For Sale: The Imus Ranch

Radio personality Don Imus is selling his 2,400-acre ranch east of Santa Fe that he developed into a cattle ranch for children afflicted by cancer.

Imus said Monday he is selling the property because he and his family believe they can support more charitable foundations with funds generated by the sale. He also said he hopes to sell the ranch to a group interested in continuing the goal of the nonprofit Imus Ranch.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, a real estate listing shows the asking price is $32 million. Realtor Craig Huitfeldt said he publicly listed the property for sale within the past week. The Imus Ranch is near the small community of Ribera, NM, about 45 miles east of Santa Fe via Interstate 25.

Imus said he and his wife founded the ranch in 1998, and according to the nonprofit’s website, it has served more than 2,000 children since then. The cowboy hat-wearing radio personality said he started the nonprofit because he fondly remembered growing up on a cattle ranch in Arizona. He added that children with cancer are often defined by their disease, but by having them work with him and his family at the ranch, he hoped to show that they “could do anything any other kid could do.”

According to the listing, the ranch has 28 bedrooms and 34 bathrooms in 11 buildings. It also boasts numerous barns, garages, greenhouses and sheds. The listing also claims the ranch is “environmentally pure,” in that no pesticides or synthetic chemicals were used to maintain the property.

Radio Pioneer Honored In Pittsburgh

Broadcasters and radio buffs gathered in Wilkinsburg, PA last Friday afternoon where Rick Harris, of the National Museum of Broadcasting, continued the fight to rebuild Dr. Frank Conrad’s garage as a museum, reports CBS Local.

The Wilkinsburg building where the Westinghouse engineer first conducted broadcasts leading to America’s first radio station, KDKA, was dismantled 13 years ago.

Conrad began what are considered the first regular radio broadcasts from his garage in 1916, and is responsible for the founding of the first licensed broadcast station in the world: KDKA.

Conrad first became interested in radio in 1912 when, in order to settle a bet on the accuracy of a watch, Conrad built a radio in order to hear time signals from the Arlington, Virginia Naval Observatory. He then constructed, in his garage, a new transmitter, licensed in 1916 as 8XK, whose signal could be heard throughout the Pittsburgh area. In response to popular demand, Conrad began broadcasting for two hours each Wednesday and Saturday night. When all civilian amateur radio operations ceased in 1917, Conrad began using his radio for military purposes during World War I.

Frank Conrad 1921

Conrad resumed his amateur radio broadcasts in October 1919. Most of the content of these early broadcasts was music: Conrad's sons and niece were talented musicians and Conrad played numerous songs from his record collection. He soon ran out of records, however, and struck a deal with a local music store: if the store would supply him with records, he would give the store on-air promotions. This exchange is arguably the first broadcast commercial in airwave history. He has also been called the first DJ in history.

There are also reports of football scores reported, as well as some talk programming. The vice-president of Westinghouse soon saw a newspaper advert for radio sets that could receive Conrad's broadcasts. He saw the potential for mass communication that radio offered, and Westinghouse began manufacturing radio receivers.

Westinghouse applied for a callsign in mid-October 1920. The callsign arrived just in time for the November 2, 1920, election, and the radio station KDKA was born.

The original station was a shack on top of a Westinghouse building in East Pittsburgh. Conrad was not there to witness the historical broadcast, however; worried that the station might go down, he was sitting in his Wilkinsburg garage with his own transmitter as a backup.

NJ Radio: Another Person Jumps From WWZY Tower

Location of WWZY FM Tower in Long Branch, NJ

A person jumped from a 400-foot radio tower in the city’s downtown, marking the second person to leap from the structure this year, police said.

The WWZY 107.1 FM radio tower is located off of Memorial Parkway between Broadway and Belmont Avenue, near downtown Long Branch, NJ.

An eyewitness said he saw a man climb midway up the red and white radio tower without a harness and jump off.

"I saw him sitting up there and then I saw him just take a step off the side of the tower," he said. "And then he just tumbled."

Another witness said the man jumped at around 3 p.m. and was not on the tower for very long.

