Saturday, June 1, 2013

Storms Hit Oklahoma City Area



TWC Crew Survive Tornado Ride


OK Tornadoes: KFOR Storm Team Make Escape

In Okladoma City, KFOR 4Warn Storm Team meteorologist Emily Sutton and 4Warn Storm Team storm chaser Kevin Josefy had a very close call with the El Reno tornado Friday afternoon.


Saturday Aircheck: Boston's Loren & Wally WVBF-FM

Long-time Boston morning radio personalities Loren Owens & Wally Brine are now in the midst of a new multi-year contract with Greater Media’s 105.7 WROR-FM.

Considered Boston’s longest running morning team, Loren and Wally were first paired together back in 1981 and have been on the 105.7 frequency ever since. The Loren & Wally show remains among the top rated morning shows in Boston radio.  Here they are from 1990 on WVBF-FM.



For More Boston Airchecks, Click Here.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Second OK Tornado Benefit Concert Planned

Toby Keith
Country singer and Moore-raised Toby Keith is moving closer to a concert date for a blowout show to benefit Oklahoma tornado recovery efforts.

Country singer and former Tulsa resident Ronnie Dunn confirmed to the Tulsa World on Wednesday that he'll join Keith for the show.

Dunn also confirmed that Garth Brooks is onboard for the blowout concert, tentatively scheduled sometime during the July Fourth weekend in Norman. The exact date and place likely will be announced "within the next 24 hours," Dunn said.

"There are a lot of moving parts to work out," Dunn stressed. "But this is what we're aiming for."

He called this concert a "second wave" of support from the music community for the people of Moore, knowing Blake Shelton's Wednesday show was the first.

Wednesday night's Healing in the Heartland benefit concert raised more than $6 million in pledges to aid victims of the state's recent devastating tornadoes. Proceeds go to the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.

Read More Now

Music Artists Rock Boston Strong Concert

A succession of all-star bands from Aerosmith to Jimmy Buffet rocked a packed house at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night in a mostly raucous fund-raiser for the victims of last month's marathon bombing.


According to Reuters, tickets priced between $35 and $285 sold out fast at the 17,500-seat venue, with net proceeds to be donated to The One Fund, a reserve established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick that has so far received more than $37 million in donations to compensate victims of the April 15 bombing.

The music kicked off with a Jimi Hendrix-style distortion guitar version of the U.S. national anthem by rock band Boston that drew cheering fans out of their seats before lead singer Tommy DeCarlo told the crowd "Tonight we are all Boston."

Another Massachusetts band, Extreme, transformed the energy with a sing-along version of "More Than Words" - an acoustic love song - before the homegrown J. Geils Band unleashed a torrent of fast-paced R&B as lead man Peter Wolf strutted the stage in black leather and shades.

Other acts included country star Jason Aldean, who despite not being from Massachusetts admitted to being a fan of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, New Kids on the Block, James Taylor and Aerosmith - which made a round-the-world detour from Singapore to make the show.

Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block won the decibel award when he took the microphone and yelled the word Boston repeatedly, drawing enthusiastic shrieks from the audience.

Aerosmith closed the show with a bang with lead man Steven Tyler sporting an ankle-length cape and leopard-pattern shirt dancing with his microphone stand while singing rousing versions of "Sweet Emotion" and "Living on the Edge."


Talk Of Format Changes Gets Hosts Pulled Off-Air

Two Gainesville, FL radio stations are changing formats at midnight tonight, but a local talk show ended a little prematurely Thursday when the incoming owners took issue with comments the hosts made about the changes on the air.

The Gainesville Sun is reporting Jake Fuller and Ward Scott were told not to return for the second hour of the conservative talk show Talk of the Town on WBXY The Star 99.5 FM following their comments during the first hour.

Scott said they have had trouble getting information about the looming changes but finally heard Thursday morning that they might not be on the air Monday.

"As the show progressed, we got more and more concerned callers," Scott said.

Jake Fuller
Fuller, who also draws editorial cartoons for The Gainesville Sun, said they were told the last straw came when he responded to a caller who asked if it was a liberal plot by saying, "It's these out-of-state owners that really don't have a feel for the community, so they're changing the format."

"Apparently that didn't sit well with them," Fuller said.

JVC Media of Long Island, N.Y., has an agreement to buy five FM stations in the Gainesville/Ocala market from Asterisk Communications of Fort Lauderdale pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

CEO John Caracciolo said he made the decision to end the show immediately after getting a call from station General Manager John Starr about the comments.

The format changes that take effect at midnight Friday are:
  • WBXY The Star 99.5 talk format becomes Party 99.5 FM electronic dance music, which includes artists such as Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake.
  • WYGC 105 The Game at 104.9 FM changes from sports and talk to a country music simulcast of Ocala-based WTRS Thunder Country 102.3, which is being rebranded My Country.

