The National Enquirer has been sold by its parent company.
A360 Media has agreed to sell the publication in a cash deal to VVIP Ventures, a joint venture of the digital media company Vinco Ventures and a new company set up for the purchase, Icon Publishing, the companies announced on Monday. The price was not disclosed.
Two of the National Enquirer’s stablemates, the National Examiner and Globe, will also be acquired as part of the deal, along with the British edition of the Enquirer.
One of the new buyers of the National Enquirer, Icon Publishing, was founded by Ted Farnsworth, the former chairman of the start-up theater subscription company MoviePass. The NY Times reports Farnsworth was indicated in November by the Department of Justice on charges of defrauding investors. Farnsworth declined to comment on the charges.
The other buyer in the joint venture, Vinco Ventures, has a majority stake in Lomotif, a TikTok rival, and owns AdRizer, an ad tech company.
The buyers said in an interview that they planned to expand the publications’ digital presence and tap the Enquirer’s expansive archives of nearly 100 years of celebrity news and gossip.
Beasley Media Group, LLC, a leading multi-platform media company, and Key Networks, a next generation radio syndication company, announce that they have partnered to bring one of Country radio’s most familiar and beloved voices and faces, Shawn Parr, and his new powerhouse Country radio show, Shawn Parr’s Backstage Country, to stations across the U.S.
The program extends the syndication partnership of Beasley Media Group and Key Networks and merges two popular syndicated Country radio shows, Backstage Country and Shawn Parr’s Across the Country, into a freshly produced alchemy that delivers the best of both nationally syndicated Country radio shows.
Known as “The Ambassador of Country Music”, Shawn Parr is one of Country radio’s brightest and best-known personalities. With over 35 years in Country radio, including 13 years as a nationally syndicated on-air host, Parr takes Country fans backstage with exclusive access to Country’s biggest stars and hottest music. Based in Music City, Parr is widely known for his work as the voice of The Academy of Country Music Awards, The Golden Globes, American Music Awards, and many other national television specials.
A powerful earthquake in southern Turkey early Monday leveled residential buildings and killed more than 2,000+ people across the country and in neighboring Syria, officials said. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said a news conference that 284 people had been killed and 2,323 injured, numbers that were likely to rise as rescuers searched flattened buildings in frigid weather. Syria’s deputy health minister reported 237 killed and 639 injured in government-controlled regions, mostly in Latakia, Hama, Aleppo and Tartus, according to state media.
The 7.8 MAG earthquake destroyed an entire neighborhood in the city of Harem in the northern countryside of Idlib, Syria.pic.twitter.com/rtWVLu03OS
The Syrian American Medical Society reported 104 dead and 600-plus seriously injured in rebel-held areas. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake — felt as far away as Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt — occurred in Nurdagi, about 40 miles west of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The initial quake was followed by dozens of powerful aftershocks.
➤RUBIO...CHINA THINKS AMERICA IS IN DECLINE: Sen. Marco Rubio, the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that China intentionally flew a spy balloon over the United States to send the message that America is in “decline.” “They did this on purpose. They understood that it was going to be spotted, they knew the US government would have to reveal it, that people were going to see it over the sky. And the message they were trying to send is what they believe internally, and that is that the United States is a once-great superpower that’s hollowed out, it’s in decline,” the Florida pol said on ABC News’ “This Week.” Rubio rejected China’s excuse that the balloon was a “civilian aircraft” which had flown off course, adding that the Biden administration’s decision to initially keep quiet about the object after it entered US airspace and not shoot it down until it was off the East Coast played right into China’s intentions. “The message [China] is trying to send the world is, ‘Look, these guys can’t even do anything about a balloon flying over US airspace,’ ” Rubio told host Jonathan Karl.
➤U-S OVER-REACTED: Beijing's government said on Sunday afternoon local time that the U.S.'s response to the balloon was an 'overreaction' and threatened a 'similar' situation if American surveillance devices were caught in Chinese airspace. The 'spy balloon' was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country. The Air Force said on Saturday that it's now beginning a 'recovery' operation for the fallen debris, which is expected to be 'fairly easy' given the shallow water it landed in. Florida firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz led GOP reaction calling for a continued crackdown on China last night. 'Now blow up TikTok,' he wrote on Twitter.
Beyoncé broke the record for the most Grammy wins in history after winning best dance/electronic music album for her record “Renaissance.” But the superstar was overlooked for the most prestigious prizes at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Pop-rock phenom Harry Styles scored album of the year, the most coveted Grammy, for “Harry’s House”—an outcome that represents an upset, yet one that some Grammy watchers had expected. His blockbuster album also won other awards, including best pop vocal album.
Other major awards also delivered surprises. Blues-rock elder stateswoman Bonnie Raitt, who for decades has been respected as a deft interpreter of others’ songs, won song of the year—a songwriter’s award and one of the four biggest trophies—for her composition “Just Like That.”
SiriusXM Pandora will raise the price of its satellite and streaming radio packages in March, a move that will also impact the cost of the company’s music royalty fee that is passed along to subscribers.
