Saturday, September 5, 2015

September 7 Radio History



In 1934...Daniel Trombley "Dan" Ingram was born.  Ingram is an American radio icon with a fifty-year career on radio stations such as WABC 770 AM and WCBS 101.1 FM in New York. "Big Dan" started broadcasting at WHCH Hofstra College, Hempstead, New York, WNRC, New Rochelle, New York, and WALK-FM, Patchogue, New York.

Ingram is a well regarded DJ from his era. He was noted for his quick wit and ability to convey a humorous or satiric idea with quick pacing and an economy of words—a skill which has made him uniquely suited to, and successful within, modern personality-driven music radio.

He is among the most frequently emulated radio personalities, cited as an influence or inspiration by numerous current broadcasters. One of Ingram's unique skills was his ability to "talk up" to the lyrics of a record, meaning speaking over the musical introduction and finishing exactly at the point when the lyrics started.



Dan was well known for playing doctored versions of popular songs. The Paul McCartney & Wings song My Love Does it Good became My Glove Does it Good. The stuttering title refrain of Bennie and the Jets went from three or four repetitions to countless. In the same vein, the distinctive refrain added to Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede, Ooga-ooga-ooga-chucka would start repeating and listeners would never know when it would end. (Other examples include Paul Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, and "rearranging" the spelling of "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y" on the Bay City Rollers' Saturday Night.)

Dan's longtime closing theme song was "Tri-Fi Drums" by Billy May. An edited version of the song was used for broadcast.



Dan commented occasionally about the pronunciation of his name: jingles often are heard pronouncing his last name as "Ing-ram," but Dan has said it is correctly pronounced "In-gram."

Today, Dan Ingram is living in retirement in Florida.




In 1979...ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on US cable TV as the world’s first fulltime sports TV channel.



In 1985...Newcomer John Parr hit #1 on this date with "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)", overtaking "The Power of Love" from Huey Lewis & the News.

Tina Turner had #3--"We Don't Need Another Hero", swapping places with Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  Bryan Adams from Reckless with "Summer of '69", Dire Straits with their biggest hit since "Sultans of Swing" in 1979--"Money for Nothing", Kool & the Gang and "Cherish", Phil Collins with his fifth consecutive Top 10 song "Don't Lose My Number" and Prince registered his 16th hit "Pop Life", with exactly half of those reaching the Top 10


In 1991...A pretty good Top 10 on this date--something you usually didn't find after about 1986--Bryan Adams scored week #5 at the top with "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", Paula Abdul moved up to challenge with "The Promise of a New Day" and Boyz II Men were up from 9 to 3 with "Motownphilly".  C+C Music Factory had the #4 song--"Things That Make You Go Hmmmm..." and KLF had song #5 with "3 A.M. Eternal".  The rest of the Top 10:  Color Me Badd moved from 15 to 6 with "I Adore Mi Amor", Seal's first release "Crazy" hit #7, the Scorpions owned the #8 position with "Wind of Change", Michael Bolton enjoyed his 11th hit "Time, Love and Tenderness" and Hi-Five dropped with "I Can't Wait Another Minute".


In 2012...WEPN 1050 AM om NYC switched to ESPN Deportes

September 6 Radio History



Morgan Beatty
In 1902...radio newsman Morgan Beatty was born in Little Rock Arkansas.

For many years in the 1940′s & 50′s in particular, he was a senior news broadcaster for NBC Radio based in New York. “This is Morgan Beatty speaking for Alka Seltzer bringing you news of the world! and the news tonight is…”

When TV arrived he became news anchor for the short-lived Dumont Network.

A great radio presence with natural gravitas in his voice, he died July 4 1975 at age 72.



In 1920...WWJ-Detroit became the first radio station to broadcast a professional boxing match. The bout was won by Jack Dempsey with a third round knockout of Billy Miske.


In 1959...the hit radio sitcom “Fibber McGee and Molly” ended after almost 25 years. The series was launched in 1935 in Chicago and starred Jim and Marian Jordan. For the final 2.5 years it was a series of 4-minute vignettes on NBC’s weekend service “Monitor.”


In 1965...Chuck Leonard started at WABC 770 AM.

From1968...



Chuck Leonard
He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.

Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael. He also gladly handled weekend and fill-in work.

Leonard was the host of "Sneak Preview," a five-minute Monday-through-Saturday evening program on ABC's American Contemporary Radio Network, which featured newly released songs. He stayed at WABC until 1979, before moving to WXLO and WRKS.



In 1975...Glen Campbell had the top song on this date with "Rhinestone Cowboy". Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds were still hanging around at #2 with "Fallin' in Love".  K.C. and the Sunshine Band's former #1 "Get Down Tonight" was at #3 with Janis Ian moving up three with "At Seventeen".  The rest of the Top 10:  James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", the Bee Gees with their former #1 "Jive Talkin'", David Bowie with his biggest career hit "Fame" at #7, the Isley Brothers and "Fight the Power", Barry Manilow's adaptation of Frederic Chopin ("Could It Be Magic") moved into the Top 10 and the former #1 from the Eagles--"One of These Nights" was #10.


