished the year with 11 million streaming subscribers, marking the first time that the company has broken out its online video results in detail.
ViacomCBS plans to court additional subscribers with an expanded version of CBS All Access, which will include content from across the company’s cable networks, including Nickelodeon, MTV and VH1. The company’s video-streaming services include CBS All Access, Showtime and BET+.
And as streaming becomes ubiquitous, it’s important for audio providers to embrace the fact that consumers are more apt to gravitate toward free options, according to an Insights story from Nielsen.
A special Nielsen survey into U.S. consumer sentiment toward streaming platforms found that in the video world, the vast majority of streaming users (more than 90%) subscribe to at least one paid streaming service. Juxtapose that with audio, where more than half (53%) of consumers use free, ad-supported streaming audio services (27% subscribe).
Consumers have always had access to free audio entertainment, so it’s not surprising that Americans are more reluctant to pay for it. Regardless of how we listen, consumers have come to expect that music streaming services and radio are free and available, and that’s a striking difference from the video streaming sector, where content providers are segregating distinct programming into specific services as a way to attract subscribers.
Based on what is known about the enduring impact of radio in the audio landscape, what Nielsen is seeing in the streaming space isn’t head-turning. Ad-supported, free audio has been the norm since the advent of the medium. There’s no denying the ongoing love affair between audio lovers and radio listening, which has been the foundation of the total listening experience since radio first hit the airwaves. This explains why radio remains one of the centerpieces of the media universe, reaching 92% of U.S. adult listeners each week, more than any other platform.
These insights aren’t lost on the advertising world: Big billion-dollar brands are (re)awakening to audio-based ad solutions. They know that reach matters; it’s a fundamental component of successful ad campaigns and a necessary ingredient when building awareness and moving products off the shelf. Ad-supported audio (and specifically, radio) offers a compelling opportunity to reach consumers en masse in today’s highly fragmented and streaming-crazed world. While video streaming tends to dominate the media headlines, audio streaming is also quickly becoming a staple of U.S. consumers’ media diet. Audio offers a unique, intimate experience for listeners and the advertisers aiming to reach them. And as detailed in the latest Nielsen Total Audience Report, ease of use, variety of content and cost rank highly among audio streamers.
While different business models have varied pros and cons, the ad-supported model has the advantage of uncapped earning potential. At some point, even the most successful subscription model will face growth challenges as its subscriber pools fill up. That’s not the case with the ad-supported model. Yes, it’s tempting to get swept up in the fanfare around the latest subscription video services, but in the audio world, the focus for broadcasters, podcasters and creators is unchanged: Develop quality content that keeps audiences coming back regardless of platform or ad model—just as it’s been since the dawn of radio.
Streaming to Country music grew 36% in the United States from 2018 to 2019 according to MRC Data/Nielsen Music and 54% of American Country Radio P1 listeners report streaming every day to a service like Pandora, Spotify or Apple Music.
“If you are programming a Country radio station today, the streaming audience is impossible to ignore with more than half of Country radio listeners between the ages of 18 to 44 reporting streaming music via an on-demand music services every day” Ken Benson, co-founder, P1 Media Group stated.
"With so many Country radio listeners using on-demand streaming services, we examined the differences between what radio is playing versus listener choices using on-demand audio streaming services."
“As a proponent of using streaming data to help make programming decisions, I’m excited to see real research showing the correlation between radio listeners and on-demand streaming users” said Haley Jones, from MRC Data /Nielsen Music.
Broadly reviewing the Top 500 songs on each medium, the on-demand streaming chart is more contemporary with 58% of its Top 500 most-played songs from the past five years, 2015 to 2019, versus 49% for the most-played songs on radio. However, when P1 Media reviewed the eras of the songs in Top 100, the opposite is true.
Of the top 100 most-played Country songs on radio, 70% were from 2018 and 2019 versus 55% of those on the on-demand Audio Streaming chart. The average era of the top 100 radio songs was over a year newer than the on-demand Country songs. Furthermore, the Top 100 on-demand audio songs feature more unique artists, 58 unique artists versus 50 unique artists on the Top 100 most-played Country songs on radio. Comparing the Top 100 songs, 69 songs appear in the Top 100 on both charts, 31 songs are different.
The assumption many may make is younger people stream more. 70% of 18-24-year old’s report streaming on-demand services such as Spotify, Amazon or Apple Music everyday versus 57% for 25-34s and 51% of 35-44s. Indeed, younger Country radio fans stream on-demand audio more frequently than older fans, yet the average era of the Top 100 Country on-demand streaming songs is more than a year older than radio’s Top 100.
⏩Key Findings
Streaming to Country Music grew by 36% from 2018 to 2019.
85% of Country Radio P1s report streaming to an on-demand audio service either “every day” or “a few a day’s a week.”
Radio is playing more contemporary music than on-demand Streaming services. 70% of radio’s Top 100 most-played songs are from 2018 and 2019 versus only 55% of songs from on-demand streaming services.
Radio relies more on Core Artists playing more songs from fewer artists while on-demand streaming services play more unique artists.
Radio plays less variety than the on-demand streaming services. Of the Top 500 songs on Country radio, 62% of the total spins come from the Top 100 songs versus 46% for on-demand streaming.
The responses from Country Radio P1 listeners indicates that Country stations either missed or underplayed the biggest hit of 2019 “Old Town Road.”.
Mike Bloomberg’s millions in campaign spending flew right out the window Wednesday night, The NY Post reports.
