Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent two days on Capitol Hill seeking to placate lawmakers by saying he would be open to some sort of regulation to protect the privacy of users on his global social-media platform.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the question now is whether Washington will create regulations that address increasingly widespread concerns about digital privacy, and how any new constraints would squeeze the business models of companies like Facebook that rely on the free flow of data.
That tension was at the heart of Mr. Zuckerberg’s two days of testimony. He signaled repeatedly that he had learned the lesson of the recent data-breach scandals that have been dogging the company. And yet, when the discussion turned to details about how industrywide rules might help protect user data, he often couched his willingness to embrace new rules with warnings about poor regulation leading to unintended consequences.
In response to a question from Rep. Fred Upton (R., Mich.), Mr. Zuckerberg said he thought it was “inevitable that there will need to be some regulation.” Then he immediately warned against going too far. “You have to be careful about what regulations you put in place,” he said.
Big internet companies stopped short of endorsing Mr. Zuckerberg’s qualified support for more privacy regulation in his testimony this week. Michael Beckerman, president of the Internet Association, a trade group, said in a statement late Tuesday that the industry’s leading companies are “committed to giving Americans the information and tools they need to make informed choices about their information online,” and pledge to “continue to work with lawmakers” to protect consumers.
He added, however, that the internet industry already “complies with a host of laws and regulations in the U.S. and around the world.” He emphasized that the internet sector is a bright spot for the U.S. economy and “a great American export.”
Although Zuckerberg, 33, had never testified at a congressional hearing before, he succeeded in deflecting questions like a Washington veteran. Forty times the internet mogul told lawmakers he had no answers at hand and would get back to them later. About one in three lawmakers got that response over the two days.
Wearing a dark suit and tie and politely prefacing almost every remark with “Congressman” or “Congresswoman,” Zuckerberg appeared even more controlled than he did on Tuesday when he testified before senators. He refrained from cracking jokes and flashed few smiles, reports Reuters.
The performance had favorable results. Facebook shares closed up 0.78 percent on Wednesday after rising 4.5 percent Tuesday. Over the two days, the value of Zuckerberg’s stake in the company grew about $3 billion.
Apple Inc on Wednesday appointed a new executive to oversee its Apple Music streaming business and hit 48 million subscribers, the company said.
Reuters reports Apple said it had appointed Oliver Schusser as vice president of Apple Music and international content. Schusser, who joined Apple 14 years ago, will report directly to Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue and will also oversee Apple’s services outside the
United States, including the App Store and iTunes.
Apple’s top streaming music rival Spotify Technology SA has 71 million so-called premium subscribers, a figure that includes users who have given the company a credit card number for a free trial. Spotify became a public company earlier this month after holding a so-called direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
On a comparable basis, the Apple Music service has 48 million subscribers, 40 million of whom are paying subscribers and 8 million of whom are on a free trial, Apple said. Both firms charge $9.99 a month for streaming music but provide discounts for student and family plans.
Apple’s services business, which includes Apple Music, the App Store and iCloud, is becoming increasingly important to the Apple’s financial outlook because the smart phone market has matured and iPhone sales growth has slowed. In its most recent quarter, Apple’s services business grew 18 percent to $8.4 billion, missing analyst expectations of $8.6 billion.
A new date has been set for the start of the trial phase of Nielsen’s $1 million ratings tampering lawsuit against Tampa-based radio host Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem. With two dates presented, both parties agreed on a start date of June 18 for the beginning of the trial, during a telephone conference proceeding overseen by Judge James D. Whittemore.
The trial was to begin Monday, April 2, but at the last minute was delayed with no explanation given.
According to InsideRadio, Nielsen has submitted 29 witnesses it intends to call to the stand, including Clem and a dozen Nielsen executives, such as Nielsen Audio managing director Brad Kelly, senior VP & sales director John Snyder and senior VP of local product leadership Bill Rose. Nielsen also plans to put Nicholas Tabachuk, the so-called “cooperating panelist,” on the stand, along with other panelists. Also on the Nielsen witness list are Beasley president Bruce Beasley and executive VP of Programming Justin Chase, Cox-Tampa/market manager Keith Lawless, and former Nielsen and Arbitron managers such as Rhody Bosley and Bob Patchen.