In 1975...Red Octopus completed an amazing comeback for Jefferson Starship, rising to the #1 album.  Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John fell to 2 while Janis Ian enjoyed the biggest album of her career with Between the Lines.  The Eagles held steady at #4 with One of These Nights.


In 1987...Pat St. John does last show at WPLJ 95.5 FM in NYC.

From 1984...



St. John is one of the U.S.'s preeminent and longest serving radio personalities and voice-over artists.

Pat St. John
Known as The Dee-Jay’s DJ, he began his radio career on Windsor, Ontario's CKLW 800 AM in 1969 and '70, followed by WKNR 1300 AM in late 1970 to early '72, followed by WRIF 101.1 FM to April 1973. Pat is best known for his work in the New York City market on WPLJ 95.5 FM , WNEW 102.7 FM, WAXQ and WCBS 101.1 FM.   He can also be heard on Sirius XM Radio 60's on 6 afternoons from 1:00PM to 5PM (Eastern), . Pat has done extensive television voiceover work, including announcing for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve from 2000 to 2010.

St. John is known for his conversational on-air style with interspersed bits of music trivia, along with "Collectible Cuts" from his extensive record library. Pat has been called a "walking encyclopedia" when it comes to his knowledge of music.


In 2013…Veteran radio personality Don Wade died of brain cancer at age 72.

He spent 27 of his 55 years in broadcasting at WLS 890 AM in Chicago, after stops in Seattle, Denver, Hartford, New Orleans, Buffalo, Boston, Dallas and Philadelphia.

Don Wade, co-hosted of the "Don Wade & Roma" morning show with his wife on WLS from 1989 to 2012.

Delmarva Radio: WKHI Drops Simulcast To Return To Country

Adams Radio Group/Maryland has announced that WKHI 107.7 FM in Salisbury-Ocean City, MD, has return to a Country format as "Your Country K107-7 FM" with a powerful new signal.

A local on-air staff will be hired, to follow "America's Morning Show with Blair Garner."

The station is now airing a 50,000 songs-in-a-row promise and  will also be the home of "Nash Nights Live" weekday nights, "Kickin' it With Kix Brooks" overnights, and "Red Cup Country" Saturday nights.

Market Manager Phil LoCascio said, "Our research shows listeners in the area want a Country radio station that won't overload them with commercials. We've quadrupled the power on WKHI-FM, blanketing the entire region with signal coverage as good or better than the older country competitor. We're proving our commitment to play the most country music by kicking off The All New "Your Country K107-7" with an incredible 50,000 country songs in a row."

WKHI 107.7 FM (23 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area
"America's Morning Show" host Blair Garner said, "These are exciting times for Country fans in the Delmarva Region. Playing 50,000 songs in a row is unheard of, and really proves K107-7 is all about the listeners. We're busy making plans for the show's debut and can't wait to welcome folks all over Delmarva to the 'America's Morning Show' family."

The station was branding as Hot Country 107.7 earlier this year when Adams Radio Group closed on its acquisition of Great Scott’s Salisbury/Ocean City, MD cluster in March.

Their first move was to drop the Country format and simulcast Classic Rock WGBG 98.5 FM in Seaford, DE.

The KHI call letters made history back in the '80s at 99.9 FM as a Top40 100 KHI.

September 5 Radio History


In 1910...Kenneth Howard “Kenny” Delmar was born in Boston.  He was an actor in radio, films, and animation. An announcer on the pioneering NBC radio news series The March of Time, he became a national radio sensation in 1945 as Senator Beauregard Claghorn on the Fred Allen program.  He had played multiple roles in Orson Welles 1938 sensation for CBS, The War of the Worlds.  NBC radio’s Cavalcade of America featured him in their repertory cast, and he also was heard as Commissioner Weston on early episodes of Mutual radio’s The Shadow.

Delmar died July 14, 1984 at age 73.


In 1938…The inspirational soap opera "Life Can Be Beautiful" began its 16-year run on radio, shifting its home back and forth between NBC and CBS, occupying five different time slots during its tenure.


In 1957...WPOW 1330 AM (now WWRV) became first NYC station to play Rock & Roll regularly




In 1965...The Rolling Stones began recording "Get Off My Cloud" at RCA Studios in Los Angeles




In 1966...A new group had been created to serve as "the American version of the Beatles".  On this date, the Monkees released their first single--"Last Train to Clarksville".


In 1981...Bella Donna from Stevie Nicks moved into the #1 position on the album chart, taking over from Foreigner's 4, which slipped to 2.  Journey's great album Escape locked in the #3 spot while Pat Benatar was fourth with Precious Time and Billy Squier landed #5 with Don't Say No.  The rest of the Top 10:  Rickie Lee Jones with Pirates, Rick Springfield and Working Class Dog, Street Songs from Rick James, the Moody Blues fell to #9 with Long Distance Voyager and REO Speedwagon closed the list with Hi Infidelity in its 39th week of release.