The billionaire’s self-bankrolled presidential bid was torn to shreds in the opening minutes of Wednesday’s Democratic debate as his opponents skewered him for his checkered past on sexual harassment and his record on stop-and-frisk.
Each candidate on the Las Vegas stage attacked Bloomberg right out the gate, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren made the former Big Apple mayor visibly squirm and roll his eyes in frustration.
“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against, a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians,'” she said from the Paris Theater.
“And, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”
Bloomberg, 78, started to surge in national and state polls after pouring hundreds of millions of dollars of his personal fortune into a slick campaign with catered campaign events and wall-to-wall TV ads.
Former Vice President Joe Biden attacked Bloomberg for “throwing close to 5 million young black men up against a wall” while mayor of New York City and said he only stopped after President Barack Obama intervened in his stop-and-frisk policy.
Ex-South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg called Bloomberg and Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders the “two most polarizing figures on this stage” while Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar accused the media mogul of hiding.
Bloomberg also became irritated when Warren asked him to release dozens of women from non-disclosure agreements they signed after working for his financial media company, Bloomberg LP.
Entercom has announced a new afternoon drive show on WJZ 105.7 FM The Fan, the flagship station of the Baltimore Orioles and Maryland Terrapins.
The station welcomes RADIO.COM SPORTS and CBS Sports Insider Jason La Canfora to co-host “Inside Access” alongside longtime station on-air personality Ken Weinman. “Inside Access” will air weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
The station subsequently announces that on-air personality Jeremy Conn will host the evening show, weekdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Conn will also co-host “Orioles Baseball Tonight” and lead on content creation for the station’s digital platforms. On-air personality Scott Garceau, who was announced as the new play-by-play broadcaster and pregame and postgame host for Orioles gameday broadcasts on MASN-TV, will contribute Orioles and Baltimore Ravens coverage to 105.7 The Fan on a weekly basis. All changes will be effective March 9.
“This revamped programming schedule will allow us to continue providing around-the-clock content for Baltimore’s biggest sports fans,” said Tracy Brandys, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Baltimore. “Adding Jason and Ken to our already successful lineup is a big win for our market. We are also excited about Scott and Jeremy’s new roles. All are an integral part of the success of 105.7 The Fan.”
“I am blessed to have this opportunity,” said La Canfora. “Hosting a sports show in my hometown is a dream come true. Ken and I have been hoping for this opportunity for a long time and cannot wait to get started.”
La Canfora is a RADIO.COM Sports Insider who regularly contributes to sports talk shows around the country. He also serves as a fill-in host on national radio shows for CBS Sports Radio. La Canfora joined CBS in 2009 as an NFL Insider on the “The NFL Today” and also appears on additional shows on The CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ, the network’s 24/7 online streaming service. He also writes three weekly columns for CBSSports.com.
Weinman joined 105.7 The Fan as an on-air personality in 2008. He recently served as the station’s Baltimore Ravens Insider, host of “Orioles Baseball Tonight,” and pregame and postgame host on the Maryland Terrapins Radio Network.
New weekday programming lineup is as follows.
6:00 a.m. – “Big Bad Morning Show”
10:00 a.m. – “Vinny & Haynie”
2:00 p.m. – “Inside Access”
6:00 p.m. – Jeremy Conn
9:00 p.m. – Terry Ford
Listeners can tune in to 105.7 The Fan (WJZ-FM) in Baltimore, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COMapp and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The signal seems to be fading on the radio days of vitriolic St. Louis radio shock-talker Bob Romanik.
The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday issued an order terminating license renewal efforts by stations connected to the broadcaster.
Romanik was suspected of deceiving federal regulators into hiding his ownership of four radio stations, the Tribune-Ledger-News reports.
Billing himself as the “Grim Reaper of Radio,” Romanik is the host of “Kool Killer Kountry Radio” on KQQZ 1190 AM in Fairview Heights. KQQZ and the three other stations all are involved in the FCC dispute.
Romanik has been regularly criticized for making racist, homophobic and misogynistic slurs on his shows. He has claimed his monologues fall under constitutional free-speech protections.
The FCC action, however, did not focus on what Romanik has said, but rather on paperwork.
The FCC probe into Romanik’s licensing issues began in 2012 when St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern filed a complaint. Kern renewed his complaint in 2016.
The complaint alleged that although the licenses for the four stations were issued to Entertainment Media Trust, headed by lawyer Dennis J. Watkins, Bob Romanik was the de facto owner.
The FCC noted that Romanik has filed campaign records with Illinois and Missouri election officials in which he identified himself as a radio station owner.
As a convicted felon, Romanik effectively is prohibited from being the licensed owner of a radio station.
A former Washington Park police chief, Romanik admitted obstructing justice in a federal investigation into organized crime in the 1990s and later was convicted of bank fraud.
Jane H. Halprin, the administrative law judge in the FCC case, chastised the trust and Watkins for defying and ignoring several court orders since the proceeding began in July.
“NCIS,” where star Mark Harmon has been solving crimes since the series began on CBS in September 2003, was easily the most-watched series of the week and the only to exceed 10 million viewers in live viewing, the Associated Press reports citing Nielsen company.
“American Idol” was ABC’s most popular show last week, and exceeded 8 million viewers for a round of auditions. “Survivor,” which is bringing back 20 former winners to compete in its 20th season in 2020, was seen by 6.7 million people
CBS dominated its rivals with an average of 4.6 million viewers in prime time. ABC was second with an average of 3.2 million, NBC had 3.1 million, Fox had 2 million, ION Television had 1.04 million, Univision had 1.02 million, Telemundo had 680,000 and the CW had 570,000.