“He didn’t waste any time,” said the second witness, who said the man hit one of the vacant buildings below after he jumped. "Sadly, it didn't look it was an accident."

A third witness said it appeared to him that the man fell when he tried to climb higher up the tower on a diagonal beam.

In April, a 60-year-old Elizabeth resident jumped to his death from the top of the tower and fell through the roof of a vacant commercial building on his way down, landing inside of the building.

Knoxville Radio: WWST's Kim Hansard On Cancer Diagnosis

Kim Hansard

It's been a year since one of Knoxville's most beloved radio personalities was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Kim Hansard of Top40 WWST 102.1 FM Star 's "Marc and Kim in the Morning" show shared the news last October and opened up to her fans throughout her journey through social media.

When you get Marc Anthony and Kim Hansard together, no matter the subject, you're likely to listen and laugh right along with them.

In the first days after diagnosis, the laughter didn't come as easily nor as often.

"Quite frankly a year ago, I wouldn't have ever believed I could have talked about this whole year without tearing up," Hansard told WATE-TV5.

"I wanted to see my son grow up. I wanted to spend many more happy years with my husband. I want to be on Star 102.1 for years with Marc. I want us to grow old and retire together."

Hansard is doing well after a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She's thankful she didn't require chemotherapy.

To watch Video Interview: Click Here.

Chattanooga Radio: Luther Remembered As A 'Nice Guy'

When asked by former WDEF-TV General Manager Ben Cagle how he'd like to be remembered, Luther said “Remember me fondly… I was a finder of lost dogs and cats and things… tried to help people out on the air when they were burned out. Radio and TV can be so helpful to people. Just remember me as a nice guy.”

Local radio and television legend Luther Masingill passed away after a brief illness on Monday morning. He was 92.

October 21 In Radio History

In 1908...The first two-sided vinyl record (!) was offered for sale by the Columbia label in an ad running in this week's Saturday Evening Post.


In 1915...First transmission of speech across the Atlantic by radiotelephone, Arlington, Va., to Paris


In 1948...the first Facsimile (FAX), was demonstrated through high-speed radio transmission. It was demonstrated in Washington D.C.


In 1969...Roby Yonge does the infamous “Paul is Dead” show at 77WABC.

Originally hired for the 1 - 3 PM shift, Yonge was moved into the overnight shift in August 1969 when Charlie Greer left the station. He was told by program director Rick Sklar in the early fall, that his contract would not be renewed. He subsequently went on the air with the Paul McCartney "death" rumor on October 21, 1969, having heard the rumor from WKNR-FM (Detroit) radio personality Chris Randall.

Stating that he had already been fired and that at 12:39 AM, he would not be "cut" because there was nobody around, Yonge began to speculate on rumors circulating about the possible death of McCartney. He enumerated various "clues" in album cover art which he said had been catalogued by thirty Indiana University Bloomington students. Callers lit up the station switchboard. It was an hour and a half before program director Rick Sklar got Les Marshak in to relieve Yonge. Marshak continued to do Yonge's show until a replacement was hired.

Yonge was hired by WCBS-FM, where he helped introduce their "Oldies" format in the early'70s. After a few years, he returned to his nativeFlorida, where he served as general manager of Mother WMUM, an early FM rock station in Palm Beach. After the demise of Mother in 1972, Yonge became a morning personality on Y100 WHYI in Fort Lauderdale/Miami. He was fired after the first day on the air, August 3, 1973.  He moved to the competitor WMYQ-FM, where he spoke as a commentator with a morning show. In 1987, Yonge did a morning show at WKAT in Miami, then returned in 1993 to do a music/talk show on 790 WMRZ.

Roby Yonge died on July 18, 1997 of an apparent heart attack at age 54.


In 2000...Frankie Crocker, Personality at WMCA, WBLS died from pancreatic cancer.

Crocker began his career in Buffalo at the AM Soul powerhouse WUFO (also the home to future greats Eddie O'Jay, Herb Hamlett, Gary Byrd and Chucky T) before moving to Manhattan, where he first worked for Soul station WWRL and later top-40 WMCA in 1969.