Report: Holder To Journalists “I Get It”

Eric Holder
Attorney General Eric Holder expressed concern on Thursday about how the Department of Justice has handled recent media investigations at an off-the-record meeting with leading representatives of the press, according to a story by Dylan Byers at Politico.

At the session, Holder and Deputy Attorney General James Cole expressed a willingness to revise the guidelines for such investigations, journalists present at the 'off-the-record' get-together.

But Holder stopped short of offering any concrete changes to the guidelines. Instead, the Attorney General sought to assure the journalists that he and the DOJ were trying to seek a balance between the demands of national security and the free flow of information, and sought suggestions from the journalists on how those changes might be achieved.


Hate Talk: Alex Jones Calls Bill O’Reilly “Bully Punk”

When Bill O’Reilly put Alex Jones‘ face next to the words “HATE SPEECH” in the opening of his show Wednesday night, he had to be expecting an impassioned response from the radio host. According to Mediaite, Jones did not disappoint Thursday, calling O’Reilly a “bully punk” and challenging him to a pay-per-view boxing match.



“I’d like to get in a boxing ring with Bill O’Reilly,” Jones said, after accusing him of taking his words out of context on his show Wednesday night.

“I challenge you to a pay-per-view boxing match. You think you’re so tough?” Jones accused O’Reilly of trying to intimidate his guests by turning their microphones off and pointing his finger in their faces. “You big, fat bully!” he exclaimed.

“You’re scared to have me on your show,” Jones said, predicting that if he was a guest, O’Reilly would draw 10 million viewers.

“You’re jealous. Your radio show failed, you’re a failure.” Jones insisted that he represents the “independent” “wave of the future” while O’Reilly is stuck in the past. Increasing his intensity and volume, Jones screamed, “you want to start a fight with me, punk? Huh? You think you can shove me around? You’re a coward, punk, rat bastard!”

Jones mentions Bill O'Reilly about 1:28 into the following video:


Fresno Radio: Inga Barks OUT At KMJ

Inga Barks
Fresno talker Inga Barks is no longer part of the KMJ AM 580 / 105.9 FM lineup. Her last day was May 24. She's been replaced by the syndicated talk show program hosted by Mark Levin in the 6-9 p.m. weekday slot.

The 45-year-old Barks had been on KMJ since 2005 when she took over for evening on-air talk show host Jaz McKay when he resigned.

There's no word on whether Barks' show was canceled or she resigned because Patty Hixson, vice president and general manager of Peak Broadcasting, owner of KMJ, had no comment on the matter and the Fresno Bee reports Barks did not respond to requests for comment.

Barks' KMJ broadcast originated from her hometown of Bakersfield, where she also had a daily talk program on KERN 1180 AM 1180. She got a new radio home in Bakersfield a month ago taking over the 3-5 p.m. time slot at crosstown talk radio station rival, KNZR AM 1560 / FM 97.7. Barks now follows McKay on KNZR.

KNZR vice president and general manager Mary Lou Gunn said the change of Bakersfield stations had nothing to do with Barks leaving the Fresno airwaves.

It's been a rocky year for Barks. In March, she was off theair at KMJ for more than a week following her arrest in Bakersfield on charges of disorderly conduct. The case is still pending.

Utica/Rome Radio: WUTI Forced Off-Air By Vandals


Tower site vandalism is to blame for a full week — and counting — of silence from talk radio station WUTI 1150 AM.  The damage was so extensive, officials with Leatherstocking Media Group say repairs on the Oriskany transmitter site could take another three weeks.

WUTI simulcasts the CNY Talk Radio format which originates from Syracuse’s WFBL 1390 AM.

General Manager Don Wagner tells CNYRadio.com today, the station was already operating at low power when the vandals struck last Thursday.  ”They took almost all the transmission line from the phase shack to each of the five towers,” Wagner said.

Wagner says repairs have already been made to the shacks at the base of each tower, but the work is on hold as Leatherstocking awaits the arrival of new transmission lines.

Wagner says police told him the vandals were likely looking to turn a quick buck to buy drugs — and because it’s relatively easy to sell-off scrap metal, it’s unlikely police will be able to track down the culprits.



Tom’s Take:  The 1150 AM frequency was WRUN when a young Dick Clark worked there in 1945.  The station was then owned by Clark's uncle.

Boston Radio: Feds Seize Pirate Station’s Equipment

The FCC issued warnings to the residents of 4258 Washington St. in Roslindale, but the radio station continued to broadcast, according to an affidavit filed with the civil complaint. So Federal officials recently seized radio equipment from the illegal pirate radio station.

A warrant recently unsealed in U.S. District Court details the May 21, 2013, seizure of radio transmission equipment, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz.