In 1981..."Endless Love" by Ross & Richie made it four weeks at #1, holding off "Slow Hand" from the Pointer Sisters.  "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" from Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers came in third before the hard-charging "Urgent" from Foreigner.  The rest of the Top 10:  Ronnie Milsap and "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", Juice Newton remained the same with "Queen of Hearts", Journey was up to #7 with "Who's Crying Now", the Commodores with "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", "Jessie's Girl" from Rick Springfield and Joey Scarbury had #10--"Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)".




In 1987...After a full three decades on ABC, Dick Clark's American Bandstand is canceled, largely due to MTV's influence on the younger generation. The show will limp along on the USA cable channel and in syndication for another three years, with a different host, before finally throwing in the towel.


In 1989...Mike & the Mad Dog debut on WFAN 660 AM.


In 2002...radio actor Jackie Kelk, who played Jimmy Olsen on Superman, and Henry Aldrich’s best friend Homer Brown on The Aldrich Family, died of a lung infection at age 79.




In 2012...Joe South, singer, songwriter and guitarist who did "Games People Play" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes", died of heart failure in Buford, Georgia at age 72.  South also wrote songs for Elivs Presley, Deep Purple, the Osmonds, Gene Vincent, Lynn Anderson ("Rose Garden") and Billy Joe Royal and worked with Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Tommy Roe and others.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Las Vegas Radio: CBS Radio Launches Q100.5 FM

CBS Radio has announced the Friday 9:00am launching of "The All New Q100.5" on KXNT 100.5 FM today in Las Vegas.  The move was made possible with the ending of an FM simulcast of N/T KXNT 840 AM.

LISTEN LIVE: Click Here

Rhythmic HotAC Q100.5 is branding as "Today's Rhythm and All The Best Old School," featuring artists like Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, and old school jams from  LL Cool J, TLC, Dr. Dre, etc.

Tony Perlongo, SVP/Market Manager, CBS Radio Las Vegas commented, "100.5 is a powerhouse signal, and we're excited to feature its own unique sound and music brand. Plus 840 is the premiere frequency on the Las Vegas AM band and is the ideal home as we continue our enduring commitment to providing the region with the best in news and opinion."

KXNT 100.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area
CBS Radio launched Q100.5 less than two hours ahead of the previously announced debut of iHeartMedia's new Urban station, Real 103.9 on translator K280DD at 10:39am.

Translator K280 DD (250 Watts)

44M Tried Apple Music During First Month

Apple Inc.'s new music service reached the ears of more than 44 million smartphone owners in the United States during its first month, making it one of the top 15 smartphone apps in the nation, ComScore reported Thursday.

The analytics company's audience-measurement tool looked at the nearly 183 million iOS and Android users in the U.S. and found that 24.1% accessed Apple Music in July, ranking it No. 14 even though the service hasn't debuted on Google Inc.'s Android operating system yet.


That ranking put the app just behind Twitter and ahead of Snapchat, and made it the second most popular app devoted solely to music, behind Pandora Radio which reached 43.9% of users of both major mobile operating systems. Apple Music launched June 30 and offers a streaming-music service, which has grown in popularity over the download-focused iTunes system Apple made popular, as well as a global radio station.

Milwaukee Radio: Oldies 95.7 FM Makes It Four In A Row

WRIT 95.7 FM continued to build on its lead in the radio ratings race in August, pulling down a 10.5 share (6+ AQH Total Week) of the overall listening audience, according to Nielsen August PPMs..

The oldies station, which had a 10.2 share in the previous period, has now been No. 1 in the market for the past four months.

In the August ratings period — for Nielsen, that was July 16 through Aug. 12 — WISN 1130 AM and Country WMIL 106.1 FM tied for second with a 6.7 share each. News-talk WISN, which had a 5.6 share in the July ratings period, had the biggest month-to-month jump of any Milwaukee station.

In fourth place on the monthly scorecard, AC WMYX 99.1 FM (99.1) had a 6.6 share in August, up from a 5.8, while N/T WTMJ 620 AM and Rock WHQG 102.9 FM tied for fifth place with a 6.4 share. WTMJ had been in second place in July, with a 7.1 share; WHQG went in an opposite direction, jumping from eighth place and a 5.1 share last month.


Orlando Radio: WRUM Holds-On For #1

iHeartMedia's Tropical WRUM 100.3 FM notches another win as Orlando's #1 station. Despite a three month downard trend 8.4—7.1—6.8 (6+ AQH Total Week), Rumba held on to the top spots just ahead of clustermate Top40 WXXL 106.7 FM, which was off 6.8—6.6.