11. “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS, 6.95 million.
12. “Survivor,” CBS, 6.7 million.
13. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 6.64 million.
14. “The Bachelor,” ABC, 6.43 million.
15. “This is Us,” NBC, 6.42 million.
16. “The Neighborhood,” CBS, 6.41 million.
17. “Bull,” CBS, 6.32 million.
18. “Mom,” CBS, 6.27 million.
19. “The Conners,” ABC, 6.21 million.
20. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 6.12 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news ratings race with an average of 9 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 7.9 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News had 5.9 million.
Fox News channel was the most popular cable network, averaging 3.15 million viewers in prime time. TNT had 2.37 million, MSNBC had 1.64 million, HGTV had 1.26 million and History had 1.24 million.
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to examine the impact of its decision to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rules.
On Wednesday, the agency initiated a review by seeking public comment on three questions -- whether the repeal affects public safety, the Lifeline program (which subsidizes broadband) and regulations regarding utility poles, reports Mediapost.
The FCC's move follows a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which largely upheld the net neutrality rollback, but directed the agency to examine its effect.
Ajit Pai
The Obama-era rules prohibited broadband providers from blocking or throttling online traffic and charging companies higher fees for prioritized delivery. The rules were approved in 2015, but repealed two years later, after a change in administration.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who shepherded the repeal, says the prior rules were “heavy handed” and depressed investment.
Jessica Rosenworcel
But net neutrality proponents say the rules were necessary to prevent broadband providers from limiting consumers' ability to access streaming video, search engines and other online services and content.
The D.C. Circuit largely upheld the FCC's decision to revoke the prior rules, but returned the matter to the FCC with instructions to examine the implications of the repeal.
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who opposed the rollback, is urging net neutrality supporters to weigh in with the agency.
“The American public should raise their voices and let Washington know how important an open internet is for every piece of our civic and commercial lives,” she stated Wednesday. “The fight for an open internet is not over. It’s time to make noise.”
68% of Americans use online news sites on a weekly basis, with 37% calling online their main source of news, but only 13% of consumers say they are currently paying for online editorial content, according to a new research report on news consumption from the Danish research group AudienceProject. That compares to 38% of news consumers in Norway and 20% in Sweden who currently pay for online subscriptions.
Moreover, according to Forbes,the percentage of Americans paying for online news has fallen by 2% since 2017, with an additional 4% of current subscribers considering ending their current subscriptions. The only silver lining from a revenue perspective is that Americans are the now less likely to pay extra to get rid of ads on news sites, with only 17% responding affirmatively in 2019, down from 25% in 2017.
According to the report, Americans who pay for content prefer concise news items (63%) compared to e-papers and e-zines (50%) with 54% signing up for international news, 52% for domestic news, and 37% for financial news. 44% of US survey respondents say they pay for long-read features, tops among the seven countries surveyed. Only 16% of Finns who subscribe to news, for example, say they pay for long-form content.
Americans’ reluctance to pay for online news content is all the more stark considering that online news far outpaces other media as a regular source of information. In a question that allowed respondents multiple selections, 68% said they considered online sites a weekly source of news, compared to 63% for television, 60% for social, 41% for radio and just 29% for printed newspapers and magazines. 37% consider online to be their main source of news, compared to 19% for television.
According to AudienceProject, the findings are based on an international online survey of 14,000 respondents conducted in Q4 of 2019.
China revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters based in Beijing, the first time the Chinese government has expelled multiple journalists simultaneously from one international news organization since the country began re-engaging with the world in the post-Mao era.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the move Wednesday was punishment for a recent opinion piece published by the Journal.
The Wall Street Journal reports Deputy Bureau Chief Josh Chin and reporter Chao Deng, both U.S. nationals, as well as reporter Philip Wen, an Australian national, were ordered to leave the country within five days, said Jonathan Cheng, the Journal’s China bureau chief.
The expulsions by China’s Foreign Ministry followed widespread public anger at the headline on the Feb. 3 opinion piece, which referred to China as “the real sick man of Asia.” The ministry and state-media outlets had repeatedly called attention to the headline in statements and posts on social media and had threatened unspecified consequences.
William Lewis, the Journal’s publisher and chief executive of its parent company, Dow Jones, said he was disappointed by the decision to expel the journalists and asked the Foreign Ministry to reconsider.
“This opinion piece was published independently from the WSJ newsroom and none of the journalists being expelled had any involvement with it,” Lewis said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized China’s action, saying: “The United States condemns China’s expulsion of three Wall Street Journal foreign correspondents. Mature, responsible countries understand that a free press reports facts and expresses opinions. The correct response is to present counter arguments, not restrict speech. The United States hopes that the Chinese people will enjoy the same access to accurate information and freedom of speech that Americans enjoy.”
The parent company of Nutrisystem fired its CEO and saw its stock price tumble more than 30 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday after it disclosed a net loss of $286.8 million for the year on revenues of $1.13 billion.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Tivity Health of Nashville, one of the South’s largest health-care companies, saw its stock (TVTY) fall by more than $7 after hours to $15.40, down more than 32 percent by mid-evening.
Tivity bought Nutrisystem, the diet meals company, for about $1.4 billion in cash and stock in March 2019. The merger plan had called for Nutrisystem chief executive Dawn Zier to stay on as Tivity’s president and chief operating officer, reporting to Tivity chief executive Donato Tramuto.