The pirate radio station is alleged to have been using frequency 88.5 MHz without a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and a civil action was brought seeking the radio equipment to be handed over because it was allegedly used in violation of federal law.        


According to Ortiz's office, after an affidavit was filed with the civil complaint, the FCC issued warnings to the residents of 4258 Washington St., but broadcasts continued. The action to hand over the equipment occurred after a licensed broadcaster reported interference occuring with its radio signal.      

Altanta Radio: All News 106.7 FM Observes First Anniversary

WYAY All News 106.7 is celebrating its one year anniversary covering metro Atlanta news 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FOX 5 and All News 106.7 have a unique partnership by combining resources for an unmatched commitment to news coverage.


Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Washington, PA Radio: AM Daytimer Signs-Off

WKZV 1110 AM, the 1,000-watt Washington, PA radio station that played a “classic country” format from sunrise to sunset vanished from the airwaves for good May 16.

According to the Observer-Reporter, the station sign-off with no fanfare, the station had been on the air, on and off, since October 1970, when it signed on as WKEG and played country and polka music.

The station’s fate was sealed by a 45-year-old transmitter that would have cost too much to repair, according to Randy Allum, a disc jockey at the station who hosted a Saturday morning program.

A letter submitted to the Federal Communications Commission May 21 by Robert Olender, a Maryland attorney representing Helen Supinski, the Canonsburg resident who owned WKZV, asks that the station’s license be canceled “due to adverse economic conditions and the health of its principal.”

It goes on to state that the station’s tower would be maintained until it can be torn down.

WKZV was a rarity in the radio universe – a station that only broadcast during the day, with no website and no live stream.

Daytime-only stations on the AM dial have been vanishing with some regularity, according to Ken Hawk, a Pittsburgh-area radio veteran based in Butler County who briefly worked at WKZV. That it was independently owned only made the hill harder to climb for WKZV.

Steve Harvey Radio Show Gets Surprise

Music legend Stevie Wonder surprised the Steve Harvey Show this week with a surprise phone interview.

Critique: Surprisingly Good B.K. Commercials

Dan O'Day, radio advertising expert and radio talent coach,  critiques new Burger King commercials for the Saudi Arabia market.   His feedback should give radio food for thought.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

St. Louis Anchor Larry Conners Sues KMOV

Larry Conners
The saga of former KMOV-TV (Channel 4) news anchor Larry Conners just got a whole lot more complicated.

Since his firing, his attorneys have filed a formal discrimination complaint with the Missouri Human Rights Commission alleging that his bosses terminated him in retaliation for a dispute he had with the station in 2010 regarding his salary. In that legal battle, Conners writes in the complaint, he had alleged that KMOV was unfairly paying him less than his co-prime anchor, Vickie Newton, "an African-American female; I claimed that I received less compensation than Newtown because of my race and gender," according to riverfronttimes.com.

Since the resulting arbitration against KMOV and parent company Belo concluded in April 2012, Conners alleges in the new complaint, his bosses have treated him differently -- eventually leading to his firing this month.

The accusations in this formal complaint, sent out by his attorneys this morning, come as quite a surprise just weeks after the Conners controversy erupted.

Two weeks ago, Conners speculated on his Facebook page whether the IRS had targeted him in response to an April 2012 interview he did with President Obama. He later read a statement on-air admitting he had issues with the IRS several years prior and said that his views were his own.

Soon after, he was taken off the air temporarily -- and then fired.

Mark Pimentel, KMOV's president and general manager, said the firing was because Conners had violated the journalistic standards of the news organization by taking a stance on a national political story.


News Organizations Turn Down Holder Invite

Fox News joined several other major media outlets Thursday in refusing to send a representative to a meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder on the department's surveillance of reporters if Holder continues to insist that the session be off the record.

Michael Clemente, Fox News' executive vice president, decided that Fox News will not attend the off-record talks. Fox News had been invited to a Friday session at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington.

With the decision, the two news outlets known to have been targeted by the Justice Department for surveillance -- the other being the Associated Press -- are now declining to participate in the first phase of Holder's internal review over the controversy. Several other outlets are also refusing to attend.

Both the Associated Press and Fox News had their phone records pulled by the Justice Department, in the course of two separate leak investigations. The department went a step further in the Fox News case, seizing the personal emails of correspondent James Rosen, while accusing him of being a criminal "co-conspirator" in the application for the search warrant.

Holder, who agreed to conduct a review of DOJ guidelines over investigations that involve journalists, had set up meetings with members of the media for Thursday and Friday. He ran into immediate resistance, though, after calling for the meetings to be off the record, meaning the discussions would not be reportable.

AP media relations manager Erin Madigan White said that if the session is not on the record, the news cooperative will offer its views in an open letter on how Justice Department regulations should be updated.