After that, there's a two-way tie for two Classic Hits stations. Cox Media's WMMO 98.8 FM and CBS Radio's WOCL 105.9 FM Sunny both moved 6.0—6.4 to tie at #3. Cox Country WWKA 92.5 FM was steady at 6.0 to retain the #5 spot.

CBS Radio's WIMX Mix 105.1 FM came in at #6 after posting a 5.1—5.7 gain. During the rating period, longtime Mix Morning host Scott McKenzie passed-away after losing a battle with cancer. Mix tied with Christian AC WPOZ 88.3 FM 5.8—5.7.

Worth Noting: Cox Media's News WDBO 96.5 FM jumped a full share 2.9—3.9 to end up at #12. Non-Com N/T WMFE 90.7 FM moved 2.2—2.5. iHM's WFLF 540 AM /102.5 FM was steady at 1.6.


25-54: WTKS...WXXL...WRUM...WCFB...WOCL

18-34: WXXL...WPYO...WRUM tied WWKA...WOMX

18-49: WXXL...WTKS...WRUM...WOCL...WCFB

Cume:  WXXL-FM 539,600...WMGF-FM 497,900...WOMX-FM 476,000...WMMO-FM 425,900...WOCL-FM 401,200


Top 5 Morning Show (M-F 6a-1a Total Persons 25-54):

Real Radio's Monsters
  1. The Monsters WTKS 104.3 FM
  2. Johnny's House WXXL 106.7 FM
  3. Mornings with Ellis & Tyler WPOZ Z88.3 FM
  4. The Obie & Little Shawn Show WPYO 95.3 FM
  5. Steve Harvey WCFB 94.5 FM

Chicago Radio: David Kaplan To Join WMVP ESPN 1000

David Kaplan
Longtime WGN 720 AM sports host David Kaplan is leaving the station to join rival ESPN-owned WMVP 1000 AM.

Kaplan, who started at WGN Radio in 1995, agreed to a multi-year deal to stay with the station in December 2013. But his duties, and the station's direction, shifted this year with the loss of Cubs games and the demise of The Game, WGN's ill-fated one-year foray into FM sports talk radio.

At ESPN1000 Kaplan will head-up Kap & Co.  The program will air weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. CT beginning Wednesday, Sept. 16.

“Adding Kap to ESPN1000, the number one sports station in town, shows our audience the dedication we have to serving Chicago sports fans anywhere, anytime,” said Adam Delevitt, program director, ESPN 1000. “Kap is by far one of the most recognizable voices in Chicago and few in the city have the breadth of knowledge and passion for sports and relationships with the people here that he has.”

New WMVP Lineup
Kaplan, an established sports authority in Chicago, is the host of CSN Chicago’s Sports Talk Live and formerly co-hosted Kap and Haugh with the Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh. He has won several awards for his work in television, radio and print, including Emmy Awards for his work on CSN Chicago and the sports memorabilia television show, A Piece of the Game.  Kaplan began his radio career at local station WMVP-AM, and then joined WGN-AM’s sports staff as a reporter in 1995.  He is the only person in Chicago media history to concurrently host a daily television show, a daily radio program and write a regular column in a major newspaper.

This past February, Kaplan had his contract with WGN-AM extended, keeping him a salaried employee through the end of 2016. Station management did this to keep Kaplan from accepting an offer to join WSCR 670 AM The Score. However, WGN os apparently attempting to futher cut expenses, so Kaplan agreed to a contract buyout offer and agreed to end his deal with Tribune Broadcasting.

Milwaukee Radio: Sales Vet Bill Hurwitz Set to Retire

Bill Hurwitz
Veteran Milwaukee radio sales and management executive Bill Hurwitz will retire from the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, but he says it has nothing to do with any pending changes in the three-station group’s ownership.

The stations are Alternative WLUM 102.1 FM, AC WLDB 93.3 FM and Oldies WZTI 100.3 FM / 1290 AM. The Milwaukee Radio Alliance was formed in 1996 to run retired Green Bay Packers lineman Willie Davis’ WLUM and WDLB 1290 AM, which is owned by the Lynett family of Scranton, Pa.

The stations have been the source of acquisition speculation for years because they are the only ones in Milwaukee that are not part of a larger nationwide group. The group has its headquarters and studios in Menomonee Falls.

“This has nothing to do with the ownership of the company,” Hurwitz told The Milwaukee Business Journal Thursday. “The Lynetts and the Davises are absolutely, positively committed to Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Radio Alliance.”

Executives with E.W. Scripps Co., which owns WTMJ 620 AM and WKTI 94.5 FM have said they are seeking acquisitions in the Milwaukee radio market.

Hurwitz turned 64 in July and will remain at the Milwaukee Radio Alliance this fall as the group seeks his replacement. Hurwitz said he and his wife Lynn want to relocate to a warmer climate and his children and grandchildren live in the southwest.

Hurwitz began his radio career in 1975 as a sales account executive.