Tivity “mutually terminated” Zier’s employment with the company in December 2019. Zier, who received a graduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, now serves on the boards of Spirit Airlines and the Hain Celestial Group Inc.
Her former boss, Tramuto, was “terminated without cause” and resigned from Tivity’s board of directors effective Tuesday, according to documents filed Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The board appointed current director Robert J. Greczyn Jr. interim CEO while it conducts a CEO search. Greczyn, a board member since 2015, has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles in managed care and health care.
Michael Petusky, a health-care analyst for Chicago-based Barrington Research, put the onus for Tivity’s problems squarely on Nutrisystem.
“They’ve been woefully short on attracting customers through digital advertising," he said. “Weight Watchers does a much better job. Their TV ads were better this year, but they were still using Marie Osmond as an occasional spokeswoman” even though she started appearing for the company in 2007.
“They went 0 for 3 in three diet seasons [after Christmas]," Petusky continued. "They’re growing customer base, but if they’re cutting price so that the revenues are meaningfully impacted, that’s not a win on a net basis.”
Tivity also appointed Tommy Lewis, recently named chief operating officer, as interim president of the Nutrition Business Unit to replace Keira Krausz, who resigned, effective Feb. 18.
(Real Name Charles Thomas Aldrich, Jr., died from lung cancer June 30, 1995) is best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy.
Gordon's first big radio break came via the recurring roles of "Mayor La Trivia" and "Foggy Williams" on Fibber McGee and Molly, before playing Rumson Bullard on the show's successful spinoff, The Great Gildersleeve.
Gordon and his character of Mayor La Trivia briefly left the show in December 1942 when Gordon enlisted in World War II and the storyline followed. He was the first actor to play the role of Flash Gordon, in the 1935 radio serial The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon. He also played Dr. Stevens in Glorious One.
In 1950, Gordon played John Granby in the radio series Granby's Green Acres, which became the basis for the 1960s television series Green Acres. Gordon went on to create the role of pompous principal Osgood Conklin on Our Miss Brooks, carrying the role to television when the show moved there in 1952. In the interim, Gordon turned up as Rudolph Atterbury on My Favorite Husband, which starred Lucille Ball in a precursor to I Love Lucy.
Jim Jewell
➦In 1906...James Jewell was born. He was a radio actor, producer and director at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. (Died from a heart attack August 5, 1975 at age 69)
Jewell first got into radio in 1927. with a background of summer stock, vaudeville, burlesque, and even touring with a troupe of marionettes. In June 1932, George Trendle, the owner of radio station WXYZ Detroit, decided to drop network affiliation and produce his own radio programs. Jewell was hired as the dramatic director for the radio station. He supplied the actors from his own repertory company, the "Jewell Players".
Jewell was part of the station staff that worked out the original concepts for The Lone Ranger. Jewell is also credited for selecting The William Tell Overture as the theme music for the series. "Ke-mo sah-bee", Tonto's greeting to the masked Ranger, was derived from the name of a boys' camp owned by Jewell's father-in-law Charles W. Yeager. Camp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee operated from 1911 until 1941 on Mullet Lake south of Mackinac, Michigan. After the radio show became popular, Yeager held "Lone Ranger Camps" at his camp.
Jewell produced, directed and occasionally wrote many of the early episodes for The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet. He was the director for both series from their beginning up until 1938.
Jewell left WXYZ in 1938, and moved to Chicago and worked as a director-producer at WBBM (AM), the CBS radio affiliate in Chicago.
He directed Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy beginning in 1938 until the series ended in 1951. From 1951-1955, Jewell was the producer/director of The Silver Eagle, a mountie adventure which ran on ABC and starred Jim Ameche, the brother of movie star Don Ameche.
As the era of radio dramatic series came to an end, attempted to bring The Silver Eagle to television.
➦In 1914...John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly was born (Died February 24, 1991). Known as John Daly, he was a radio and television personality, CBS News broadcast journalist, ABC News executive and TV anchor and a game show host, best known as the host and moderator of the CBS television panel show What's My Line?
Daly began his broadcasting career as a reporter for NBC Radio, and then for WJSV (now WTOP), the local CBS Radio Network affiliate in Washington, D.C., serving as CBS' White House correspondent. He appears on the famous "One Day in Radio" tapes of September 21, 1939, in which WJSV preserved its entire broadcast day for posterity.
Through covering the Roosevelt White House, Daly became known to the national CBS audience as the network announcer for many of the President's speeches. In late 1941, Daly transferred to New York City, where he became anchor of The World Today. During World War II, he covered the news from London as well as the North African and Italian fronts. Daly was a war correspondent in 1943 in Italy during Gen. George S. Patton's infamous "slapping incidents". After the war, he was a lead reporter on CBS Radio's news/entertainment program CBS Is There (later known on TV as You Are There), which recreated the great events of history as if CBS correspondents were on the scene.
As a reporter for the CBS radio network, Daly was the voice of two historic announcements. He was the first national correspondent to deliver the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday, December 7, 1941, and he was also the first to relay the wire service report of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945, interrupting the program Wilderness Road to deliver the news. Transcriptions of those bulletins have been preserved on historical record album retrospectives and radio and television documentaries. Among the first were the Columbia Records spoken word series I Can Hear It Now and the later CBS Television series, The Twentieth Century.
