Saturday, October 19, 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

NYC Radio: CC's WOR To Acquire Rights For MLB's Mets

The New York Mets have found of new home, according to The NY Daily News.

MLB sources said the team has reached an agreement in principle with Clear Channel Media, owner of WOR 710 AM, on a multi-year package. An announcement of the deal could come next week.

Clear Channel will have the right to select the announcers. Sources said the only decision already made on that front is to bring Howie Rose, the veteran play-by-play voice, back to the booth.

Sources indicated the Mets were able to obtain more that the $7 million per year they were getting in their deal with WFAN.

Besides WOR, Clear Channel owns five FM stations — Z100, Lite FM, WKTU, Q104.3 and Power 101.5. The Mets will be heavily promoted on these channels, which reach a diverse listenership in terms of demographics. A concert series tieing the radio station and the Mets together could also be in the works.

The Mets, whose contract with WFAN ended at the end of this season, became a radio free agent when CBS,which owns FAN, cut a 10-year deal with the Yankees.

Clear Channel owns the rights to the baseball radio rights to the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians and the Houston Radio.

Read More Now

Report: All-Digital AM Tests Called ‘Promising’

Positive results reported from all-digital AM tests of 50,000-watt blowtorch signal, according to InsideRadio.

Early results from the first-ever  significant tests of all-digital AM broadcasting on a class A station produced “remarkably robust” reception, according to an  engineer involved in the trials.

The tests were conducted on Greater Media’s news/talk WBT1110 AM in Charlotte, and focused on mobile and skywave signal reception. NAB Labs and iBiquity have been working with broadcasters to test all-digital AM  transmission on different station classes.

The most recent trials, which took place from 1am-5am on August 17 and August
18 on WBT’s 50,000-watt clear channel signal, follow earlier tests on a class B and an expanded band AM.


Five vehicles equipped with factory-installed HD radios and laptops running custom software to monitor  signal reception were used. While final results are still being analyzed by NAB Labs, Greater Media VP of radio engineering  Milford “Smitty” Smith says WBT’s all-digital AM signal was “remarkably robust” in the Charlotte metro. Smith says the signal coverage area was “quite good” but still requires further analysis and testing.

The tradeoff for going all-digital on AM is millions of analog receivers would become obsolete. But CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason sees an analog AM sunset as a viable solution, providing there is a long-term transition plan, similar to TV’s seven-year digital conversion.

Clear Channel Adds Muscle To Its Lobbying Efforts

Clear Channel wants to dive even deeper into the political game. The company has hired seasoned political operatives Will Leaverton and Brice Kornegay. Both have been named vice presidents of political strategy.

According to the San Antonio Business Journal, Leaverton and Kornegay will report directly to Nathan Daschle, executive vice president of political strategy for Clear Channel, and will be based out of Washington, D.C.

The new hires will develop and execute “Go To Market” strategies for various outlets in the political marketplace, utilizing Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s local and national on air, digital, mobile, live event and outdoor assets.

Clear Channel established its political strategy team back in June. The relatively new company initiative focuses on political and issue advertisers and agencies, giving those clients access to Clear Channel’s 840 radio stations, its iHeartRadio digital platform and a network of more than 125,000 outdoor displays.

D/FW Radio: Salem's KSKY To Add Sean Hannity To Line-Up

Salem Communications Corporation announced today that national talk radio star Sean Hannity will be joining its NewsTalk station in Dallas, KSKY 660 AM The Answer, effective January 1st, 2014.

Hannity will be aired live from 2pm to 5pm CT.

Hannity is the 2nd most listened to radio talk show host in America, heard daily on over 500 stations. He is also host of his own TV program seen nightly at 10pm ET on the Fox News Channel. Hannity launched his nationally syndicated radio show from WABC in New York the day before 9/11 on about 50 stations, and soon became the fastest growing nationally syndicated talk show in history.

"After 5 years I am finally re-joined with the monster I helped create," said Salem Communications VP Director, Spoken Word Format Phil Boyce. Boyce hired Hannity when he was the program director of WABC in 1996, moved him into afternoon drive in 1998, and spearheaded his national launch in 2001, before leaving WABC in 2008.

"When the opportunity arose to place Sean on one of our top NewsTalk stations in Dallas, I had to ask the question 'are you kidding me?' 660 AM The Answer Dallas has already substantially benefited from hiring the highly popular Mark Davis from WBAP and Jon David Wells from KLIF. We anticipate continued strong audience growth as we have experienced over the last year with the addition of Hannity to our excellent line up of local and national hosts."

"This is going to be one of the best lineups in all of talkradio, with Bill Bennett early mornings, Mark Davis 7 to 10am, Mike Gallagher 10am to Noon, Dennis Prager Noon to 2pm, Hannity 2 to 5pm, and Michael Medved 5 to 8pm," said Boyce. Jon David Wells, who has been holding down the fort in the 2 to 5pm slot, will move to 8pm. "Jon David has done a great job for us and I am delighted he will be staying with the station."