Boston Radio: Czarnecki Named New WRKO PD

Michael Czarnecki
Entercom/Boston has announced that Michael Czarnecki has been named Operations Managers and APD at Talk WRKO 680 AM in Boston.

He replaced recently departed Billy Cooksey and joins Entercom from iHeartMedia in Springfield, MA where he was PD for Country WRNX, top40 WHYN-FM and N/T WHYN-AM.

Czarnecki, who began his career in 2001, calls the move a career dream.

"I am so thrilled at this incredible opportunity,” said Czarnecki.

“WRKO is a legendary Boston station with such a rich history. I see nothing but great things for the future, and I am so honored and excited to help lead its astonishingly talented team into it."
Entercom/Boton VP/Market Manager Phil Zachary stated, “If our applicant pool is any indication, the future of the news and talk format is in very good hands.  I was particularly impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm across a wide spectrum of prospects, but in the end Michael was the complete package of experience, vision and local knowledge. He will be a terrific addition to the WRKO team.”

Donald Trump Accuses Hugh Hewitt Of 'Gotcha Questions'

Hugh Hewitt
Donald Trump accused syndicated radio show host Hugh Hewitt of asking him unfair questions about foreign affairs in an interview on Thursday.

The host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show” said he wanted to focus on "commander-in-chief questions" and asked Trump if he was familiar with General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Quds Force, as well as other prominent military figures in the Middle East.

According to The Hill, Trump initially responded affirmatively, but began to give an answer about the “Kurds,” apparently confused by the word “Quds."

Trump said Hewitt was asking him “gotcha questions.”
“Well that is a ‘gotcha’ question, though, you know, when you’re asking me whose running this, this, this,” Trump said during the show.

“I will be so good at the military, your head will spin,” he continued. ”But obviously, I’m not meeting these people, I’m not seeing these people.”

Hewitt will also co-moderate the second GOP primary debate with "The Lead" host Jake Tapper on CNN Sept. 16.

Responding to a question on whether he is familiar with Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah since 1992, Trump protested that by the time he takes office, the major figures in the military landscape will have changed.

“I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll be all gone,” he said. “Those are like [a] history question – do you know this one, do you know that one?”Hewitt said he was not trying to ask “gotcha” questions.

“Well it sounds like ‘gotcha,’ you’re asking me names – I think it’s somewhat ridiculous, but that’s OK, go ahead,” Trump responded.

PBS Ombudsman Scolds News Anchor Gwen Ifill

PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler issued a blistering response to PBS reporter Gwen Ifill's "inexcusable" jab at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday.

Getler, who is tasked with looking into complaints against PBS, got what he deemed an unconvincing explanation for the unprofessional and petty tweet, concluding that she had damaged the "credibility" of PBS.

Ifill's tweet followed the announcement Wednesday that President Obama had secured enough Democrat votes in the Senate to protect his Iran deal against an congressional override of his veto.


"[T]o personalize it by saying, 'Take that, Bibi' is, in my book, inexcusable for an experienced journalist who is the co-anchor of a nightly news program watched by millions of people over the course of any week," wrote Getler.

Ifill has yet to apologize to her audience.

Philly Radio: News Chief Chris Satullo OUT At WHYY

Chris Satullo
WHYY, the public-broadcasting television and radio affiliate in Philadelphia, disclosed to stunned staffers Thursday that Chris Satullo, the head of news and civic engagement, would leave the organization and that his last day at its offices on Independence Mall would be Friday, according to philly.com.

WHYY CEO Bill Marrazzo called Satullo's departure a "change in the executive leadership team." Satullo's last official day at WHYY will be Sept. 11, according to a memo, but he will be "off site" after the close of business on Friday.

Thursday afternoon, Satullo met with dozens of newsroom staffers, some crying, outside in the heat at Franklin Square Park at Seventh and Race Streets, near the WHYY offices, and gave an impromptu goodbye speech.

AWHYY staffer said, "We are all shocked and saddened. Chris took WHYY's modest local news operation and grew it into a significant player in the city's media community."

Other WHYY employees declined to speak on the record about Satullo's departure. One called Thursday a "terribly sad day."

WHYY declined to comment. "Because we respect the privacy of our employees, we don't discuss why anybody leaves the organization," WHYY spokesman Arthur Ellis said.

Satullo, a longtime editor at The Inquirer who for years headed the newspaper's Editorial Board, joined WHYY in 2009. Though he was a vice president at WHYY, he worked directly with reporters on stories and projects, staffers said.

Colorado Springs Radio: James Harrington New Salem GM

Salem Media Group has announced that James Harrington has been appointed as General Manager for the Salem cluster of stations in Colorado Springs: Christian Teaching KGFT 100.7 FM, Christian AC KBIQ 102.7 FM, and N/T KZNT 1460 AM.

Harrington joins Salem from his management position as Senior VP of Sales for iHeart Media group of stations in Bryan/College Station, Texas.