Read More Now

Detroit Radio: WCSX Adds Trudi Daniels To Morning Show


Trudi Daniels
Trudi Daniels is the new co-host of the Classic Rock WCSX Morning Show with K.C. & Trudi on Greater Media Detroit’s 94.7 WCSX-FM in the Motor City.

She will begin her new role on Monday, June 3, 2013.

Daniel’s unique and flat out funny take on twisted stories from the shadows of today’s headlines are a perfect match for WCSX mainstay Ken “K.C.” Calvert, the “Casual One.” 

The Sandusky, Ohio native was most recently heard on the air as the long-time news personality on Greater Media Detroit’s 101 WRIF-FM for the past 22 years.

Previous to that, she worked as a morning show host at WZOU-FM in Boston, KSEG-FM in Sacramento, WLVQ-FM in Columbus and WIOT-FM in Toledo, Ohio.

“The WCSX air staff is a collection of great personalities from Detroit Rock Radio history, so when Trudi became available, it was a no-brainer to bring her on board the team,” said Keith Hastings, Program Director of WCSX-FM. “Her unique perspective on the world around us will be a great addition to the station.”

“I spent most of my life going to concerts and had to find SOME way to keep getting free tickets,” said Daniels. “I’m also going for the record for shortest radio move–about 40 yards and across the hall!”

Detroit Radio: TV Covers New WRIF Morning Show

The popular Dave & Chuck the Freak morning show made its WRIF 101.1 FM debut Tuesday, and Detroit’s Fox2 (WJBK-TV) was there to cover it.

Fox 2 News Headlines

AEG Exec Grilled At MJ Wrongful Death Trial

CNN is reporting the phrase most spoken by AEG Live's co-CEO during his testimony in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial was: "I don't recall."

Paul Gongaware, who was in charge of producing and promoting Jackson's ill-fated comeback concerts, testified this week that he couldn't remember sending key e-mails or approving budgets that included $150,000 a month for Dr. Conrad Murray.



Gongaware also denied thinking that Jackson's health was frail in the last days of his life, despite e-mails from others in the production suggesting the singer needed help.

Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the concert promoter is liable in the pop icon's death because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray.

AEG's lawyers argue it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray -- and their company only dealt with Murray because Jackson demanded they pay for him to be his "This Is It" tour doctor.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's drug overdose death and he is serving a prison sentence.

Jeff Zucker Says CNN Is Held To Higher Standard

Jeff Zucker
Barry Diller is trying to create a TV experience for the future, through IAC’s backing of streaming Internet service Aereo. Jeff Zucker, CNN’s new president, is trying to reinvent a cable network whose best days have been in the past.

In a wide-ranging conversation at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital Confab guided by Walt Mossberg, Diller contended that Aereo is not trying to kill the business of broadcast networks, but rather spur a movement to a more open distribution of programming. Diller also reiterated that buying Newsweek was a mistake, and that it belongs in the hands of a company that focuses exclusively on publishing.

Zucker, for his part, answered tough questions about reporting inaccuracies and a focus on what some in the news business consider to be fluffy news events as CNN looks to boost ratings. (Zucker’s comments start at 10:00 minutes into the video.)

CableTV Ratings: MSNBC Falls Below HLN in May

HLN's wall-to-wall coverage of the Jodi Arias trial has had substantial ratings legs. Surging around the time of the May 8 verdict, the network notched an extremely rare monthly victory: It topped MSNBC in total day and primetime. And, reports THR, with CNN posting its second consecutive month as a distant primetime runner-up to Fox News Channel, MSNBC is in a very precarious fourth place.

Averaging 539,000 viewers in primetime and 175,000 viewers in the adults 25-54 demographic, MSNBC suffered double-digit drops from last May -- down a respective 20 and 19 percent. Losses were less substantial in total day, down 10 percent to an average 346,000 viewers and down 7 percent to 115,000 adults 25-54, while all other nets pulled growth in multiple categories.

The soft start for All In With Chris Hayes has not helped. Hayes, down 32 percent in total viewers from The Ed Show last May, has offered a poor lead-in for MSNBC's primetime flagship, The Rachel Maddow Show, at 9 p.m. The show delivered its lowest-rated month since it debuted in September 2008 (717,000 total viewers) and its second lowest with adults 25-54 (210,000). Maddow was topped by typical time slot victor Sean Hannity and CNN's Piers Morgan.

Read More Now.

NJ 101.5 Radio Hosts Get Heat For Animal Abuse Comments


Franco, Malloy (Star-Ledger photo)
WKXW NJ 101.5 radio hosts Dennis Malloy, Judi Franco and Ray Rossi are under fire after controversial conversations they had on air last week about animal abuse.