Salem's commitment to the NewsTalk format is in full effect in Dallas, where 660 AM The Answer can be heard on 3 different FM translators. 

Filmmaker Sues Sony Over Beatles ‘Lost Concert’

Sony blocked a documentary filmmaker from using footage of the Beatles' first U.S. concert by falsely claiming ownership of the 35-minute tape at the 11th hour, the filmmaker claims in a $100 million lawsuit.

According to Courthouse News Service, Ace Arts sued Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Apple Corps Ltd. in Federal Court.

Ace says it planned to distribute its film, "The Beatles: The Lost Concert," about the band's impact in America "from the vantage point of the group's first United States concert" in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 1964.

Ace claims: "The company that funded, taped, and exhibited the D.C. Concert allowed to film of the concert (the 'Tape') to be transferred without copyright protection. No copyright was ever filed on the performances recorded on the tape or the tape itself."

Parts of the 35-minute tape are included in the 86-minute documentary.

But Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "to curry favor with defendant Apple (Corps Limited), asserted spurious copyright infringement threats with respect to a public domain tape of the D.C. concert included in the documentary," the filmmaker claims.

Ace, a New York City-based filmmaker, says it contracted with more than 500 theaters across the country, sold tickets and promoted the documentary, which was to debut at the Ziegfeld Theater on May 6, 2011. It spent more than $1 million producing the documentary, and hoped for a box office draw of more than $50 million.

But "at the eleventh hour, before the early May premier, Sony/ATV, at the insistence of, and in conspiracy with, Apple Corps, wrongly interfered with the distribution contract by making false statements directly to Screenvision (and likely others) concerning Ace's legal right to exhibit the documentary," the lawsuit states.

Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.  Sony/ATV claims copyrights to eight songs and four cover versions of songs written by other musicians.

Letterman's Top Ten List

Top Ten Things American's said when the government shutdowen ended.

Report: Majority Of Americans Now Own Smartphone


For the first time since the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project began systematically tracking smartphone adoption, a majority of Americans now own a smartphone of some kind. Pew's definition of a smartphone owner includes anyone who says “yes” to one—or both—of the following questions:
  • 55% of cell phone owners say that their phone is a smartphone.
  • 58% of cell phone owners say that their phone operates on a smartphone platform common to the U.S. market.
Taken together, 61% of cell owners said yes to at least one of these questions and are classified as smartphone owners. Because 91% of the adult population now owns some kind of cell phone, that means that 56% of all American adults are now smartphone adopters. One third (35%) have some other kind of cell phone that is not a smartphone, and the remaining 9% of Americans do not own a cell phone at all.

Chicago Radio: WGN Wants Reduced Price To Carry Cubs

If the Cubs want to continue their long relationship with WGN-AM 720, dating back to 1925, they likely will have to do it at a reduced price, according to Ed Sherman at The Chicago Tribune.

Strapped with an expensive rights deal and sharply declining ratings because of the Cubs' struggles on the field, WGN is exercising an option to re-open their contract with the team.

Broadcast sources say WGN is losing significant money on the Cubs broadcasts, with listeners and advertisers tuning out a team that has lost 197 games in the last two years.

Cubs games still will air on the station in 2014, but beyond that, the two sides will have to agree on a new deal.

WGN-AM President Jimmy de Castro declined to discuss any of the specifics of the situation. However, he stressed several times that he hopes the Cubs continue to be on WGN.

"Like any contract, there are periods where you do a business analysis," de Castro said. "Both the Cubs and WGN are looking at it. We love our partnership and we hope it continues forever. The contract calls for us to take a look at it and we're going to do that."

In other words: Forever will end abruptly if the money isn't right for WGN.

Broadcast insiders say the current contract calls for WGN to pay as much as $10 million per year to Cubs ("Maybe more," said one source), making it one of the most expensive in Major League Baseball.

The Yankees recently signed a deal with WFAN in New York, calling for an annual payout estimated in the $15-20 million range.

St. Louis Radio: Pujols' Rejects Polygraph Offer

Pujols, Clark
An attorney for former Cardinals star Albert Pujols, who is suing former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark for defamation, said it was “an absurd publicity ploy” for Clark’s attorney to suggest both men take lie-detector tests rather than resort to litigation.

According to stltoday.com, Martin Singer, an attorney in Los Angeles, where Pujols now plays for the Angels, wrote that his client would be willing to testify under oath about Clark’s claims that Pujols used steroids.

“Sworn testimony under penalty of perjury — not inadmissible polygraphs and absurd publicity ploys — is what counts,” Singer wrote.