He then worked for WBLS-FM as program director, taking that station to the top of the ratings during the late 1970s and pioneering the radio format now known as urban contemporary.

Frankie Crocker was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2000, and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2005



In 2003...John Dennis and Gerry Callahan returned to their morning on WEEI-FM, Boston, after a 2 week suspension for allegedly racist remarks.

Richmond VA Radio: C-C-Changes At The Alpha Cluster

Alpha Media announced some aggressive changes Monday to the Richmond radio landscape within its 3 station cluster.

First, contemporary country station, The Wolf, moved from 93.1 to 98.9. “This gives us full coverage in the Richmond metro, something we didn’t have on 93.1”, said Market Manager Paul Johnson. In addition, the station will simulcast on 100.3, which covers the southern end of the market. “This is a station that performs really well where it’s heard, and now it has 100% penetration.”

To add to its country presence, the group also brought in the Hank, Legends of Country format from Envision Networks to run on 93.1. Johnson said, “This gives us a full country spectrum with the combo, and focused demo breakouts on each specific station. We think advertisers will welcome the choice.”

The group’s third station, WBBT 107.3 FM, made a musical evolution from Oldies to Classic Hits. “Even though it was called ‘Big Oldies’, it really already was a classic hits station. We switched the position to ‘Richmond’s Greatest Hits’, and evolved the music to a 70’s base.”

To accommodate the change, the group is merging its Liberty, “We Play Anything” station with Big Oldies to form a superstation playing “Richmond’s Greatest Hits”. Johnson said, “This station will offer the variety that Liberty fans have come to love with the greatest hits of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It’s one of those rare stations that a husband and wife can both agree on.” The station will be heard on 107.3.

Alpha Media Executive VP of Programming, Scott Mahalick commented on the changes, “In order to increase our competitive edge in the Richmond market, we needed to turn up the heat and shake things up. Not only will these improvements provide a more contemporary opportunity for revenue, they will give our listeners what they’ve been asking for.”

SF Radio: Mark Adams Named New PD For KIOI, KYLD

Mark Adams

iHeartMedia/San Francisco has announced that Mark Adams has been named program director of HotAC KIOI 101.3 FM Star 101-3) and Top40 KYLD 94.9 FM WiLD 94-9.

Adams transfers from iHeartMedia Portland, OR, where he most recently served as VP of Programming.  Prior to joining iHeartMedia Adams was VP of Music Programming for CBS Radio Houston. His previous industry experience includes stops in the San Francisco, Milwaukee and Fresno markets.

He replaces Cat Collins, who has moved onto the company's National Programming Platforms and Strategic Services teams.

"I'm thrilled to have Mark return to the Bay area and lead these two legendary stations," said Don Parker, VP of Programming for iHeartMedia San Francisco. "His track record speaks for itself and his prior experience programming in San Francisco make him the ideal candidate to take the reins of Star and WiLD."

Adams remarked, "I’m both excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity. WiLD 94.9 and Star 101 are both legendary radio stations featuring great talent on the air and behind the scenes. It’s an honor to become part of both stations and help write the next chapter. It’s been my long-term goal to return to the Bay area and I would like to thank Don Parker, Katie Wilcox, Brad Hardin, as well as Hartley Adkins for their support. I’m looking forward to joining the iHeartMedia San Francisco team and getting to work with both WiLD and Star."

Entercom Appoints Carlos Lamadrid To New Position

Carlos Lamadrid

Entercom Communications announced today that Carlos Lamadrid has been appointed as Entercom’s new Vice President of National Sales and Strategic Partnerships. Lamadrid will report to Weezie Kramer, Entercom’s Station Group President.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Carlos’s experience join our team,” said Weezie Kramer, Entercom Station Group President. “His sales, business, and marketing acumen are market tested and will help us elevate the conversation with our customers.”

In this newly created position, Lamadrid will concentrate on increasing revenue in the company’s national sales channel as well as developing integrated partnerships with leading national advertisers.