The Desk was first to report the company began notifying customers this week of the subscription and royalty music fee increases, which will begin March 14, 2023. It comes after The Desk reported last September that executives were considering price hikes on customers, with the justification that new hardware and features warranted an increase in the cost of service.
The price adjustment means customers on SiriusXM’s ultra-premium satellite radio plan, called SiriusXM Platinum, will pay almost $30 a month for access to nearly 200 music, sports, talk and news channels, with included access to SiriusXM’s streaming radio app that offers more than 450 linear content channels.
The adjusted prices rolling out to customers (rounded to the nearest dollar) are:
A recent YouGov poll finds that Americans are especially likely to have noticed major technological shifts in the areas of communication, media, and entertainment.
And while technology-induced changes are generally more likely to be viewed positively than negatively, there are some sectors — such as media and politics — where technology is more often seen as detrimental than beneficial. In terms of Americans' specific worries regarding the future of tech, we find that large majorities are at least somewhat concerned about its influence on elections, the spread of misinformation, and a loss of privacy.
The poll asked Americans to rate the extent to which the technology industry has changed the way 10 sectors operate. At least two-thirds of people say that technology has changed — either a great deal or somewhat — the way each of the sectors asked about operate. The share who say technology's impact has been "great" varies across sectors from more than half to about one-third. The biggest impacts are seen in communication (58% say "a great deal"), media (58%), and entertainment (49%).
The poll also asked whether Americans are concerned about 20 issues relating to the U.S. technology industry. (Each respondent was asked about a randomly selected sample of 15 of the 20.) Majorities of Americans say they're at least "somewhat concerned" about each of the 20 issues — though some issues are more likely to be seen as "very" concerning.
Podcast revenue growth of 30% at Spotify has helped to drive 14% growth in ad-supported revenue growth, but, despite its near half billion users, the audio streaming platform has struggled to turn popularity into profit, according to a WARC report. Context: Music is expensive, and while users can get most of it for free on Spotify (with a few ads), music rights cost the platform around 70% of its total revenues. As a result, podcasts became not only a critical area for revenue growth but also for profitability. Up until very recently, Spotify’s strategy had been focused on creating hits and buying studios or exclusive contracts with the likes of Joe Rogan, and Harry and Meghan.
Why it matters: Hits are important, but it appears that driving the use of tools might be more important. Now the trick it seems Spotify must pull off is to become more like its bigger, richer, and more versatile competitor YouTube, as Bloomberg’s Luke Shaw observed recently. That means building a platform for all podcasters, and to build an ad capability that can funnel money toward the creators to keep them sweet – but without these same creators working directly with a brand and circumventing Spotify’s plumbing. It’s a big and difficult bet.
Beasley Media Group’s KKLZ 96.3 FM will welcome 48 couples (or 96 people) to renew their vows together in the spirit of Valentine’s Day!
Station Morning Personalities Mike & Carla’s “We Do Redo” will take place on Monday, February 13, at Legacy Club Rooftop Cocktails – located atop of Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.
The first 48 couples to register online will win automatic entry into the venue, which offers a breathtaking view of the Las Vegas lights. Couples will enjoy a live DJ, drinks, chances to win prizes, and most importantly, another wedding cake! Carla Rea will officiate the group ceremony!
One Grand Prize winner will be selected to win a two-night stay package at the Circa Resort & Casino, including breakfast and dinner for two, accommodations at Stadium Swim, a couple’s massage from Spa at Lakeside 2.0, and a $1000 gift certificate for new wedding bands from TeNo Outlet store.
One year ago this week, the entire staff at CNN was shaken by the sudden ousting of their leader and mentor Jeff Zucker, known as a hands-on boss who had a major influence in the network's day-to-day programming. Without Zucker, CNN appears to be lost at sea, undergoing an identity crisis while also struggling to maintain a programming lineup and salvage its waning viewership, reports Fox News Digital.
During January, FOX Business Network (FBN) led CNBC across Business Day (9:30 AM – 5 PM/ET) with total viewers for the tenth consecutive month, according to Nielsen Media Research.
FBN’s Kudlow (weekdays,4 PM/ET) and Varney & Co. (weekdays, 9 AM-12 PM/ET) finished first and second on the business television ranker for the month, respectively, while also seeing growth year-over-year.
Continuing as the number one market program on television, Kudlow saw a 58% advantage in total viewers as it outperformed CNBC for the 16th straight month. The show drew 287,000 total viewers compared to Closing Bell’s 182,000. Stuart Varney’s signature market open analysis program Varney & Co. also continued its reign over CNBC, marking its 11th uninterrupted monthly win, outranking each hour from 9 AM-12 PM/ET. Scoring 275,000 total viewers, the program nabbed a 46% advantage over CNBC.
Dagen McDowell, Sean Duffy
On January 23, 2023, FBN unveiled a new programming schedule, with the addition of The Big Money Show (weekdays, 1 PM/ET) and The Bottom Line (weekdays, 6 PM/ET) to the lineup. Co-hosted by Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy, The Bottom Line secured double-digit growth year over year with 236,000 viewers, besting CNBC’s signature show Mad Money by 55%. Notably, it was the best 6PM/ET performance for the network in more than two years. The Big Money Show with Brian Brenberg, Jackie DeAngelis and Taylor Riggs also had a strong debut, nabbing 165,000 viewers in its first week.