The statement was a response to an offer made Monday in a letter from Clark’s attorney to Pujols’ legal team. Clark’s attorney Al Watkins proposed settling the lawsuit by both sides submitting to polygraph tests.

Clark was sued by Pujols on Oct. 4 in St. Louis County over comments Clark made in early August during “The King and The Ripper” sports talk program on WGNU 920 AM. Clark said on-air he knew for a fact that Pujols “was a juicer.” He also claimed that former Pujols trainer Chris Mihlfeld confided in him about shooting up Pujols with performance-enhancing drugs in 2000. Mihlfeld has denied saying that to Clark. The radio show was canceled. The company that produced the show, insideSTL, issued a lengthy retraction and apology.

The Savage Call

In what has been termed a radio pep call, Michael Savage yesterday was introduced by Cumulus CEO John Dickey, to affiliates and prospective new affiliates.

Savage like the conference call introduction so much, he aired it on his Thursday show.



Dickey heaped praise on the veteran talker as the company introduced the talker to PD's all over the country in anticipation of his January 1 move to afternoon drive.  Dickey said Savage ““There’s a fine line between intellectual genius and crazines and he walks that line wonderfully.”  Dickey addedSavage “is a great storyteller…we forget that we are in the business of theater of the mind, getting people to spend more time with us” by telling stories that connect with the listener.

The Savage move comes on the heels of Cumulus and Sean Hannity parting ways.  See original posting, Click Here.

AccuWeather Offers Service To Spanish Language Stations

Sun Broadcast Group, Inc. announced Thursday that it has entered into a sales and syndication agreement with AccuWeather, Inc. to provide a branded weather reporting service to Spanish language radio stations.

Along with affiliating and distributing the hourly reports, Sun’s Spanish language division, Sun Latino, will handle ad sales and sponsorships.

“When we formed Sun Latino we aimed to become the #1 network for information”, said Jason Bailey, Sun Broadcast Group CEO. “With AccuWeather en Español joining our lineup of Fox Deportes and CNN en Español, we’ve clearly accomplished that goal. Stations and advertisers alike now have just one network to call that provides the trusted brands that inform their audience.”

AccuWeather en Español will be offered to affiliates as fully customized daily weather reports with the power of the complete AccuWeather team by their side. Stations will receive local updates voiced by AccuWeather reporters 7 days a week as well as breaking weather reports as conditions warrant. AccuWeather en Español is the only weather product to be offered by a major source to the fast growing Spanish language radio community.

"This milestone marks a new chapter in the growth of our business as the leading provider of weather forecasts to the Spanish language radio community" said Evan Myers, Chief Operating Officer at AccuWeather. "We have a commitment to superior accuracy and delivering high-quality weather forecasts that customers depend on daily."

Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo Launches Today On SiriusXM


Sirius XM Radio announced today’s launch of “El Show de Piolin,” hosted by Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo.  For Piolin’s first show, confirmed guests include international singer/songwriter Enrique Iglesias, acclaimed actresses Angelica Vale, Angelica Maria and Kate del Castillo, and Banda El Recodo.  

“El Show de Piolin” features Piolin’s take on the day’s events, interviews with celebrities, listener call-ins, pranks, music and beloved characters “Dona Chela,” “Casimiro” and “Don Poncho.” Broadcasting from the SiriusXM studios in Los Angeles, Piolin is the first Latin radio personality to host his own Spanish-language show and channel exclusively on SiriusXM.  The live, four-hour morning show airs Monday through Friday 6:00 am – 10:00 am PDT reaching listeners across the country and will replay multiple times throughout the day on Piolin Radio channel 147.

Listeners coast-to-coast can listen to “El Show de Piolin” on SiriusXM Piolin Radio channel 147, along with a special line-up of exclusive Spanish and English-language commercial-free music channels and sports, news, talk and entertainment channels, through SiriusXM Espanol, the $5.99 monthly satellite subscription offer.  Fans can listen free through the “Piolin y mas,” the complimentary trial running through February 15, 2014, giving listeners access to “El Show de Piolin” via the SiriusXM Internet App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online.

The programming package for the low-cost subscription offer and the limited-time, free online offer both include more than 50 specially selected English and Spanish language.

Disney/ABC Explores Sale Of Local TV Stations

UPDATE 10/19/2013 8AM: Walt Disney is not now trying to sell its local ABC television stations, sources have told FOX Business.
The Burbank, Calif.-based media conglomerate was said to be considering a sale of the broadcast stations back in 2010, when it sold two smaller market stations in Flint, Mich., and Toledo, Ohio.

10/18 Posting....

Walt Disney Co. is looking to hire an investment bank to explore a possible sale of its eight owned and operated television stations, a move that could reap billions, The NY Post has learned.

Disney’s ABC-affiliated stations are in larger markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and reach roughly 23 percent of US TV households.