“I am delighted to join Entercom’s national sales team,” said Carlos Lamadrid. “There are unprecedented opportunities for advertisers to engage with their customers. Radio is thriving in a digital world. Reaching over 90 percent of the population in real time, radio delivers proven results for advertisers. This is an exciting time in radio broadcasting and to be part of Entercom’s sales leadership team.”

Carlos Lamadrid was, until recently, the Senior Vice President of TC Media where he reported to the company president and oversaw 18 magazines, TV/multiplatform media, licensing, and branding.

R.I.P.: Iconic Chattanooga Personality Luther Masingill

Legendary radio broadcaster Luther Masingill died early Monday morning after a short illness at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga surrounded by family and friends.

He was 92 and had been on the air for a record 74 years, according to chattanoogan.com.  He was still active on WDEF 92.3 FM.

Undated photo

Luther began his career with WDEF 1370 AM on New Years Day 1941. Throughout his life he was honored with the Marconi Award, inducted into the Tennessee and National Association of Broadcasters Halls of Fame and received countless other honors and awards.

He is the only broadcaster on record to be behind the microphone during both the invasion of Pearl Harbor and the attacks of 9-11.

His legendary 74 years on the radio at one station (WDEF AM & FM); is a record that will likely never be repeated.  He influenced and encouraged many broadcasters, but it was his connection to the community that he loved the most.  At one time or another, almost every Chattanoogan has heard Luther announce their school or business was closed, gotten critical weather and traffic updates and discovered how they could  make our community a better place.



WDEF Radio VP/GM Bernie Barker said, “Luther’s impact on Chattanooga is unparalleled.”

“Anyone who has ever listened to Chattanooga radio over the past 74 years knew the unmistakable sound of his voice.  We are all deeply saddened by his passing, but rest assured his spirit and commitment will always be a part of Sunny 92.3, WDEF.”

Luther’s partner of 20 years James Howard said, “Luther is the reason I got into radio.  He is my best friend and an inspiration to everyone who as ever listened.  Announcing his passing is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my career.  We will continue his broadcast legacy and honor his memory.”

Post by Sunny 92.3.

David Carroll at chattanoogaradiotv.com put Masingill's career in perspective on the occasion of his 92nd birth late last year:

When Luther uttered his first words on WDEF, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in his second term.  Some veterans of the Civil War were still alive.  There was no such thing as cake mix, an electric blanket or an atomic bomb.  Hitler ruled Germany, and Churchill was Britain’s Prime Minister.  Gasoline was 18 cents a gallon, and it cost three pennies to mail a letter.  Everything has changed, drastically.

Chattanooga Radio: Remembering Luther Masingill

Luther Masingill

Masingill's first day on the job at WDEF was as an 18-year-old on New Year's Eve in 1940. And according to timesfreepress.com, other than his time in the military working as a reporter during World War II, he had been at the station ever since. He also worked at WDEF-TV 12 since it signed on in 1954.

He is a National Marconi award winner and a member of both the National Radio Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.

"I'd like to say he taught me about radio, but really he taught me how to be a good father, and a good husband and a good person," says Masingill's on-air partner for the last 15 years James Howard.

Known as one of the friendliest and cheeriest people around, Howard was emotional talking about his friend and colleague.

"He also taught me that the key in radio is to be real and to love my community and to answer that phone. "Don't let it ring more than twice because on the other end is somebody you can help. Radio is not about car giveaways and promos. It's about public service, but I knew that before I started here because I listened to Luther."

Tommy Jett started his broadcast career here in 1961, and it was Masingill who inducted him into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2013. He says Masingill had everything it took to be on the air for so long.

"To have the fortitude to be on the air for this long you have to have a love of people and a love of country and a love of God, and you have to keep your private life to yourself and present yourseld as a caring person and Luthers was that.

Not only would Luther devote airtime to helping people find their lost pets, heoften called back a day or two later to check up.

Asked a few years ago to describe his morning routine, he said, "I kept up and touch the tips of my shoes 50 times, and then I put them on."