Clem’s attorneys also intend to call 29 witnesses, including former Jacor and Clear Channel CEO Randy Michaels, JVC Broadcasting CEO John Caracciolo, Genesis Communications CEO Bruce Maduri, Beasley general counsel Joyce Fitch, consultant Dom Theodore, WHPT Tampa morning man Mike Calta, a former PPM panelist, and several names on the Nielsen list, including Chase, Lawless and Clem.
The high-profile case has been dragging on since October 2015.
Westwood One will welcome more than 90 of Country music’s biggest and brightest stars to its Westwood One Backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards™ to celebrate the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music’s Party of the Year.
Top Country superstars and hot, new emerging talent – including Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Old Dominion, LOCASH, Danielle Bradbery, Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Chris Young, and more will engage with 25 of America’s top Country stations and national shows. Westwood One and Cumulus Media are the official national radio partners for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards.
“With our long-standing official partnership, only Westwood One Backstage and the Academy of Country Music Awards can deliver such extraordinary star-power to our listeners, affiliates, and advertisers,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Corporate Marketing for Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “We’re bringing the biggest Country music stars and radio personalities together to capture unique over the air, on demand, and social content that celebrates the passion, the energy, and the glory of Country music at its best.”
The exclusive star-studded Westwood One Backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards features a robust radio row, extensive multi-platform content, live performances, and social media experiences. It will take place on Friday, April 13 and Saturday, April 14 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm PT during rehearsals for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.
Westwood One Backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards will also feature live performances from Big Machine Label Group recording artist Tyler Rich on Thursday, newly-inducted Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson and ACM-Award winner Jake Owen on Friday and ACM-Award winner Rodney Atkins on Saturday.
Join Westwood One’s Backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards conversation on social media: #WestwoodOne @WestwoodOne.
The 53rd ACM Awards takes place on Sunday, April 15, 2018, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will broadcast LIVE at 8:00 pm ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The show will be hosted by the “Queen of Country,” Reba McEntire.
After five decades in radio, nearly 43 of them at KKYX, “The Cousin” Jerry King has decided to hang up his headphones and retire.
“It is with mixed feelings that I let everyone know that “The Cousin” is going to retire as of April 20. While I'm in good health at 72, I feel it is time to retire. I'll still be doing things related to music,” said King. “I thank my radio family for their support, friendship, camaraderie, and for the opportunity to do what I've done at KKYX – it’s been a wonderful career. This is where the cowboy rides away with gratitude for the great professionals I have worked with throughout my 53 years in radio.”
“I met Jerry 31 years ago, and he was already a legend in the industry,” said Ben Reed, VP Market Manager for CMG San Antonio. “He is a true radio man, a tremendous friend, and one of the kindest human beings I have ever known. His CMG family wishes him the best as he segues into the next phase in his amazing life.”
Throughout his illustrious career, King was part of many “firsts” in the radio and music history. When he was working as the music director of KKYX in 1981, a cowboy from a local band walked into the radio station with his first record. King played “Unwound” on the 50-thousand-watt, AM station and it was the first time the country music world and much of South Texas heard George Strait on the radio.
For his many contributions to artists, radio and country music, Jerry King was inducted into the Country Music Radio DJ Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also inducted into the San Antonio Radio Hall of Fame as well as the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
A group of employees is seeking to form a union in the Chicago Tribune’s newsroom, in what would be a historic move at the 171-year-old newspaper.
Organizers notified editors and sent a recruitment memo to staffers Wednesday, urging them to join the effort to form the paper’s first newsroom union. The stated goals include regular raises, advancement opportunities, better parental leave policies and a more diverse newsroom.
But more than specific demands, the organizers say they seek to give voice to a newsroom buffeted by downsizing and shifting corporate leadership, most recently under Chicago-based Tronc.
Formerly known as Tribune Publishing, Tronc owns the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times and other publications.
Last month, the Chicago Tribune began implementation of a newsroom reorganization that included layoffs.
Tronc spokeswoman Marisa Kollias referred to a memo sent to the newsroom Wednesday by Bruce Dold, the Tribune’s publisher and editor-in-chief, in lieu of a comment. In that memo, Dold acknowledged receipt of a letter from union organizers and told staffers that Tribune management “has the utmost respect for the decisions you make and for your rights on this issue.”