In July, 1959, along with the Associated Press writer John Scali, he reported from Moscow on the famous Kitchen Debate between USSR General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev and then U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon in 1959.
➦In 1922...WGY-AM, Schenectady, NY signed-on. As early as 1912, General Electric company in Schenectady began experimenting with radio transmissions, being granted a class 2-Experimental license for 2XI on August 13, 1912 by the Commerce Department.
WGY signed on on February 20, 1922 at 7:47pm at 360 meters wavelength (about 833 kHz), with Kolin Hager at the mike, or as he was known on the air, as KH. Hager signed on with the stations call letters, explaining the W is for wireless, G for General Electric, and Y, the last letter in Schenectady.
The first broadcast lasted for about one hour and consisted of live music and announcements of song titles and other information. The early broadcasts originated from building 36 at the General Electric Plant in Schenectady. The original transmitter produced an antenna power of 1,500 watts into a T top wire antenna, located about 1/2 mile away, also at the GE plant.
WGY led the way in radio drama. In 1922 Edward H. Smith, director of a community-theater group called the Masque in nearby Troy, suggested weekly forty-minute adaptations of plays to WGY station manager Kolin Hager. Hager took him up on it and the troupe performed on the weekly WGY Players, radio’s first dramatic series.
Kolin Hagar
During their initial broadcast—of Eugene Walter’s The Wolf on August 3, 1922—Smith became the electronic media’s first Foley artist when he slapped a couple of two-by-fours together to simulate the slamming of a door, and radio sound effects were born. While the invisible audience could not see that the actors wore costumes and makeup—which were expected to enhance performance but didn’t and were soon discarded—they could hear the WGY Orchestra providing music between acts.
By May 15, 1923 the station was operating on 790 kHz with a frequency/time share agreement with RPI's WHAZ. Later, WHAZ moved to 1300 kHz allowing WGY to operate full-time on 790 kHz.
In 1924, the transmitter site was moved to its current location in the Town of Rotterdam known as South Schenectady. From this site, the station's power levels were increased first to 5,000 watts, then 10,000 watts and finally to 50,000 watts on July 18, 1925. Temporary broadcasts were carried out at the 100 KW (August 4, 1926) and 200 KW (March 9, 1930) power levels. From those broadcasts, the station received reception letters and telegrams from as far away as New Zealand. Plans were to make those power increases permanent, but were never carried out.
WGY also used the first condenser microphone, developed by General Electric for radio studio applications, on February 7, 1923.
Amelia Earhart
In 1923, WGY formed the first radio network with WJZ and WRC, however the station also broadcast programs from rival station WEAF. Later in 1925, the New York State radio network was formed with WMAK, WHAM, WFBL, and WGY. In 1926, WGY affiliated with the WEAF-based NBC Red Network, and after the split of the sister NBC Blue network into today's ABC Radio, WGY remained with NBC Radio until it folded in 1989.
To add to their laurels, six years later the Players performed an old spy melodrama titled The Queen’s Messenger in the world’s first dramatic program to be broadcast simultaneously over both radio and the new medium called television.
“Radio station WGY had cornered the market on talk and music by 1928,” the Daily Gazette recalled. “Scientists from the General Electric Co. could have winked to their audience and said, ‘You ain't seen nothing yet.’ The smart guys who developed amplifiers, transmitters and bright lights were working on that next step—sound and pictures. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 1928, they succeeded. WGY became the first radio station in the world to televise a drama on separate radio channels.”
In 1941, WGY changed frequency from 790 kHz to 810 kHz to comply with the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement also known as NARBA. In 1942, during World War II, a concrete wall was built around the base of the tower to prevent saboteurs from shooting out the base insulator on the tower and taking the station off-air.
WGY was the flagship station of General Electric's broadcasting group until 1983 when it was sold to Empire Radio Partners, Inc. General Electric also owned pioneering sister stations in television (WRGB-TV, signed on as WGY-TV in 1928) and FM radio (W2XOY, later WGFM, then WGY-FM, and today WRVE, signed on 1940).
As the golden age of radio ended, WGY evolved into a full service middle of the road format, slowly evolving as programming tastes changed. The station changed from full service to news/talk on Memorial Day Weekend, 1994.
Dame Media, Inc acquired WGY and WGY-FM the during proceedings in the Philadelphia bankruptcy court, late 1993. Dame moved the studios to One Washington Square at the end of Washington Avenue Extension, in the west end of Albany, New York late 1994, where they remained until 2005.
In 1999, Dame Media sold its entire radio group to Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia), whose ownership remains to this day. Clear Channel combined all of its radio station studio operations into the former CHP (Community Health Plan) building on Route 7 (Troy-Schenectady Road) in Latham August, 2005.
On September 20, 2010, WGY began simulcasting its programming on 103.1 FM (the former WHRL, which took the calls WGY-FM, previously on 99.5 FM). WGY 103.1 FM broadcasts at 5,600 watts power.
➦In 1949...future teen singing idol, 8-year old Ricky Nelson, and his older brother David began playing themselves on their parents’ radio show, “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet.” Until now Ricky had been played by child actor Henry Blair, while David was played by Tommy Bernard.
In 1952, the Nelsons tested the waters for a television series with the theatrically released film Here Come the Nelsons. The film was a hit, and Ozzie was convinced the family could make the transition from radio's airwaves to television's small screen. On October 3, 1952, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet made its television debut and was broadcast in first run until September 3, 1966, to become one of the longest-running sitcoms in television history.