A recent study by the Pew Research Center has found that links shared by prominent Twitter users are more likely to come from mainstream news sources than those shared on alternative platforms such as Parler and Gab.
The study analyzed the link-sharing behavior of nearly 2,000 Twitter users with at least 10,000 followers and compared it to the link-sharing behavior of a similar number of users on Parler and Gab. It found that links shared by prominent Twitter users were more likely to come from mainstream news sources such as CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Bluelight Communications has named Vinny Brown Program Director of Rochester’s top hip-hop radio station, 105.5 The Beat/ WGLZ HD2 as well as Bluelight’s sister station Rochester’s top Latin formatted translator 97.5 La Mega (WRSN 1950 AM).
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Vinny professionally and personally for many years and have seen him lead, teach and nurture both his WRKS and WBLS teams to win in America’s biggest market,” says Bluelight Communications co-owner Manny Bella.
“Vinny is a true professional and a consummate master of his trade. I can’t think of anyone more astutely qualified to lead The Beat 105.5, and 97.5 La Mega to win in Rochester.”
Charles Kimbrough, an actor known for his patrician looks and stately bearing who was nominated for an Emmy Award for portraying a comically rigid news anchor on the hit sitcom “Murphy Brown,” died on Jan. 11 in Culver City, Calif.
After decades of stage work in New York, including a Tony Award-nominated performance in the original 1970 Broadway production of the Steven Sondheim musical "Company," Kimbrough finally got his first taste of mainstream fame alongside Candice Bergen on “Murphy Brown,” the popular series set in a television newsroom that ran for 10 seasons on CBS starting in 1988. (He reprised his character for three episodes of the 2018 reboot.)
➦In 1911...Ronald Wilson Reagan was born (died June 5, 2004). He was our 40th president from 1981 to 1989. Prior to his presidency, he was a Hollywood actor and union leader before serving as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 to 1975.
Reagan was raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois. He graduated from Eureka College in 1932, Reagan drove to Iowa, where he held jobs as a radio announcer at several stations.
He moved to WHO radio in Des Moines as an announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games. His specialty was creating play-by-play accounts of games using only basic descriptions that the station received by wire as the games were in progress. While traveling with the Cubs in California in 1937, Reagan took a screen test that led to a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers studios
➦In 1925…WMCA NYC signed-on on 428.6 meters wavelength (700 kHz) with a power of 500 watts. The station was the 13th radio station to begin operations in New York City and was owned by broadcasting pioneer Donald Flamm. The station's original studios and antenna were atop the Hotel McAlpin, located on Herald Square and from which WMCA's call letters derive. In 1928 it moved to the 570 kHz frequency, sharing time for the next three years with municipally-owned WNYC.
On April 19, 1932, the Federal Radio Commission approved WMCA's application to broadcast full-time on 570 kHz.
Through its early decades WMCA had a varied programming history, playing music, hosting dramas, and broadcasting New York Giants baseball games. In 1943, it was acquired by the Straus family when Edward J. Noble acquired the Blue Network and its owned-and-operated stations from NBC, including WJZ (now WABC) in New York; the Blue Network would later be renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).
In 1945, host Barry Gray began dropping music and adding talk with celebrities and later call-in listeners; he is thus sometimes considered "The Father of Talk Radio", and his show lasted on WMCA through several decades and format changes.
WMCA began playing hit music in the late 1950s with a Top 40 format. Among its disc jockey staff were future legends Scott Muni, Frankie Crocker, Harry Harrison and Murray "the K" Kaufman.
Led by program director Ruth Meyer, the first woman to hold the position in New York City radio, this was the era of the high-profile Top 40 disc jockey with an exuberant personality aimed at a certain audience segment. With the advent of the Good Guys format, WMCA became more"on top" of new music and started to become known for "playing the hits."
In the early 1960s, the top 40 format was still young, and the field was crowded in New York City. Two major 50,000-watt stations, WMGM 1050 AM (now WEPN-AM) and WINS 1010 AM, had battled each other for years. Then in 1960, WABC 770 am joined the fray and started featuring top 40 music. Ultimately, it was WMCA's earnest competition with rival WABC that forced WMGM (in early 1962) and then WINS (in spring 1965) to abandon the top-40 format. There was so much attention on the high-profile WMCA-WABC battle that WMGM and WINS were each summarily forced to find a new niche.
➦In 1926..Flashback 97-years and find out what was going on with radio...Click Here
Courtesy of American Radio History
➦In 1929… the Victor Talking Machine Company merged with Radio Corporation of America to become RCA Victor, and the Canadian subsidiary became RCA Victor of Canada, then the world's largest manufacturer of phonographs (including the famous "Victrola") and phonograph records. The company then became RCA Victor. In absorbing Victor, RCA acquired the New World rights to the famous Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademark.
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