He also outlined steps the paper is taking to address employees’ concerns.
The organizing effort is the latest in an industry that faces ongoing revenue declines and an uncertain digital future.
In January, the Los Angeles Times newsroom overwhelmingly voted to join the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America, a first for the traditionally anti-union newspaper, which was founded in 1881. Tronc subsequently agreed to sell the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and other California-based assets to Los Angeles biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong for $500 million in cash. The deal is expected to close by early in the second quarter.
If successful, the Tribune editorial staffers would join the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America, which represents The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Tronc-owned Baltimore Sun, among other newspapers. The Tribune collective bargaining unit would be part of the union’s local affiliate, the Chicago News Guild, which has long represented newsroom staffers at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie are once again the world’s most admired man and woman in YouGov’s annual study of which public figures the people of our planet look up to.
Tech pioneer and philanthropist Gates has topped the list every time YouGov has conducted the survey, while Jolie has also come first in each of the three surveys since 2015 when separate male and female categories were introduced.
This year, the study expanded to cover the views of people in 35 countries – the most ever – and means that YouGov interviewed more than 37,000 people to compile the list.
Entertainers dominate the female top twenty, with 14 of the most admired women being actresses, singers or TV presenters (although some, like Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie, are also notable for their humanitarian work). By contrast, the list of most admired men contains more people from political, business and sporting backgrounds.
Former US presidential couple Barack and Michelle Obama occupy the two second place spots, representing a three-position rise for Michelle and no change for Barack. The 44th American president is 15 places higher than the man that replaced him – with Donald Trump going up one place since the last study. In fact, the last US president ranks higher than the incumbent in all countries surveyed bar one: Russia.
➦In 1924...WLS-AM, Chicago, Illinois began broadcasting.
After buying time on radio stations in the early days of broadcasting, Sears Roebuck & Co. in Chicago decided to start its own station. Its first test broadcasts used the call sign WBBX and then WES (“World’s Economy Store”). On April 12, 1924, the station became WLS (“World’s Largest Store”).
In its first month, WLS started its “National Barn Dance” program, a live country-music showcase that was the direct predecessor of the Grand Ole Opry.
A Chicago radio manufacturer signed on WENR Radio in 1925. The station entered a time-sharing agreement with WBCN Radio. An investor bought both stations in 1927. He later sold the licenses to NBC. The network kept WENR on the air. It shared a frequency with WLS for decades. One station would sign off and another would sign on.
Sears sold WLS to the “Prairie Farmer” magazine in 1928. The radio station became an essential part of agriculture in the Midwest. Farmers relied heavily on agricultural news, commodity prices and weather reports from WLS.
WENR-WLS boosted power to 50,000 watts in 1932, beaming its programming over much of the nation. Despite its part-time status, the station built a large amount of goodwill and a huge audience.
In addition to farm programming, WLS offered entertainment and educational programs. It also made history in news broadcasting. WLS reporter Herb Morrison famously said, “Oh the humanity!” as he watched the 1937 Hindenberg crash in Lakehurst, N.J. The recorded account aired the next day over NBC.
The station also experimented successfully in many forms of news broadcasting, including weather and crop reports. Its most famous news broadcast was the report of the Hindenburg disaster by Herbert Morrison.
VISIT SCOTT CHILDERS' WLS TRIBUTE WEBSITE: Click Here
VISIT JEFF ROTEMAN'S WLS TRIBUTE WEBSITE: Click Here
For about 15 years WLS shared it's frequency with WENR as part of the NBC Blue Network. In 1941 WLS changed frequency from 870 to 890 kilocycles with 50 kw of power. The transmitter site was in Chicago's south suburb of Crete, Illinois from 1924 to 1938. In 1938, they moved to it's current location in Tinley Park.
WLS was an NBC Blue Network affiliate during radio’s golden age. NBC was forced to sell the Blue Network, which became ABC. In 1954, ABC bought a controlling interest in WENR-WLS, combining the two into WLS. The network bought WLS outright in 1959.