The is not the first time Disney has flirted with selling its broadcast group, and sources cautioned that the media giant is still mulling the idea and may decide against it.

Disney isn’t considering a sale of the ABC network, according to sources.

Disney CEO Bob Iger is interested in what the broadcast business could fetch now that station valuations are much higher than when the company last explored a sale in 2010.

In July, Tribune paid $2.73 billion for 19 stations owned by Local TV, while Sinclair paid $985 million for seven Allbritton-owned stations. Earlier, Gannett bought Belo and its 20 stations for $1.5 billion.

There has been a wave of consolidation as companies buy up TV stations to reap the rising “retransmission” fees cable companies and other distributors cough up for the right to carry broadcast signals.

The more stations a company owns, the more leverage it has when it enters negotiations with pay-TV providers such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable.

Radio: Follow the Rules, If You Interview Britney

Britney will grant you three questions, which she may not answer, according to The NY Daily News.

Pop star Britney Spears recently ended a radio blitz promoting her Las Vegas residency, which starts in December, and her handlers are leaving nothing to chance.

Spears recently did a spree of radio spots, with the stations told that their five-minute interviews could discuss only Brit-Brit’s Vegas show, her new single and her “Britney Jean” album. Just in case there were any doubts about the rules, stations are being informed that these orders are “so everyone is clear — no personal questions and no funny business.”



Radio insiders say efforts to limit Spears’ opportunities to embarrass herself are doing the complete opposite, even when interviewers stick to the “assigned parameters.”

Deejays Roula and Ryan from Houston’s 104.1 KRBE recently had their taped segment pulled when it turned out to be an absolute disaster.

“We thought we could make something out of the ‘rules’ dictated before the interview, but as we commenced the interview, we quickly realized this was a one-sided conversation,” said Roula. “That is not entertaining to our audience.”

Spears’ reps argue the info they provided was not a mandate, but rather an aid to make the radio spots move along smoothly.

Obama Hits Radio 'Talking Heads' Who 'Profit From Conflict'

Demanding a change to the way business is done in Washington, President Barack Obama on Thursday urged lawmakers to ignore lobbyists, bloggers, "talking heads on radio" and "the professional activists who profit from conflict," according to Politico.

"How business is done in this town has to change," Obama said during a press conference. "Now that the government is reopened and this threat to our economy is removed, all of us need to stop focusing on the lobbyists and the bloggers and the talking heads on radio and the professional activists who profit from conflict, and focus on what the majority of Americans sent us here to do — and that's grow this economy."

"There's a lot of noise out there, and the pressure from the extremes affect how a lot of members of Congress see the day-to-day work that's supposed to be done here," he said.



Media Shapes Views of Low-Information Voters

A funny television feature by Dan Joseph on MRCTV prompted Janice Shaw Crouse of The American Thinker to question how public opinion could possibly be so distorted these days.



In man-on-the-street interviews, the reporter asked numerous people whether President Obama or President Bush was responsible for the government shutdown. A hilarious succession of people solemnly declared that President Bush is the one responsible. According to Crouse, while the interviews are laughable, the problem of "low-information voters" is not funny at all. A republic whose educational and cultural institutions produce voters that are ill informed cannot hope to arrive at good civic decisions.

Evidence that the public is not well-informed abounds. According to the Pew Research Center's biennial survey, television is still the public's top news source (69 percent) and the public still believes that journalists are the ones who make sense of issues and conflicts (54 percent) and that the press is a "watchdog" preventing political leaders from misleading the public (43 percent).

Yet,writes Crouse,  a fawning New York City reporter, WABC's Diana Williams, interviewed President Obama, asking him if he felt any responsibility for the government shutdown.

Astoundingly, the president accepted absolutely no responsibility whatsoever, calling the standoff purely a result of the "bad strategy" of the GOP, aimed at "blindsiding" the Democrats and "extracting ransom."

Crouse opines that the reporter left unchallenged Obama's self-serving statements that painted him as "above the fray" and totally innocent of any involvement in the political crisis. Despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, the president claimed that he had a "track record of consistently seeking compromise," to the point that members of his party "were critical of him," but that he "always does what is best for the country." The reporter summed up the interview by calling him "calm, thoughtful and kind." Calm, perhaps. Kind? Crouse wonders, “What planet has this reporter been living on for the last five years?”

The Catchiest Songs Of All time Are…

Kylie Minogue
They are the songs that inspire a love-hate relationship - the ones we love to listen to but then remain stuck in our heads for hours.

And, according to the Daily Mail,  yesterday it emerged Kylie Minogue’s aptly-titled Can’t Get You Out Of My Head has acquired the title of catchiest song of all time in a poll which saw a string of celebrities nominate their favorites.  The British celebs nominated tunes they still found themselves humming along to hours after listening to them.