Salem Regional VP, Brian Taylor, commented:  "Colorado Springs is a market we are passionate about and that distinctly complements our Salem core formats.  A leader with Jim's enthusiasm, that matches his extensive background in sales management and development is going to be a great addition to our team."

Harrington added:  "I'm thrilled with the opportunity to join Salem in a market with such potential for success."  He may be contacted at jharrington@kbiqradio.com or (719) 388-0301.

Tense eMails Preceeded Al Roker's Cancellation

Al Roker
Weatherman Al Roker's "Wake Up With Al" show on the Weather Channel is being canceled. According to The Root blog, the cancellation followed a dispute between Roker and David Clark, president of The Weather Company's TV division, over a decision to downplay the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall.

TWC decided to focus, instead, on the pending arrival of Tropical Storm Erika, according to a report Wednesday in the subscription-only television news site NewsBlues. The report was based on an email exchange made publicly internally.

Nevertheless, "In an email exchange last Thursday, Roker wrote: 'I don't understand why Steph [Abrams] and I aren't together on the actual anniversary day of Katrina's landfall [in New Orleans]. There is nothing happening Saturday in Florida,' " NewsBlues reported.

" 'I could not disagree more with this decision,' wrote Roker. 'We will have a phalanx of people talking about a storm Saturday that our graphic will show is not possibly making landfall till Monday...if then. Viewers aren't stupid. They can see when potential landfall is, assuming it holds together.'

Roker then threw a sharp elbow at Weather Channel management. "The reason we are in the trouble we're in is an intransigence of management when it comes to a decision and an unwillingness to pivot."

"Roker's jab hit a nerve and his email quickly ricocheted up the management tree. 'We are juggling a lot right now,' David Clark . . . replied. 'If you disagree with a decision you are welcome to speak up, you have more than earned the right to do so, but this is out of line and not how we do things here.'

"Roker responded, 'Really David. You want to try and spank me in front of people. You want to do this?' Unfortunately, Roker hit the 'Reply to All' button and his snippy response was widely shared within The Weather Channel family.

"He then apologized. 'Folks, I want to apologize if I embarrassed anyone. I didn't mean for this to be a public argument. I replied on an cc: that I didn't mean to. We all want the same thing, best possible product, and a real outcome for our viewers. Hey, the good news is, you all read your emails."

A few days later, The Weather Channel canceled 'Wake Up With Al.

L-A Radio: Dinner With George Benefits American Red Cross


Tuesday evening, Coast to Coast AM fan was treated to a special evening with program host George Noory.  Dean Hazen, an avid listener of the most-listened-to overnight program, recently bid $3700 at KFI 640 AM’s annual benefit for the American Red Cross to have dinner with No​ory.

Big Kenny & Family Visit America's Morning Show

AMS' Ashley Figueroa, Chuck Wills, Big Kenny, Christiew Carothers, Blair Garner
Big & Rich's Big Kenny Alphin, and his wife Christiev Carothers are the stars of TLC’s new show “Big Kenny & Family". The power couple stopped by America’s Morning Show today to talk about the premiere of the series. Hear the full interview: http://amsho.ws/BK-TLC, and see attached photo, taken at the NASH Campus in Nashville.

NYC Radio: Donnie McClurkin Wins For WBLS-FM

Donnie McClurkin
Pastor Donnie McClurkin has had an illustrious career outside of the pulpit where he's made his mark in music and television, but now the gospel music singer is cementing his career in the world of radio by accomplishing a historic feat, according to The Christian Post.

McClurkin, the 54-year-old pastor of Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York, recently celebrated another accomplishment in his career when his radio program, "The Donnie McClurkin Show" on WBLS 107.5 FM, pulled in the highest ratings the station has ever seen during its 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. time slot.

"Donnie has the No. 1 radio program in its time slot in the entire New York radio market. The current ratings are the highest that I have ever seen," WBLS/WLIB Operations Manager Skip Dillard said in a statement. "Donnie is No. 1 by a large margin because it is a great show."

The July Nielsen PPM ratings for adults 25-54, revealed that his radio program outperformed others in two of the country's biggest markets, New York City and Philadelphia, during its timeslot when it garnered a 12.5 share. In August, "The Donnie McClurkin Show" earned an 11.6 share, which has been the highest for WBLS in the early morning time slot.

McClurkin's radio show is broadcast on WBLS in New York and WDAS in Philadelphia which grabbed 10.1 shares and a No. 1 ranking, along with WWDM in Columbia, South Carolina, which had a 26.1 share and No. 1 ranking as well.

The pastor and gospel singer said he was grateful for the opportunity to reach the people that he has with his radio program.

"I'm thankful that this show can reach multitudes across the country and around the world, providing great music and information that inspires listeners to this degree," McClurkin said in a statement. We're reaching millions and looking to reach millions more!"

Charlotte Radio: WPEG-FM Adding Coco Brother To Weekend Lineup

Radio Condrey, the Syndicated Radio Network owned by Cory “Coco Brother” and Beasley Media Group jave announced the debut of Coco Brother Live Presents The Weekend on Charlotte’s #1 Hip Hop Station Power 98 WPEG 97.9 FM.