During a mid-day and overnight radio show on May 21, hosts brought up the topic of animal abuse and Sammy, the Cocker Spaniel that was abused and brought to the Associated Humane Society in Tinton Falls in a plastic bag and covered in urine.

According to a posting on the station website, social media posts said Malloy and Franco said animal rights activists need to get their priorities straight, while a statement from 101.5 said “there were spirited discussions of the relative importance of human rights and animal rights, as well as the passions of animal rights proponents, which involved calls from audience members.”

A tweet was also sent by @JLNunyabusiness to Franco stating "R U not aware that animals feel pain, fear, emotion just like us? Would U like 2B concreted in your own urine & feces? Starved?" Franco, using the Twitter handle @judifranco, replied stating, “actually they don't. But thanks for listening!!"

The tweet and Franco’s account have since been deleted.

Sammy
Sammy supporters and loyal listeners who were outraged took to social media to express their disgust with the comments made on the show.

The Associated Humane Society also discussed the talk show on their Facebook page.

“Wow.....very disappointed in our New Jersey radio station, NJ 101.5. Their talk show hosts, Dennis and Judy, have poked fun several times over the years at ‘animal rights activists’.....which are merely people that care about animals and take an interest in their well-being,” the post said. “We would like to invite those at this radio station to come and visit our facility, or any of our three facilities, and see for themselves that animals DO in fact feel pain and have emotions. And that the people that work with them and care for them do NOT have their priorities mixed up.”

According to the Sammy the Cocker Spaniel Facebook page, Rossi also allegedly said 'untrue, hurtful' statements on air about Martin Mondoker, one of the pages administrators. Rossi posted an apology on the Facebook page.

“I would like to take this time to apologize for some things that were said about Martin that had nothing to do with his position on seeking justice for Sammy the cocker spaniel,” Rossi posted without elaborating on what was said.

People also called on the station on social media to release full transcripts or recordings of the show. The 101.5 statement released Tuesday included a partial transcript of the show with the hosts stating they do not support animal cruelty.

Facebook user Dawn Witzel Lowery wrote on the 101.5 page, "If you have nothing to hide, release the FULL Sammy transcript. People who think animal abuse is funny are no better than the actual abusers themselves. These 3 people should not work in public media. Get them out of there!!!”

Franco, Malloy
A petition on change.org calling for Rossi, Franco and Malloy to be fired has also reached more than 6,000 signatures, and several Facebook pages were created on Sunday asking people to boycott the station and fire the hosts.

The 101.5 statement also talked about the show and social media conversation surrounding animal abuse.

“Unfortunately, some of the online commentary regarding the discussions which transpired on these programs has become dislocated from the facts,” the statement said. “New Jersey 101.5 and its employees do not condone or make light of animal abuse. Animal abuse is a vile phenomenon and perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There is no place for animal abuse in civilized society.”

Click here to read the full statement released by 101.5


“Judi and I were simply attempting to have a discussion about changing opinions on animal cruelty in the last few years,” Malloy said in the statement. “We referenced a recent criminal case related to animal cruelty in New Jersey. We pointed out several times the heinous nature of the acts involved in the criminal case. We were attempting to draw out a discussion regarding the appropriateness of equating the life and rights of an animal with those of a human.”




AP Style Book turns 60

The AP Stylebook is marking its 60th anniversary with the 2013 print edition, which includes more than 90 new or updated entries  and broadens the guidelines on social media.

At about 500 pages, the AP Stylebook is widely used in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. More than a dozen of the new entries are in the sections on food (such as Benedictine and Grand Marnier, madeleine and upside-down cake)  and fashion (chichi and froufrou).

The new entry on mental illness gives guidelines on when references are relevant, particularly in stories involving violent crime, and how they should be reported.  The entry on illegal immigration, widely reported when it was announced in April, prohibits use of the term illegal immigrant, except in direct quotations essential to a story. Use of the word illegal is limited to an  action, not a person.

The section on social media has been expanded with additional terms and definitions, including  circles, flash mob and Google Hangout. Also broadened is information on how to secure, authenticate, attribute and reference user-generated content for text, photo captions and video scripts.

The weapons section spells out differences between assault rifle and assault weapon, magazine and clip, and pistol and revolver, and adds entries on bolt-action and lever-action rifles.

The 2013 edition consolidates a number of changes  made since the 2012 volume was published. Stylebook Online is updated throughout the year, as AP editors make additions or changes.

The AP Stylebook editors will answer your questions about the new book today at 2:30 p.m. EDT in a Twitter chat.



TuneIn Snags Funding, Looks To Grow

Online radio powerhouse TuneIn Wednesday announced it has raised a $25 million round of funding led by Institutional Venture Partners. IVP invested just under $20 million while existing investors Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and General Catalyst Partners, took the opportunity to put more skin in the game, according to Forbes.