➦In 1971...NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado was ready to broadcast a required weekly test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
However, AT&T reported that the United States Air Force accidentally used the wrong tape for the test, and initiated an Emergency Action Notification, normally issued by the Office of Civil Defense or the President. This prompted all stations in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area by order of the FCC to operate under emergency procedures and feed the broadcast from WOWO through their radios.
Bob Sievers was at the microphone at WOWO at the time. Sievers and everyone at the studio had no idea what was going on.
Mistake wasn't resolved for 30 minutes.
Walter Winchell
➦In 1972..Early radio broadcaster and syndicated newspaper columnist Walter Winchell died of prostate cancer at the age of 74 in Los Angeles. His weekly broadcasts in the 30’s, 40’s & 50’s began: “Hello Mr. & Mrs. North America & all the ships at sea, let’s go to press.” A later generation would only know him as narrator on the TV series The Untouchables. He is buried at Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery in Phoenix.
Rosemary DeCamp
➦In 2001...Radio, TV, Film Actress actress Rosemary De Camp succumbed to pneumonia at age 90. She shined in many roles on bigtime radio, including the long running part of nurse Judy Price on CBS’ Dr. Christian. On TV she was Peg Riley on Life of Riley, and also had feature roles on The Bob Cummings Show & That Girl. ➦In 2003...99 people were killed when fire destroyed the nightclub The Station in West Warwick RI. The fire started with sparks from a pyrotechnic display being used by the band Great White. Among those who died in the fire were Great White's lead guitarist, Ty Longley, and the show's emcee, WHJY 94.1 FM Providence personality Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves.
➦In 2006...Sportscaster Curtis Edward Gowdy (Born July 31, 1919) died of leukemia at age 86 in Palm Beach, Fla., at age 86, after a long battle with leukemia. He’d been part of the national broadcast of 13 World Series, 16 baseball All-Star Games, 9 Super Bowls, 14 Rose Bowls, 8 Olympic Games and 24 NCAA Final Fours. He also hosted ABC-TV’s long-running outdoors show The American Sportsman. He was well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports and ABC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.
He had a knack for broadcasting, and, in 1942, worked at the small KFBC radio station and at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Eagle newspaper as a sportswriter (and later sports editor). After several years in Cheyenne, he accepted an offer from CBS's KOMA radio in Oklahoma City in 1946. He was hired primarily to broadcast Oklahoma college football (then coached by new-hire Bud Wilkinson) and Oklahoma State college basketball games (then coached by Hank Iba).
Curt Gowdy
Gowdy's distinctive play-by-play style earned him a national audition. Gowdy began his Major League Baseball broadcasting career working as the No. 2 announcer to Mel Allen for New York Yankees games on radio and television in 1949–50. There, he succeeded Russ Hodges, who departed to become the New York Giants.
In April 1951 at the age of 31, Gowdy began his tenure as the lead announcer for the Red Sox. For the next 15 years, he called the exploits of generally mediocre Red Sox teams on WHDH radio and on three Boston TV stations: WBZ-TV, WHDH-TV, and WNAC-TV (WBZ and WNAC split the Red Sox TV schedule from 1948 through 1955; WBZ alone carried the Red Sox from 1955 through 1957; and WHDH took over in 1958). During that time, Gowdy partnered with two future baseball broadcasting legends: Bob Murphy and Ned Martin. Chronic back pain caused Gowdy to miss the entire 1957 season. He also did nightly sports reports on WHDH radio when his schedule permitted.
He left WHDH after the 1965 season for NBC Sports, where for the next ten years he called the national baseball telecasts of the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball during the regular season (and the All-Star Game in July), and the postseason playoffs and World Series in October.
➦In 2012...Longtime Seattle radio personality known as Danny Holiday, a so-called “walking encyclopedia of rock & roll,” died following a long illness at age 68.
He spent decades spinning top-40 hits and oldies on Seattle stations KOL, KZOK and KBSG. In retirement, he brought his Rock ‘N’ Roll Time Machine to community radio, hosting the weekly show on Everett’s KSER (90.7 FM).
Holiday was inducted into NorthWest Music Hall of Fame in 1990.
➦In 2014…Former NBC News correspondent Garrick Utley died at age 74. His parents, Frayn and Clifton Utley, were correspondents for NBC radio in the mid-20th century, based in Chicago. When he passed he professor of broadcasting and journalism at the State University of New York at Oswego, NY.
The Radio Awards are given out during the annual Radio Winners Reception, hosted by Carly Pearce, on Saturday, April 4 in Las Vegas, NV, the day prior to the ACM Awards® live telecast from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.
This marks the fourth ACM National On-Air Personality of the Year win for The Bobby Bones Show. Bones has been nominated in the National On-Air Personality of the Year category four times, with his most recent previous win in 2017.
Additionally, this year marks the fourth Large Market On-Air Personality of the Year win for The Big Dave Show at WUBE-FM, along with a first-time win for Large Market Station of the Year category for WUBE-FM. Medium Market Station of the Year winners WUSY-FM are taking home their eighth win in this category. This year also marks four total wins for Small Market Station of the Year winners WYCT-FM.
“Congratulations to all the winners of the 55th ACM Radio Awards. Country radio continues to be one of the largest connectors between fans, artists and songwriters and this recognition is well-deserved for all of these radio innovators that keep our genre strong. We are honored to celebrate you,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music.