Scientists hope the findings will help future research into Alzheimer’s disease, allowing them to use the catchiest musical fragments to trigger memories.

The poll of 700 people was designed to launch the largest ever experiment into what makes music memorable organized by Manchester Science Festival.

Minogue’s track was followed closely in second place by Robin Thicke’s Blurred lines and Daft Punks summer hit Get Lucky.

In fourth place came Abba’s SOS, followed by The Birdie Song by the Tweets and the Soprano’s theme tune Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3 which was nominated in sixth place.



NYC Radio: CCM+E, Empire State Building To Light Up Halloween

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has announced with its partner Clear Channel Media and Entertainment that they will join together to give New York City and the world a special Halloween Trick and Treat. The Empire State Building (ESB), the International Icon of the Skyline of New York City, will synchronize its LED tower lights to Halloween-themed music broadcast on Clear Channel's powerhouse radio stations WHTZ Z100 and WKTU 103.5 FM at 8:30 p.m. EST, on October 31, 2013.

The skyline spectacular will be choreographed by internationally-acclaimed lighting designer Marc Brickman to a Halloween-inspired soundtrack transmitted from atop ESB. The light and music show will also be featured during the 40(th) anniversary of New York's Greenwich Village Halloween Parade.

"Empire State Building and Clear Channel's first-ever Halloween light show comes on the heels of our premier light show to two songs by Alicia Keys and our performance in the Macy's July 4(th) fireworks display finale. For this show, we have a new surprise several months in the making which will bring even more excitement to New York City's skyline, " said Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman, President and CEO of ESRT. "ESRT and Clear Channel are thrilled to gift our latest light show performance to our global audience to enjoy and share."

"We are excited to partner with Empire State Realty Trust, offering listeners the soundtrack to the Empire State Building's first-ever Halloween LED tower light show," said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. "The Empire State Building is New York City's international landmark and what better way to celebrate this 'All Hallows' Eve' themed light show event than with New York's top hit music stations Z100 and 103.5 KTU."

Following the live performance, fans around the world can watch the official video of the entire light show on the Empire State Building's YouTube page by accessing the following link: www.youtube.com/esbnyc. Individuals are invited to take part in the showcase by utilizing the hashtag #ESBoo on social media channels.

There’s No News Junkie like A Cable TV News Junkie

CableTV news draws a much smaller share of viewers (38%) than local TV news (71%) or network TV news (65%).

But when it comes to time spent watching, cableTV beats the traditional broadcast outlets by a large margin among those who describe themselves as heavy television viewers, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Nielsen data.

The most dedicated cable news viewers average 72 minutes, more than an hour, of home viewing a day. By contrast, heavy viewers of network TV news watch almost 32 minutes a day and heavy viewers of local TV news watch nearly 22 minutes a day.

Viewing time drops off dramatically for the bottom two-thirds of cable news viewers (those who are “medium” and “light” users). Those in the middle tier average slightly more than three minutes of viewing time and those at the bottom catch a glimpse for less than a minute. In those categories of viewers, network TV news and local TV news fare somewhat better.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

FCC Re-Opens For Business


The government shutdown is over, most FCC staffers are supposed to be back at their desks, but, according to the Broadcast Law Blog, not everything is operating as normal yet today.

The Commission has published a notice saying that most filing deadlines that fall on or before October 21 remain suspended, and parties with such deadlines should refrain from filing anything with such a deadline until the FCC issues further guidance. Note that this guidance applies only to FCC deadlines, not court deadlines or other filing dates that may be set by law and cannot be waived by the FCC.  If you have an important filing deadline coming up, Broadcast Law Blog advises to check with counsel as to how this may affect you.

According to BLG, as of 9:45 AM, the FCC's website seems to have returned to operation, though there have been sporadic problems from time to time during the course of the morning. 

It does appear that routine FCC applications can be filed at this time.  But watch for more information as it becomes available for the many deadlines to be faced by broadcasters – including the LPFM window, and the myriad routine filing deadlines which all came and went while the government was closed.

Report: Ted Cruz Held-Up Tom Wheeler Vote As FCC Chair

FCC Nominee Tom Wheeler
Politico is reportings that Mike O’Rielly’s nomination to the FCC was discharged from the Senate Commerce Committee by a late-Wednesday evening unanimous consent request from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

A request had been made earlier in the day that the Senate unanimously confirm Tom Wheeler, the president’s nominee to lead the agency, and O'Rielly — but Reid never asked for UC on the floor.

Politico cites an industry source as indicating that Sen. Ted Cruz — who previously expressed concern over Wheeler’s stance on the Disclose Act — was the hold-up on the nominee for chairman.

The earliest the nominees could move forward is Oct. 28, when the Senate is due back in session. The Senate Committee had been set to vote earlier this month, but the vote was postponed due to the government shutdown.