IVP partner Jules Maltz will be taking a spot on TuneIn’s board. The company also announced it has hired a new chief financial officer, Axel Martinez, former assistant treasurer of Google.

The Palo Alto, California-based TuneIn boasts over 40 million monthly active listeners around the world and over 1 billion listening hours in the first 4 months of 2013. The service also surpassed one billion listening hours between January and April of this year. With these kinds of numbers, the digital radio company claims to be second only to Pandora in the space.


Report: TuneIn Funding a Good Sign for Radio

Glenn Peoples
More people are listening to Internet radio and they're listening longer. Self-reported time spent listening to online radio was about 12 hours in the first quarter of 2013, almost double the six hours, 13 minutes five years earlier, according to Arbitron. During that time span, the percent of listeners 12 and older that listen to online radio weekly rose more than doubled to 33% from 13%.

Investors should continue to put money into the Internet radio space because so much potential exists, according to Glenn Peoples at billboard.com.  It may seem like TuneIn, Pandora and others are faced with stiff competition from established and growing companies, but the typical digital service offers radio only as a feature. Spotify, Google Play Music All Access, Rhapsody, Rdio and Deezer don't focus just on radio. Apple will be unique in that its pending Internet radio service will be a standalone service.

The radio market has room for Apple. In the U.S. alone there are 243 million radio listeners aged 12 and that listen for more than two hours a day, according to Arbitron. And while Pandora has a big lead in the U.S., the playing field is much more level in other markets. A huge, global market is just waiting to be disrupted by companies that focus only on Internet radio.


MC: Katie Tells Stern NBC Wanted Her Back

Katie Couric Tuesday revealed the possibility of reuniting with Matt Lauer on "Today" was talked about.

Couric, who has her own syndicated talk show, "Katie," appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show on Tuesday and talked about the possibility of she and her former co-anchor getting back together.



Stern told Couric that she should straighten out the troubles at "Today," which began with the ousting of co-anchor Ann Curry last summer. Now the once top-rated morning show is trailing ABC's "Good Morning America."

Report: FOX Mole’s Book Digs Dirt On FNC

Joe Muto, the Fox News Channel producer who was outed in April 2012 for writing posts and leaking unused Fox News video clips to Gawker, was uncovered by the network and fired only 36 hours after the first leak.

Now, “An Atheist in the FOXhole: A Liberal’s 8-year Odyssey Inside the Heart of the Right-Wing Media,” will be released on June 4. In it, Muto chronicles what really goes on with Fox chief Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly, among others.

“I’m guessing they’re not thrilled with this book,” he told NYDaily News Confidenti@l. “It wasn’t my idea to get fired in a blaze of glory.”

But he did — and he knows all the secrets.

A former producer for “The O’Reilly Factor,” Muto says he still has nightmares about his old boss.  “Bill does a lot of yelling and ridiculing,” he said. “We’d have pitch meetings twice a week, he’d stand us up in a row and shoot down our ideas one by one and laugh at us.”

Sarah Palin: “She is every bit as good-looking, and is also every bit as dumb, as they say,” he says. “We knew immediately it was not working out with her.”

Music Artists Support OK at Tornado Benefit Concert

“Everyday people are the ones who are making miracles / And it's beautiful," Reba McEntire sings on the chorus of "Everyday People," her 2007 duet with Carole King.

McEntire was just one of many performers at the Healing in the Heartland concert in Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena, which benefited those whose lives were impacted by the tornadoes that ravaged parts of the state on May 20.

According to THR, the one-hour show on NBC-TV, was organized by country artist and Oklahoma native Blake Shelton, and featured a number of musicians, all of whom urged viewers to donate to United Way's tornado relief fund by texting, calling or visiting the organization's Facebookpage.

Shelton kicked off the evening with a heartfelt performance of "God Gave Me You," he and his backing band donned in black.

Fellow country star Vince Gill served up one of the more poignant moments of the evening. "It's sure good to be home. I'd like to do this song for 24 people that didn't make it," Gill said, referencing the lives lost in the tornado before performing an intimate "Threaten Me With Heaven."

Shelton's wife, Miranda Lambert, sang a tribute to the pets lost or displaced during the storms. "The House That Built Me" featured shots of animals found in the rescue efforts, while Lambert, overcome with emotion, prompted the audience to sing along while she gathered her composure.


In addition to the performances, many celebrities appeared onscreen to express their support for the relief efforts, including country legend Garth Brooks, NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and NBC late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno.

Read More Now.

Radio Is On The Powerline..Again

The Tom Kent Radio Network has announced it is bringing back “Powerline” hosted by legendary air personality Brother Jon Rivers.

Rivers was the original host of Powerline when it was a Sunday morning “God Squad” staple at Top 40 radio in the 70s, 80s, and 90s and aired worldwide on over 2,000 stations.