The onspirational show will air on Sunday’s 7-9am EST, beginning September 6, 2015.

Coco Brother had this to say; “It brings me joy to be back home in Charlotte. I believe this move speaks volumes and shows people that you can do anything you put your mind to. To leave….. and go to the #1 station, that's what I call a POWER MOVE TO A POWER STATION!  In church we call it faith!  I love this city and this city has loved me back.  It's a place where we established Christmas With TheCondrey’s.  A place where we did our first outdoor crusade and thousands came to be with us.  My heart beats for a Hip Hop generation and WPEG-FM has enough “Power” to impact that generation. I am here to connect with Power 98 to make an impact in our community.   I lift my glass to Hip Hop and Inspiration.  Cheers!

Condrey also previously worked with Jamillah “JAM” Muhammad, Operations Director for Power 98.  Jamillah Muhammad is an amazing forward thinker! We worked together at Radio One in DC.  She's a winner.... and does what it takes to WIN!  Jamillah Muhammad stated, “we are very excited to add The Weekend hosted by Cory Condrey to our top market lineup at WPEG/Power 98.  This show will bring the appropriate balance of Hip-Hop and Inspirational music to this generation and will no doubt bring a level of excitement to the Charlotte market.  We look forward to presenting this brand to our audience.”

September 4 Radio History








In 1918...Iconic ABC radio commentator Paul Harvey was born in Tulsa Okla.

His daily quarter-hour midday ‘news & comment’ began on ABC April 1 1951, and continued to his death Feb. 28 2009 at age 90.

He was known for his dramatic pauses, quirky intonations and his folksiness. “Hello Americans. Stand by for news!.”  Another popular Paul Harvey radio feature was ‘The Rest of the Story.’


In 1959...WCBS 880 AM bans “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin because of recent street violence





In 1961...the Carol Burnette-Richard Hayes Show premiered on CBS radio.


In 1962...The Beatles enter EMI's Abbey Road studios for their first formal recording session, rehearsing "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me." Producer George Martin likes the former, but also insists the band record a song by Mitch Murray, "How Do You Do It."

Unhappy with the song, which they feel inferior to their own, the Beatles tape it anyway; Martin later relents after the band revamps "Please Please Me," and "How Do You Do It" will become a #1 hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers.




In 1970...George Harrison released the "My Sweet Lord" single to radio.


In 1975…Voice artist (Sherman, Mr. Peabody's protégé, on the animated TV series The Bullwinkle Show, and Leroy on the radio program The Great Gildersleeve) Walter Tetley died at the age of 60.


In 1982...The Steve Miller Band moved to #1 with "Abracadabra", which meant for the first time in seven weeks, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor was not #1.  Chicago moved from 5-3 with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and at #4--Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me".  Air Supply reached #5 with "Even the Nights Are Better".  The rest of the Top 10:  Melissa Manchester moved from 11 to 6 with her biggest career hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", John Cougar Mellencamp dropped with "Hurts So Good", the Go-Go's remained on "Vacation", Crosby Stills & Nash were at 9 with "Wasted On the Way" and Sir Paul McCartney was in the #10 spot with "Take It Away".


In 1997...The Howard Stern radio show premiered in Louisville, Kentucky on WTFX-FM.


In 2009…Baseball player-turned-sportscaster Buddy Blattner died.

He teamed with Dizzy Dean on TV’s Game of the Week in the ’50′s, also working the games of the St. Louis Browns & Cardinals, the LA Angels & Kansas City Royals.

He succumbed to lung cancer at age 89.


In 2014…Longtime Chicago broadcaster (WGN-AM, WGN-TV) Roy Leonard died of complications from an esophageal infection at the age of 83.


In 2014…TV news correspondent (CNN, CBS, ABC) Bruce Morton died of cancer at 83.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

ESPN Radio's Dan LeBatard Show Moving To 10A Start

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, The Dan Le Batard Show will move to 10 a.m. ET – its new time on ESPN Radio.

The three-hour national show will continue to be co-hosted by Le Batard and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and will remain based in Miami. The one-hour local show will now be broadcast from 9-10 a.m. in Miami.

Dan LeBatard
Le Batard will continue to offer provocative opinion and conversation to ESPN Radio’s national audience through a lineup of well-known guests, humor and reaction to the day’s news. The show will also continue to feature a lineup of regular contributors including John Amaechi, Greg Cote, Amin El Hassan, Sarah Spain and Pablo Torre.

"We continue to be flattered and flabbergasted by the amount of unrelenting support ESPN gives our absurd little circus,” said Le Batard.  “We can't believe that even more of ‘Sports America’ will now be able to laugh, think and call us fat. We look forward to making fun of the powerful, the cliché and ourselves. We are going to enjoy ourselves daily in a way that we hope people find contagious and try not to notice that this time slot gives us more markets than ever in which we can be wrong. We’re excited to bring our Miami flavor to an even broader audience. And we can't wait to unleash the mighty Stugotz like a hot-take-snorting rodeo bull upon an unsuspecting country. This is going to be fun."