55th ACM Radio Winners are: (Arrow ➤ highlights winner in each category)
⏩ NATIONAL ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Blair Garner, “Off Eric” Garner The Blair Garner Show ➤Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox, Eddie, Morgan, Ray The Bobby Bones Show
Charlie Chase, Lorianne Crook The Crook & Chase Countdown
Buzz Brainard The Music Row Happy Hour
Storme Warren, Mary Carlisle Callahan, Thomas Massad The Storme Warren Show ⏩ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
Bud and Broadway WIL-FM St. Louis, MO
Kelly Ford in the Morning - Kelly Ford WNSH-FM New York, NY
Mason & Remy WIL-FM St. Louis, MO
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister KKWF-FM Seattle, WA
Matt McAllister, Emily Raines, Slow Joe Wallace
➤The Rob and Holly Show - Rob Stone, Holly Hutton WYCD-FM Detroit, MI
⏩ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
Lexi and Banks KUBL-FM Salt Lake City, UT
Marty McFly WSM-FM Nashville, TN
Q Morning Crew with Mike and Janie WQDR-FM Raleigh, NC
Robyn & Roger in the Morning CKRY-FM Calgary, AB ➤The Big Dave Show - Big Dave, Chelsie, Statt, Ashley WUBE-FM Cincinnati, OH
⏩ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
Brent Michaels KUZZ-AM/FM Bakersfield, CA ➤Clay & Company WYRK-FM Buffalo, NY
Kenn McCloud KUZZ-AM/FM Bakersfield, CA
Steve & Gina in the Morning: Steve Lundy, Gina Melton KXKT-FM Omaha, NE
The Cowboy Kyle Show - Cowboy Kyle WUSY-FM Chattanooga, TN
⏩ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
Adam & Jen in the Morning KIOK-FM Kennewick, WA
Ben & Arnie - Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews WCOW-FM Sparta, WI
Big Rick In The Morning - "Big" Rick Daniels WGGC-FM Bowling Green, KY
Scotty & Catryna in the Morning - Scotty Cox, Catryna Craw KCLR-FM Columbia, MO ➤Steve & Jessica - Steve Waters, Jessica Cash WFLS-FM Fredericksburg, VA
⏩RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KAJA-FM San Antonio, TX
KFRG-FM San Bernardino, CA ➤KILT-FM Houston, TX
WNSH-FM New York, NY
WSOC-FM Charlotte, NC
⏩RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
CKRY-FM Calgary, AB
WDSY-FM Pittsburgh, PA
WIRK-FM West Palm Beach, FL
WMIL-FM Milwaukee, WI ➤WUBE-FM Cincinnati, OH
⏩RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KATM-FM Stockton, CA
KUZZ-AM/FM Bakersfield, CA
KXKT-FM Omaha, NE
WQMX-FM Akron, OH ➤WUSY-FM Chattanooga, TN
⏩RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KKNU-FM Eugene, OR
KTHK-FM Idaho Falls, ID
WBYT-FM South Bend, IN
WPAP-FM Panama City, FL ➤WYCT-FM Pensacola, FL
The Country Radio Hall of Fame's next six inductees will be celebrated during the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner in Nashville June 24 at the Westin Nashville.
In the Radio category:
Former R&R VP/Country Editor and longtime programmer/personality Jim Duncan
Retired KSCS/Dallas and WKHX/Atlanta GM Victor Sansone
Beasley Media Group Founder George Beasle
In the On-Air Category:
Former WAXX/Eau Claire, WI PD/MD/on-air talent Tim Wilson
WYCD/Detroit morning host Chuck Edward
KSCS/Dallas morning man Mark "Hawkeye" Louis
➤Jim Duncan: 2019 marked Duncan’s seventh decade in country radio—all of them in major markets, where his career touched all corners of the radio business, including weekend air talent; morning show host; music director; program director, and syndicated radio. His influence on country radio reached beyond his local market, as he represented the industry on the CMA, and CRB Board of Directors. For nine years, Duncan served as VP and Country Editor for legendary trade newspaper, Radio & Records. In that role, he was a true ambassador for country radio, and the music industry, and was instrumental in the career development of many industry professionals who went on to be our format’s most influential leaders.
➤Victor Sansone: During an illustrious, 34-year career with Capital Cities/ABC/Disney, first on the sales management side, and eventually, in the general manager role, Sansone oversaw two, legendary country radio properties, in two of the largest, and most important country markets in America: Dallas, and Atlanta. He arrived at KSCS/Dallas in 1987 and guided the station to ratings and revenue triumphs. KSCS stayed atop the overall market rankings for 21 consecutive rating periods. He repeated that success upon his move to Atlanta in 1997, with a 10-year run of similar rating and revenue dominance with WKHX. His leadership qualities were called upon at a national level, as he served on the CMA Board of Directors, rising to President and Chairman, where he made a difference by protecting radio’s interests and point of view.
➤George Beasley: George Beasley has logged 58 years in the radio industry, serving as founder, chairman, and CEO for Beasley Media Group, which currently owns 64 radio stations in 15 large and medium markets across the United States. One of those properties is country powerhouse WXTU/Philadelphia, one of the most consistently successful country radio stations in America.
The Country Radio Hall of Fame recognition only adds to the many industry honors bestowed upon this inductee: The Library of American Broadcasting honored him as a “Giant of Broadcasting” in 2012, and the Florida Association of Broadcasters named him “Broadcaster of the Year” in 2011. Previous recognition from Country Radio Broadcasters includes the organization’s “Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award” in 2010.