The program returns  TKRN’s “24/7 FUN” classic hits network Sunday mornings and will be made available as a stand-alone show for  Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits stations as weekend Sunday programming.

Jon Rivers
TKRN CEO  Tom Kent said, “Brother Jon Rivers is not only an iconic great air talent but also one of the best people I’ve ever known in this business. He’s a good guy with a tremendous passion for delivering excellent radio and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have Brother Jon in our ever expanding talent pool. Radio loves Powerline and is over the top excited about it's return."

Brother Jon Rivbers stated “When my dear friend Tom Kent offered me a chance to help bring back the show it was a joyous day! I have admired Tom for even longer than I hosted Powerline.”

In addition to hosting Powerline, Brother Jon Rivers has programmed and worked mornings at KLTY and KNUS in Dallas as well as KILT in Houston. He also hosts the nationally syndicated show “20, The Countdown Magazine”.

Bismark, ND Radio: 'PMS' Returns To KFYR

PMS In The Morning
Mark Armstrong returned to his radio personality roots this week for what appears to be a permanent basis. Now a Burleigh County commissioner, he has reunited with his “P.M.S. in the Morning” co-star Phil Parker for their early morning radio show that first ran from 1990 to 1999 on KFYR 550 AM. The show airs 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. on weekdays.

He told the Bismark Tribune Wednesday that he “will keep the day job” — his full-time duties as communications liaison at the state Workforce Safety & Insurance Agency. He will also continue as county commissioner for the next 18 months. Armstrong said he won’t seek re-election to the county commission. “I don’t believe anybody should serve more than two terms in office,” he said.

As before, Armstrong said his radio duties will include reading the news every half hour and bantering with Parker on various topics and trends. He looks at Clear Channel-owned KFYR Radio as a three-hour part-time morning job..

“I’ve always been kind of a workaholic,” Armstrong said when he was asked how he balances it all. “We’ve been talking about doing this for a couple of years now.”

Radio has come naturally since he first started 40 years ago at age 17, said Armstrong. “People say they like my voice ... I was getting up at the same time (as the radio show) anyway and not working.” He said he is wired to be busy.

He doesn’t believe there is any real conflict of interest being on the air and being a local and state public official. “I’m reading the news. I’m not creating it. ... There will be some crossover now and then. Reading the news is fairly neutral,” he explained.


Internet Radio: Most Stations Make Nothing

Gerald Gaule
Gerald Gaule once weighed 540 pounds, but he cut that to 246 with gastric bypass surgery three years ago, and now he's started two Internet radio stations with plans to add a third.

"I have a face for radio," jokes Gaule, 49 tooregonlive.com, a veteran of little AM radio stations from Colorado to Oregon's Stayton, Sweet Home, Woodburn, Albany, Eugene and Springfield to Longview and the old KAAR AM 1480 that operated in Vancouver from 1981 to 1987.   Gaule lives in Hazle Dell, OR.

He worked for Omni Media, the digital media agency for a while, but after a 23-year career, mostly in AM radio, he moved back to Vancouver last July.

He is now the owner-manager-engineer of KAARadio-Oldies (1954-79) (Listen-Line: Click Here) and Country Lovin Radio Classics (1927-89) (Listen-Line: Click Here).  KAAR is "a tribute station," to the job he loved at KAAR AM 1480, he said, operating in his closet-sized studio in his apartment in Hazel Dell. His third station will be adult contemporary, perhaps called "The Breeze," he says.

He plays tunes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, peppering the offerings with old radio shows, news spots and information. He works from his personal collection of more than 30,000 classic pop and 20,000 country music songs, all of which he has digitized for his three computers. He says he has maybe 10,000 easy listening songs. But he has no way of knowing how many listeners he has beyond the occasional emails he gets from fans.

Gaule's stations are among hundreds of thousands of Internet stations operating in the United States, few of them turning a profit.

Joe Kenney, CEO of the profitable Pandora Internet radio system, says in a recent videotaped online interview that these stations are intimate and personalized.

Some make money by selling advertising or soliciting donations. Most make nothing.

Internet Radio: Dr. Demento Plays On

Dr. Demento
The doctor's program - and indeed, his identity - has its roots at former local underground station KPPC, now KROQ, 106.7 FM Los Angeles and according to the Press-Telegram in Long Beach,  is tied to a song by an artist called Nervous Norvus (real name Jimmy Drake) called "Transfusion," released in 1956.

In the song, Drake sings a cheery tune of careless driving, each verse ending with the sound effect of a car crash and lyrics talking of receiving a transfusion. Each verse ends with a promise of better driving; each verse starts with more bad driving.