The ABC era brought a major change. The staid, conservative WLS that brought Midwesterners a steady diet of farm reports, news and weather, general-interest music and entertainment and the “National Barn Dance” became a Top 40 station at 6 a.m. on May 2, 1960. ABC created one of the nation’s most influential radio stations in the rock era, attracting millions of listeners each week.
Here’s a sample of a 1962 aircheck featuring Dick Biondi:
By the late 1980s, it was an adult contemporary station during the day and offered talk programming at night. WLS switched to its current full-time news/talk format in 1989. Cumulus Media now owns the station.
➦In 1935..."Your Hit Parade," was first broadcast on radio.
Your Hit Parade began on NBC April 20, 1935, as a 60-minute program with 15 songs played in a random format. Initially, the songs were more important than the singers, so a stable of vocalists went uncredited and were paid only $100 per episode. In 1936-37, it was carried on both NBC and CBS. Script continuity in the late 1930s and early 1940s was written by Alan Jay Lerner before he found fame as a lyricist. The first number one song on the first episode was "Soon" by Bing Crosby.
One source says his contract was not renewed due to demanding a raise and the show being moved to the West Coast. As he zoomed in popularity he was rehired, returning (1947–49) to co-star with Doris Day.
Hugely popular on CBS through the WWII years, Your Hit Parade returned to NBC in 1947.
Dozens of singers appeared on the radio program, including "Wee" Bonnie Baker, Dorothy Collins, Beryl Davis, Gogo DeLys, Joan Edwards (1941–46), Georgia Gibbs, Dick Haymes, Snooky Lanson, Gisèle MacKenzie, Johnny Mercer, Andy Russell, Dinah Shore, Ginny Simms, Lawrence Tibbett, Martha Tilton, Eileen Wilson, Barry Wood, and occasional guest vocalists.
The radio series continued until January 16, 1953. ➦In 1941...The Life of Riley family comedy was heard for the first time on the CBS radio network, as a Saturday morning half-hour. William Bendix starred in the more successful prime time version (first on ABC, then NBC Radio) from 1944 to ’51.
➦In 1945...US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used radio more effectively than any other politician before or since, died of a massive cerebral hemmorhage at age 63.
➦In 1954…Bill Haley and His Comets recorded "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" at the Pythian Temple, "a big, barn-like building with great echo," in New York City. Most music historians agree that the song, featured in the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle," ushered in the rock 'n' roll era. It hit #1 on June 29, 1955 and stayed there for eight weeks, remaining on the charts for a total of 24 weeks, and has sold more than 25 million copies.
➦In 1989...David Cassidy's comeback begins when Los Angeles KLOS, to which the former Partridge Family singer is listening, wonder what happened to him. Before long, he's at the studio, performing three songs that land him a new record deal.
➦In 2002...WTJM 105.1 FM NYC switched call letters to WWPR
➦In 2007...Don Imus was fired from his syndicated program by CBS Radio after a week of controversy brought on by racial remarks broadcast a week earlier about the Rutgers women basketball team. One day earlier, Imus' simulcast of his show on MSNBC was canceled.
➦In 2016…Longtime Detroit radio broadcaster (WJR for nearly 40 years) Paul Carey, who was Ernie Harwell's play-by-play partner on Detroit Tigers broadcasts for 19 years, died of cancer at 88.
Spotify Technology SA is developing a new version of its free music service, the first big product change since the streaming company went public last week, according to Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter.
The company is tweaking the free service to make it easier to use, especially for customers on mobile phones, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are still private. An announcement is expected within a couple weeks.
Spotify needs to attract large numbers of new listeners to satisfy investors who value the newly public company based on user growth. The free service generates customers that the company can steer into its paid offerings. The paid version accounts for less than half of Spotify’s customer base.
This model has worked well. Stockholm-based Spotify had 157 million user at the end of 2017, including 71 million paid subscribers. That’s the most of any online music service. The growth of paid streaming has boosted music industry sales for three years in a row.
With the updated service, free mobile listeners will be able to access playlists more quickly and have more control over what songs they hear on top playlists, mimicking Spotify’s ad-free subscription product. The basic package is $9.99 a month.