➤Tim Wilson: 26 of Wilson’s 45 years in country radio were spent at one station: WAXX/Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he served as PD, MD and, air personality. The radio station—and, he personally—were deeply embedded in the community through participation in local events and fundraisers for important causes. He also donated his time as an advisor for Future Business Leaders of America at Eau Claire Memorial High School and for Phi Beta Lambda at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. His efforts, and those of the station to popularize country music in the Northlands by way of artist support, industry relations, and advocacy for the genre garnered high ratings for WAXX, but reached national proportions too, with recognition as CMA Personality of the Year; CMA PD of the Year; Billboard PD, MD, and Personality of the Year honors, and the NAB’s prestigious Marconi Award.
➤Chuck Edwards: For the past 20 years, Edwards has been a country radio mainstay at WYCD/Detroit, where he co-hosted afternoons with fellow CRHOF member, the late Linda Lee for 16 successful years. He is currently helming the station’s morning show. His country radio roots date back to 1983, when he started in Knoxville, but was soon lured to Memphis for a brief stint, before joining legendary KSCS in 1986 for afternoons. After 13 successful years in Dallas, he moved to the Motor City, and became a fixture there. During his time in the Motor City, Edwards has been honored on a local and national level, with the 2011 CMA Personality of the Year, Michigan Association of Broadcasters Broadcaster of the Year, plus multiple ACM personality nominations, and Marconi nominations.
➤Mark “Hawkeye” Louis: It was only a matter of time before Hawkeye found his way to the Country Radio Hall of Fame—he’s been surrounded by fellow Hall Of Famers his entire career, starting at KAJA/San Antonio early in his career, with time alongside 2015 inductee, Randy Carroll. For the past 29 years, he’s been a fixture at KSCS/Dallas, many of those years spent partnered with 2006 CRHoF inductee, Terry Dorsey. His current program director is 2019 Hall of Fame class member, Mac Daniels. Hawkeye has forged an identity and career unto himself during those years, and has become a Dallas radio icon. His current “Hawkeye In the Morning” show on KSCS is the longest-running FM morning show in the Dallas market. He’s given back to the community too—establishing the Mark Rybczyk Scholarship for broadcasting students at his alma mater, The University of North Texas. In 2015, he was honored by Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth for 800 hours of volunteer service, and for starting the annual Cook Children’s Radiothon in 2014.
Entercom Communications Monday announced a definitive agreement to sell 107.3 FM in Boston to Educational Media Foundation (EMF) for $10.75 million in cash.
Entercom will continue to air WAAF on its existing HD stations, 104.1 HD2 and 93.7 HD2 and on RADIO.COM.
EMF will begin programming 107.3 FM under a Network Affiliation Agreement beginning Saturday, February 22, 2020. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.
WAAF lost one of its biggest names, Greg Hill, last year when Entercom announced he would join the morning show on WEEI.
Hill served as the host of WAAF’s “Hill-Man” morning show for more than 28 years. He joined WAAF in 1986. “The Greg Hill Show” currently airs mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on WEEI.
Bernard E Waterman signed-on 107.3 FM as WAAB-FM in the autumn of 1961.
WAAF 107.3 Fm (9.6 Kw)
WAAF was the first station to launch the long running popular radio show Opie and Anthony in March 1995.
On August 12, 2009, WAAF became the longest-running rock radio station in Boston, when rival station WBCN signed off analog radio to allow WBMX to move from 98.5 to 104.1 FM. The same day, 98.5 became WBZ-FM, "The Sports Hub."
The Boston Globe reports generations of Massachusetts residents were introduced to thumping rock acts via the airwaves of WAAF, which bills itself as “The Only Station That Really Rocks.”
Folks have taken to social media to voice their shock over the impending sale.
“Speechless,” tweeted Boston radio personality Adam 12.
Another Hub-area radio pro, Anngelle Wood, tweeted out, “I am so very sorry to my radio friends.”
Eddie Trunk, a well-known satellite radio jock, was despondent.
“This sucks hugely!,” Trunk tweeted. “This station an affiliate for my FM show for many years. Sending my best wishes to all at the station staff as well. Really hate seeing legendary FM rock stations go away.”
Beasley Media Group Boston announces Jim Louth has been named as the new Assistant Program Director at WBZ 98.5 FM The Sports Hub.
Since the inception of the station in 2009, Louth has served as the Midday Show Executive Producer, spending the past four years with the Zolak and Bertrand Show. Previously, the sports radio veteran produced New England Patriots broadcasts for 16 seasons as well as spent six years producing various shows with WSKO 790 AM The Score in Providence, Rhode Island and two years at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut.
“Jim has been with the station since day one,” said Program Director Rick Radzik.
“He’s done a great job, not only producing our midday programming, but also overseeing our New England Patriots game day broadcasts over the past decade. His institutional knowledge of the Sports Hub’s operation and relationships with the staff, make Jim the perfect choice for the APD position.”
“In 2009, I was grateful that 98.5 The Sports Hub took a chance and gave me an opportunity to help launch a new Sports Radio station in Boston,” said Louth. “More than 10 years later, I’m honored to be in a position to take the next step in my career and continue to help provide great content for the best sports fans in the world and work with the most talented individuals in the industry.”
Louth replaces Rick Radzik, who was recently promoted to the position of Program Director at the station.
“We are building something really special here and J.R. is the final piece of the puzzle that is built on unique content made in Tampa Bay for Tampa Bay,” said Operations Manager Travis Daily. “J.R. and Melanie will very quickly become the show everyone is talking about.”