For about six months prior to his being hired by the station for his own show, Barry Hansen would make weekly guest appearances on KPCC's "The Obscene," Steven Clean's show to play songs. One day in 1970 he played "Transfusion;" Clean thought it weird enough to muse that Hansen had to be demented to play it.

On that day, Dr. Demento was born.

Once he was officially hired, his show was actually a rock oldies show, but the novelty records he added began to get traction. Soon the show evolved into an all-novelty song program. Those were the days of creative programming especially on the freeform FM stations. Nothing like this could happen today.

The days of KPPC would be numbered, however, with the entire air staff being fired in October 1971. Hansen took his show to KMET, now KTWV, 94.7 FM, in early 1972, where it ran every Sunday night until that station's demise on Valentine's Day 1987. Hansen later did live, local shows for KLSX,now KAMP, 97.1 FM, from 1987 to 1992, and KSCA 101.9 FM from 1994 to 1997. A syndicated version was heard on stations across the country from 1974 to 2010, when the program left radio for good, a victim of media consolidation and changing tastes. The novelty of novelty records had apparently run its course.

So where is he now? Living in Lakewood, still playing novelty records and producing a new show every week. But like many other DJs who were pushed to the curb as part of the great media consolidation push, he can be found on the Internet. So instead of hearing the programs on your FM radio, you just point your computer browser to drdemento.com.

Nashville Radio: WSM-AM Launches Joey + Rory Show

Joey & Rory
Country duo Joey and Rory have partnered with Crosley Radio, which is a manufacturer of antique reproductions of consumer electronics with modern technology. The radio company will be the presenting sponsor of Joey and Rory's new radio show that debuts on Saturday, July 6 on Nashville's 650 AM WSM.

The show is aptly titled "Joey + Rory Radio Show," and will be the weekly lead in to the live radio broadcast of the world famous Grand Ole Opry.

According to examiner.com, the show will feature old radio clips from the Opry's 80 year history, including performances from the television show, live acoustic performances, recipe tips, inspirational stories, and some of the duo's favorite country music today and yesterday.

The show is centered around their daily routine from their farmhouse in Pottsville, Tennessee.

With their partnership, Crosley Radio will also be their sponsor for the third season of the couple's popular weekly television program, "The Joey+Rory Show," which airs on RFD-TV. The new season airs on Friday, July 5. Crosley Radio is also a proud sponsor of Joey+Rory's almost sold out "5th Annual Bib & Buckle Fest," that takes place on June 1.

States Bo LeMastus, CEO of Crosley Radio, "We are tickled to death to be part of Joey+Rory's radio show and tv show. Everything they do is just so sincere and genuine, and their music is so inspiring. Their brand and what they represent is exactly what our brand is all about. The minute they brought up the idea of Crosley being a sponsor we said 'YES!"


“We’re thrilled, and honored, to have the chance to partner with Crosley Radio and 650 AM WSM for this new radio show,” Rory says.

R.I.P.: Clarence Burke Jr. Five Stairsteps Lead

Clarence Burke Jr.
Clarence Burke, Jr., the original lead singer of the Five Stairsteps, has died according to a number of reliable sites; however, no reason for his death has been announced.

He was 62, according to VVN Music.

The original Five Stairsteps were made up of five of the children of Betty and Clarence Burke, Sr., Clarence, Jr., James, Dennis, Kenneth and daughter Alohe.  They started in 1958 with their father as their manager and playing bass in their band and played around their hometown of Chicago until winning a talent contest at the Regal Theater.


Record companies came forward with the winner being Curtis Mayfield and his Windy City label. Mayfield took the group under his wing and produced all of their original recordings, the first four of which made the national R&B top twenty (You Waited Too Long (1966 / #16 R&B / #94 Pop), World of Fantasy (1966 / #12 R&B / #49 Pop), Comeback (1966 / #15 R&B / #61 Pop) and Danger! She's a Stranger (1967 / #16 R&B / #89 Pop).

When Windy City moved to Buddah Records, Clarence, Jr. took over the production and the family's young brother, Cubie, was added, making the group.

In the spring of 1970, the group released their biggest hit O-o-h Child, which only made it to number 8 on the Pop chart and 14 on R&B but has gone on to become one of the most loved R&B singles from the 70's.

R.I.P. Marvin Junior Lead For The Dells

Marvin Junior
Marvin Junior, the lead singer of The Dells, has passed away.

Junior died from kidney failure and had a weak heart, his son Marvin Junior Jr. told ABC7.

He says he died surrounded by family in his home in Harvey around 3:15 pm on Wednesday afternoon.

He was 77.

He grew up in suburban Harvey and began singing together with the other members of the group while attending Thornton Township High School.

The Dells formed in 1952 under the name The El-Rays. In 1956, they recorded their first hit, "Oh What a Night."  In 1969, The Dells released a smooth verision of the original hit.