As furloughed workers start making their way back to work, it’s going to take more than just a flip of the light switch to get back underway. According to the Politico story,  the FCC is postponing its October meeting that was originally set for next Tuesday. It’s unclear right now when it will be held, but the delay is no surprise, given that staff have not had the last 16 days to get things prepared.

Beyond that, expect a flurry of documents to hit the agency’s busy electronic comment filing system as the commission comes back online. It will take some time to sort through them before everything gets back on-track, especially since filings that were due during the shutdown are due the first business day after the commission resumes normal operations.

And even outside of filings, there’s likely to be plenty to catch up on: The Telecommunications Industry Association, for example, wrote to Hill leaders Wednesday asking them to help swiftly restore the FCC’s website so tech manufacturers can get new products approved — the site, by the way, returned just before midnight Wednesday.

Columbia Radio: Personality Cynthia Pryor Hardy Busted

Cynthia Pryor Hardy
A well-known television and radio personality was arrested at the S.C. State Fair on Wednesday, according to The State in Columbia, SC.

Cynthia Pryor Hardy, 54, was charged with possession of marijuana after she was stopped by a metal detector at the entrance to the fair’s north entrance.

Richland County Sheriff’s deputies found a cigar case containing a “partially burned blunt and a rolled up blunt” with approximately 2 grams of marijuana.

Hardy was at the fair to tape an independent talk show that airs on WACH-Fox 57. She was issued a citation and, at the request of fair officials, escorted off the property.

OnPoint!, Hardy’s weekly TV program on WACH-Fox, airs at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. Her show also airs on WWDM 101.3 FM The BigDM weekends.


CCM+E, Black River Entertainment Ink Revenue Sharing Deal


Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and Black River Entertainment, one of Nashville’s premier independent labels, today announced an agreement that will allow Black River’s artists to share in revenue for airplay on Clear Channel’s broadcast and digital radio streams.

This includes Clear Channel’s 850 AM/FM stations serving 150 markets, as well as the iHeartRadio digital radio platform.

Black River Entertainment is home to some of today’s most known country music artists and most promising artists including Glen Templeton and The John King Band.

Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan has had 11 top 20 hits including “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” which went to number one and was the most played song of 2005. Platinum selling singer-songwriter Kellie Pickler made headlines earlier this year following her win on Season 16 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars and has had five Top 20 singles.

Black River Entertainment, which is comprised of Black River Records, Black River Publishing and Black River Management, also owns two legendary Nashville studios – Sound Stage and Ronnie’s Place – that have served as the birthplace for some of America’s best country recordings of the past few decades.

“Every day at Black River, we are focused on finding ways to develop our roster of incredibly talented artists for a long-term career in country music,” said Gordon Kerr, CEO, Black River Entertainment. “We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with Clear Channel and to deliver more for our artists while continuing to bring fans music they love.”

Black River has proven its ability to find, develop and promote an extraordinary set of artists with outstanding musical talent and a genuine passion for country music,” said Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman.

“Clear Channel is delighted to work together with Black River artists, helping lead the way to a sustainable digital music industry that benefits everyone – artists, fans, record labels, and broadcasters.”

Indy Radio: Some Wonder If Bob & Tom Remain On Q95

The radio trades were buzzing over a plan by Indianapolis-based "The Bob & Tom Show" to move operational and advertising sales functions to a Cumulus Media subsidiary on Jan. 1—away from the Premiere Networks distribution arm of rival broadcasting chain Clear Channel Communications.

But, according to the Indy Business Journal,  overlooked in the latest tussle between the giant radio station consolidators is the awkward fact that "Bob & Tom" originates out of Clear Channel’s Indianapolis rock station WFBQ-FM 94.7.


That has some Indianapolis radio executives wondering if the Bob & Tom Show might move up Interstate 465 to Cumulus’  WJJK-FM 104.5, also a classic-rock station.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” said Jay Michaels, program director of WJJK, for whom WFBQ is a direct competitor.

Griswold said the show has “enjoyed a tremendous relationship with Premiere Networks and Clear Channel Media ... for many years."

"Cumulus Media stations have always supported the Bob & Tom Show in some of our largest markets,” he said, adding that he looked forward “to continuing to work with Clear Channel stations in the future.”

That "Bob & Tom" already appears on both Clear Channel and Cumulus stations might mean that a move to WJJK isn’t necessary. A Cumulus Networks spokesman in New York noted that the new arrangement is only to handle operational and advertising sales functions.

Read More Now

Sac Radio: Don Geronimo Signs-Off KHTK

Radio veteran Don Geronimo returned to the air on Sports KHTK1140 AM Wednesday only to bid farewell to Sacramento radio.