Spotify expects to reach about 200 million users by the end of the year, and as many as 96 million subscribers, according to a March forecast. Technology giants Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. are all vying for a larger share of the music subscription market.
Musicians have criticized Spotify for giving away music for free, and record label executives have asked Spotify to limit what is available to customers who don’t pay. The labels scored one victory last year in the latest round of negotiations, convincing Spotify to let artists delay the release of new works on the free service.
Meanwhile, PCMag reports Spotify this week launched a new Premium subscription plan that includes Hulu for $12.99 a month. Spotify Premium normally costs $9.99 a month and Hulu's Limited Commercials plan is typically $7.99 a month, so this new bundle option is $4.99 a month cheaper than subscribing to both separately.
At this point, the bundle is only available for existing Spotify Premium subscribers, but the companies plan to open it up to non-paying Spotify users this summer. For now, they are offering paying Spotify members a three-month trial of Hulu for $0.99; after that you'll be switched over to the $12.99 monthly bundle unless you cancel.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified for the first time before Congress Tuesday facing lawmakers during a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees.
Senators grilled him on the controversy surrounding Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to President Trump that Facebook says improperly harvested data on as many as 87 million users for political targeting, and other issues facing the platform like Russian election meddling.
It was a make-or-break moment for Zuckerberg with the eyes of the tech and political worlds on the blockbuster hearing.
The Daily Caller reports Sen. Ted Cruz clearly rattled Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Tuesday by grilling him about Facebook’s well-documented censorship of conservatives.
Cruz noted the number of examples of Facebook censoring conservatives, including labeling conservative commentators Diamond and Silk as “unsafe,” hiding stories about the IRS targeting conservatives and blocking over two dozen Catholic pages.
To a great many Americans, that appears to be a pervasive pattern of political bias,” Cruz said. “Do you agree with that assessment?”
Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook’s location in the highly-liberal Silicon Valley could concern conservative users, but assured Cruz that the platform tries to be unbiased.
“Are you aware of any ad or page that has been taken down from Planned Parenthood?” Cruz shot at the tech billionaire.
“Senator, I’m not,” Zuckerberg conceded. “But let me just — ”
“How about MoveOn.org?” Cruz continued.
“I’m not specifically aware of those,” Zuckerberg again admitted.
During nearly five hours of questioning by 44 U.S. senators, Zuckerberg repeated apologies he previously made for a range of problems that have beset Facebook, from a lack of data protection to Russian agents using Facebook to influence U.S. elections.
Reuters reports the 33-year-old internet mogul managed to deflect any specific promises to support any congressional regulation of the world’s largest social media network and other U.S. internet companies.
“I’ll have my team follow up with you so that way we can have this discussion across the different categories where I think this discussion needs to happen,” Zuckerberg told a joint hearing by the U.S. Senate’s Commerce and Judiciary committees, when asked what regulations he thought were necessary.
Investors were impressed with his performance. Shares in Facebook posted their biggest daily gain in nearly two years, closing up 4.5 percent.
Jamie Allman has lost his ratings-topping conservative-talk radio show on KFTK 97.1 FM, a spokeswoman for the station’s owner told stltoday.com Tuesday night.
“I can tell you on the record KFTK has parted ways with Mr. Allman and that his show is canceled effective immediately,” said Esther-Mireya Tejeda of Entercom Communications.
The cancellation came just one day after Allman’s television show on KDNL (Channel 30) got the ax.
The morning drive-time radio show was a much bigger platform for Allman. It was among the biggest draws in the time slot in the St. Louis market. Allman had been able to capitalize on the popularity of conservative talk radio that has swept the nation in recent years to build a profitable brand.
The firing from both the radio and TV gigs came as Allman has gotten sharp criticism for remarks he made about teen anti-gun activist David Hogg.
Allman responded to a message on Tuesday, only to say he had been advised to not make any comment to the media at this time.
KFTK program director Jeff Allen could not be reached for comment.
Hogg has been among the most outspoken survivors calling for gun control in the wake of the February shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla.
Allman’s post drew harsh criticism and sparked the beginnings of an advertiser boycott.
A spokesman for Sinclair, which owns the ABC affiliate KDNL, confirmed Monday evening that Allman’s show is finished.