Traug Keller, ESPN senior vice president, production business divisions, added “Dan and Stugotz have cultivated a passionate following who expect cutting-edge and entertaining sports talk radio. They will not be disappointed with the time change and a new audience will now have the opportunity to experience this unique blend of make-you-think commentary and humor.”

Stugotz
The three-hour national show will be heard on ESPN Radio, espnradio.com, the ESPN app and SiriusXM Channel 80.  ESPNU will simulcast the show.  FUSION will continue to televise the show in its entirety, tape delayed at 1 p.m.

Le Batard will continue to host ESPN’s Highly Questionable weekday afternoons at 4 p.m., along with his father Gonzalo “Papi” Le Batard and Bomani Jones.

In 2013, Le Batard brought his local radio show – heard on The Ticket in Miami since 2004 – to ESPN Radio’s national audience from 4 – 7 p.m. Le Batard joined ESPN The Magazine’s staff as a contributor in February 1998.

Le Batard continues as a columnist at the Miami Herald, where he has been since 1990. His work also appears regularly on ESPN.com. An accomplished writer, he has won several Associated Press Sports Editor (APSE) awards.  Le Batard also has written for numerous national publications, including Maxim and Cosmopolitan. A 1990 graduate of the University of Miami, Le Batard received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and politics.

Jon “Stugotz” Weiner has served as co-host of The Dan Le Batard Show since 2004. A sports broadcasting veteran of more than 15 years, Stugotz provides his own passionate takes on the sports news of the day, often the opposite of Le Batard’s opinion, and is known for his self-deprecating humor.  Stugotz received his bachelor’s degree in English and communications from Clark University in 1995.

Seattle Radio: KZOK Claims Top Spot Honors

CBS Radio's Classic Rock KZOK claims the #1 spot (6+ AQH Total Week) in the Seattle PPMs released this week by Nielsen. Last month KZOK 102.5 FM tied Hubbard Radio's Top40 KQMV Movin' 92.5 FM for the top spot. In the August PPMs, KZOK was steady at 6.1, while KQMV lost a bit 6.1—5.8.

Close behind is Entercom's ActiveRock KISW 99.5 FM which was up 5.3—5.7 for #3 and iHeartMedia's Classic Hits KJR-FM 95.7 FM The Jet (5.5—5.7) is in fourth place. Rounding out the Top 5 is Hubbard's AC KRWM 106.9 5.1—5.5.


25-54: KISW...KQMV...KZOK...KKWF...KJR-FM

18-34: KISW...KQMV...KNDD...KKWF...KZOK

18-49: KISW...KQMV...KKWF...KZOK tie KRWM

Cume: KRWM-FM 950,300...KQMV-FM 908,900 KJR-FM 902,600...KPLZ-FM 752,100...KZOK-FM 744,000

Nielsen Releases August PPMs For 12 Additional Markets

Nielsen Wednesday released the third batch of August 2015 PPM data for the following markets:

  23  Portland OR

  24  Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill

  26  Pittsburgh


  27  San Antonio

  28  Sacramento

  29  Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo

  30  Cincinnati

  31  Cleveland

  32  Las Vegas


  33  Orlando


  34  Kansas City


  37  Columbus OH

San Diego: Peter Schwartz Returns To CBS Cluster

Peter Schwartz
Peter Schwartz was named Senior Vice President, Market Manager and Director of Sales, CBS RADIO San Diego, it was announced today by Scott Herman, COO, CBS RADIO.  The appointment is effective on Monday, Sept. 14.

Schwartz previously worked for CBS RADIO San Diego as General Sales Manager and then later Market Manager, spending 10+ years with the cluster.  In this role, Schwartz will manage all operations and sales for Top40 KEGY 103.7 FM Energy and AC KYXY 96.5 FM.

“It’s a great day for CBS RADIO when Peter Schwartz returns to the market where he had so much success for us in the past,” said Herman. “I’m extremely excited and happy for our employees in San Diego as they welcome back one of the smartest and most dynamic leaders I’ve had the opportunity to work with.  They’re in very good hands.”

Schwartz returns to CBS RADIO from Pandora where he was Regional Sales Manager and Senior Account Executive for select automotive sales accounts. Prior to Pandora, Schwartz was Regional Manager for MOGL, a start-up in the rewards loyalty space in San Francisco, building their operation in the Bay Area. Before MOGL, Schwartz was Vice President, Sales for Cumulus Media San Francisco, responsible for all station sales, including Giants and 49ers broadcasts.

Schwartz began his radio career in sales in Las Vegas at KMZQ, now known as KXNT-FM which is part of the CBS RADIO cluster of stations.