Geronimo’s show was pulled off-air October 4 and the station apparently decided to focus more on sports content.

While, Geronimo will be leaving Sacramento, he would remain with CBS Radio and relocate soon.  He also expressed gratitude to his listeners and love for the area.



He joined KHTK in 2010 after a hiatus that followed his departure in 2008 from the syndicated Don and Mike Show.

NYC Radio: Sliwa Interrupts Show To Break-Up Fight

Curtis Sliwa
Red beret-wearing Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa broke up a street fight between two tour guides while live on-air, according to TheNY Post.

His “Curtis Sliwa Show” on WNYM 970 AM The Answer broadcasts from the window of the Hotel Pennsylvania with a view of Seventh Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets.
  
According to his producer, Frank Morano, “A vicious fight broke out outside between tour guides trying to sell tickets for competing bus companies ... Seeing no one else was poised to intervene, Curtis left our broadcast booth right before a live read ... He pulled them apart and returned to talk with our guests, political analyst Steve Adubato and former Gov. David Paterson.

Piers Morgan Calls Bill O’Reilly ‘A Dick’

CNN host Piers Morgan called Fox News host Bill O'Reilly "a dick" during an appearance on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio program Wednesday.

According to Dylan Byers at Politico, the remark came as Morgan was relaying a story about a chance meeting with O'Reilly at a New York Knicks game, during which Morgan asked O'Reilly to come on his show and the Fox News host acted as if he didn't know who Morgan was.


‘Bangerz’ Debuts At Number One On Billboard

As forecast last week, Miley Cyrus debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her new release "Bangerz," selling 270,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Counting her soundtrack albums as the Disney character Hannah Montana, this is her fifth No. 1 album. She topped the list with the Disney Channel TV series' first soundtrack in 2006, as well as its big-screen film adaptation soundtrack in 2009. Cyrus herself notched No. 1s with the half-soundtrack/half-studio album "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" set in 2007, and then her own "Breakout" studio effort in 2008. Cyrus' last studio album, 2010's "Can't Be Tamed," debuted and peaked at No. 3 from a 102,000 start.

Mad Dog Russo Confronts SI’s Peter King On 'Redskins'

Mad Dog Russo
The Redskins name controversy has been an ongoing debate, one that has gained steam in recent months. Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama said he would "think about changing" the Redskins team name because it offends “a sizable group of people," although team owner Dan Snyder made it clear in May that "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER -- you can use caps."

Meanwhile, there have been protests from Native American groups, and some news organizations have refused to use the word "Redskins" when referring to the football team. That includes TheMMQB.com, a subsidiary of SportsIllustrated.com run by longtime NFL writer Peter King.

CBS Sports reports during an appearance Tuesday on SiriusXM, host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo confronted King about the decision.

“Peter, you've been a huge writer for the magazine SI, you have been around forever now,” Russo said. “You are not a young kid. You have been at the top of your profession for a long time. The Redskins have had that name since 1935 -- when we all know their player/coach was a Native American and that's why they got the name the Redskins -- and now all of a sudden in ... 2013, Peter King or Bob Costas has a problem with it. Where were you ten years ago? Or where we you fifteen years ago? Why now all of a sudden has it dawned on you that the name might be offensive?”


MSNBC: Ronan Farrow To Host New Show

Ronan Farrow
MSNBC announced Wednesday that Ronan Farrow will be joining the left-leaning cable news network, where he'll host his own weekly show, set to debut early next year.

Farrow is the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, although Mia recently made headlines when she suggested that it's possible his father was actually Frank Sinatra, her late ex-husband.

Although he's just 25 years old, Farrow has an impressive list of accomplishments, including being a lawyer and human rights activist.

He said his new show will appeal to younger viewers, stating, "This is a new generation of news show for a new, more engaged generation of viewers. It's a show about why the news matters to you -- and what you can do to be a part of the story."

MSNBC's announcement comes after it recently hired Alec Baldwin to do a weekly show that premiered last week.

Sioux Falls Radio: Midwest To Flip Freqs

Two Sioux Falls radio stations are swapping places on the dial.

According to the Argus Leader, Starting Oct. 28, country station KTWB-FM will broadcast on 92.5 as Big Country 92.5. Lite 92.5 KELO-FM will drop the “Lite” in its name and move to 101.9. Programming will remain the same on both stations.

“Listener input showed us that this move would be the best use of our resources,” station operations manager Tom Gjerdrum said.

Big Country 92.5 will reach listeners in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, appealing to country music fans in both rural and urban areas.

The new 101.9 KELO-FM will continue to serve the Sioux Falls area as it has since it signed on the air in 1965.

Both stations are owned by Midwest Communications Inc.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Cleveland Radio: WMMS' Rover Pleads ‘Not Guilty’

Shane 'Rover' French
Shane French, host of "Rover's Morning Glory" on WMMS 100.7 FM pleaded not guilty today to more than a  dozen felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with an off-duty police officer in July at the Whiskey Island Marina, according to cleveland.com.

French, 38, of Avon, was indicted earlier this month on charges including inducing panic, assault, criminal damaging and resisting arrest. Read original posting, Click Here.

Common Pleas Judge Richard McMonagle continued his original $5,000 bond and ordered him not to have contact with the victim.

According to police, French was partying at the marina and aimed fireworks at an off-duty Cleveland police officer who was on a boat. French then shoved the officer and ran away in an effort to avoid being arrested, according to reports.

French's on air sidekick, 28-year-old Michael Toomey, known as "Chocolate Charlie" also faces 11 charges related to the incident. He also pleaded not guilty, had his original bond continued and was told not to have contact with the victims in the case.

According to the indictment, a boat and an SUV were damaged.

Interview: What Makes Paul McCartney Nervous?

It's hard to picture Paul McCartney — one of history's most celebrated songwriters, a figure of incalculable importance to modern music and pop culture — fretting over anything, least of all filling arena seats.

But as NPR's Robert Siegel discovered, a few circumstances can still make the ex-Beatle sweat.


Nielsen: Global Ad Spending Increases 2.8 Percent Y2Y


Marketers continue to gradually increase their global ad spending, as expenditures grew 3.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013 and 2.8 percent on a year-over-year basis for the January-June periods of 2013 and 2012, according to Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report. Although many marketers remain conservative with advertising budgets, those in Latin America continue to buck the norm, increasing their expenditures by 13.1 percent (to $13.5 billion) for the January-June period.

All regions contributed to global growth for the first half of the year except Europe, where marketers remain modest with their ad budgets amidst the regions’ continued fiscal crisis, resulting in a 6 percent decline for the period. Elsewhere, ad spend continued to recover after slumping during the economic downturn , with quarterly growth of 3.9 percent in the Middle East and Africa, 2.7 percent in North America and a more substantial 6.4 percent in Asia Pacific.

Argentina contributed significantly to growth for the Latin America region with nearly 30 percent growth. Indonesia, China and the Philippines all contributed to double-digit ad growth in Asia-Pacific for the first half of 2013, with expenditures reaching $51 billion. In Europe, ad spend increased in Norway, Switzerland, and Greece (2.5%, 0.6%, and 7.4% respectively), while expenditures declined in all other countries in the region.

Nominees Unveiled for Rock & Roll HOF


The nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 are:
  • The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
  • Chic
  • Deep Purple
  • Peter Gabriel
  • Hall and Oates
  • KISS
  • LL Cool J
  • The Meters
  • Nirvana
  • N.W.A.
  • The Replacements
  • Linda Ronstadt
  • Cat Stevens
  • Link Wray
  • Yes
  • The Zombies
The 2014 inductees are chosen by a secret ballot of over 600 individual voters consisting of all past inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, musicians, historians, critics and members of the music industry.

The 29th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in April 2014 in New York City. Venue and public ticket sale information will be announced at a later date. The Induction Ceremony will be presented on HBO in May.

To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2014 Nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1988.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will again offer fans the opportunity to officially participate in the induction selection process. Beginning October 16 and continuing through December 10 at 5 p.m. EST, the public can cast votes for who they believe to be most deserving of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 


The top five artists, as selected by the public, will constitute a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2014 inductees. 

All inductees are ultimately represented in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, the nonprofit organization that tells the story of rock and roll’s global impact via special exhibits, educational programs and its library and archives.

Casey's Kids Lose Out On Emergency Conservatorship

Casey Kasem
A Los Angeles judge declined to create an emergency conservatorship for Casey Kasem, but ordered that a doctor investigate the radio personality and voice actor's diagnosis, prognosis and state of mind as his Parkinson's disease progresses.

Casey Kasem's wife Jean insists she's taking great care of her ailing hubby, right down to giving him manicures and pedicures.

Jean has just filed legal docs through her lawyer, Marshall Grossman, -- docs obtained by TMZ -- challenging the attempt by Casey's 3 kids from a prior marriage to win a conservatorship.  The kids say Jean has not allowed them to see their dad -- who has advanced Parkinson's and early onset of dementia -- for months and they fear he's not being properly cared for.

Jean says the kids are ingrates who have sponged off their dad for years.  Jean says she and the 81-year-old Casey have loaned the kids approx $100k-$150k per year over many years to pay for their school, housing, cars, parking tickets, travel and other stuff.

Kasem, 81, gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, "American Top 40" and "Casey's Top 40," and was also the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon "Scooby Doo."

According to the AP, Kasem has been checked out by police detectives and social services workers, said Marshall Grossman, an attorney for Kasem's wife of 33 years, Jean.

Read More Now