98.5 WNCX-FM, an Audacy station in Cleveland, announced that Matt Spatz will succeed Tim Slats weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET starting October 6. Slats is retiring after 14 years at the station, and his last day on air will be October 3.
“Slats is a true Cleveland legend, and we can't thank him enough for being the rock of our mornings for so long,” said Nard, Brand Manager, 98.5 WNCX. “We are delighted that Spatz will bring his dynamic energy and deep passion for rock music. He is inheriting an important legacy, and we are confident in his ability to connect with our listeners and excited for how he shapes the future of mornings on WNCX.”
“21 years in Cleveland, 14 years at WNCX, and it's been an honor and a privilege,” said Slats. “I'll see ya around... Avon, OH-IO.”
“I've been incredibly fortunate to have some great W's in my career — WLVQ, WROV, WYFM, WONE, WRQK and WNCD, to name a few — but having the opportunity to take the morning reins from Slats at WNCX in my hometown is truly a dream come true,” said Spatz. “Thank you so much to the Audacy Cleveland team led by Jeff Miller, Chase Daniels and Nard, as well as Jeff Sottolano, Dave Richards and Vince Richards for your trust and belief in me. Can't wait to get started!”
Spatz is a seasoned radio professional and Berea native who most recently served as the Morning Show host for WONE Akron, where he was also Program Director for the Rubber City Radio Group. With a career spanning since the 1990s after graduating from Otterbein University, he has held prominent roles at stations across Northeast Ohio and Virginia, including Program Director positions with Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Communications.
To celebrate his long career, Slats will host “Slats Final Bow Wow,” which will benefit Friendship Animal Protection League, a non-profit helping dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes. More information can be found here.
📻Listeners can tune in to 98.5 WNCX (WNCX-FM) in Cleveland on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via X, Facebook and Instagram.
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro charged that the Trump administration is “trying to stifle dissent” by wielding power to keep critics like late-night comedy host Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
His remarks, made Friday during a taping for NBC News’ Meet the Press, were a response to the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to pressure Disney-owned ABC into suspending Kimmel’s show after he had commented on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A national debate has ensued about freedom of speech and whether President Donald Trump has the right to muzzle those who criticize him.
On Thursday, Trump said that broadcasters allowing criticism of him should “maybe lose their license,” NPR reported.
Three senior House Democrats—Doris Matsui (D-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY)—have called for an Inspector General investigation into FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, accusing him of abusing his authority to pressure broadcasters into suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In a letter to FCC Inspector General Fara Damelin, the lawmakers, who serve as ranking members of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, Energy and Commerce Committee, and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, respectively, urged a probe into what they describe as "illegal and unconstitutional censorship" by Carr.
The allegations stem from Carr’s September 17 appearance on Benny Johnson’s conservative podcast, where he allegedly threatened Disney/ABC and its affiliates with FCC action if they did not discipline Jimmy Kimmel for on-air comments. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr reportedly said, suggesting that networks could “change conduct” and “take action” against Kimmel to avoid FCC repercussions.
Shortly after Carr’s remarks, ABC announced an indefinite suspension of Kimmel’s show. The Democrats argue this timeline shows Carr’s threats directly influenced the decision, writing, “Chairman Carr publicly threatened broadcasters’ licenses and recommended curtailing and punishing protected speech. This is censorship.”
The lawmakers claim Carr’s actions violate the Communications Act and the First Amendment, labeling them the “most blatant act of illegal and unconstitutional censorship” by the FCC to date. They also pointed to Carr’s handling of the Paramount-Skydance merger as evidence of a broader pattern of leveraging his authority for political purposes.
The Democrats urged Damelin to investigate Carr’s conduct and FCC internal policies, warning that his actions “weaponize the agency” in a way that infringes on constitutional rights and serves the interests of the President.
Holman W. Jenkins Jr., a veteran member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board and author of the biweekly "Business World" column, published a piece Saturday titled "Network News Sinks Low in Trump Settlement."
His Core Claim: Networks "Cave" to Trump Because TV Is a "Dying" Business. Jenkins' central argument is that traditional TV networks like CBS aren't capitulating to Trump's lawsuits out of moral cowardice or political bias, but because the broadcast news industry is a "dying business" on life support—plagued by cord-cutting, digital disruption, and evaporating revenues.
He frames the settlement as a desperate survival tactic for a weakened Paramount, rather than a principled stand for journalism.
Key points: Trump sued CBS in October 2024, alleging deceptive editing in the Harris interview to boost her election chances, seeking $10 billion (later upped to $20 billion). The September 2025 settlement saw Paramount pay $16 million toward Trump's presidential library, release future interview transcripts, and avoid an apology. Jenkins calls the suit "meritless" but notes CBS's initial defiance crumbled under financial strain.
TV's Decline as the Real Culprit: Jenkins highlights how network news viewership has cratered—CBS Evening News down 35% since 2020, with ad dollars fleeing to TikTok and YouTube. He writes: "Look away from Mr. Trump’s garish self-indulgence and see how low the network news has sunk."
Traditional TV's ad revenue has halved in a decade, forcing mergers like Paramount's $8 billion deal with Skydance Media. Prolonged litigation risks derailing that lifeline, making settlement a "rational" cave-in.
He draws parallels to ABC's $15 million settlement with Trump in December 2024 over George Stephanopoulos's on-air remarks and Meta's $25 million payout in January 2025 for post-Jan. 6 account suspensions. In a healthier media landscape, Jenkins argues, giants like CBS could fight indefinitely, but today's "struggling" firms can't afford the gamble—especially with Trump's ally Larry Ellison backing Skydance.
Forbes has published its annual list of the highest-paid TV hosts of 2025 highlighting how traditional linear TV continues to generate massive revenue despite streaming competition.
The article emphasizes that sports commentators and celebrity chefs dominate the top spots, reflecting the high value of live events and food programming.
Collectively, the top 25 hosts earned an estimated $582 million, with sports personalities claiming eight of those positions due to lucrative broadcast rights deals.
🎤Key Highlights
Top Earner: Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion turned Fox NFL analyst, leads with $37.5 million annually. His deal includes stock compensation and promotional duties, making it one of the most valuable in sports broadcasting history.
Celebrity Chefs' Dominance: Food Network stars Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay tie for second place at $33 million each, boosted by their expansive media empires, including shows, books, and endorsements.
Women in the Spotlight: The list features strong female representation, with three women in the top 10: Judy Sheindlin ($30 million from her courtroom series), Rachel Maddow ($25 million for MSNBC), and Robin Roberts ($25 million as co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America). Savannah Guthrie ($24 million) and Kelly Ripa ($22 million) round out the top 15.
Late-Night Challenges: Despite cancellations like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (which reportedly lost CBS $40 million yearly), hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel each earn $16 million, while Colbert makes $15 million—solid but far below sports and food stars.
Other Notables: ESPN's Troy Aikman ($18 million) and Joe Buck ($16 million) underscore sports' premium, while Roberts' longevity on GMA (over 20 years) secures her as ABC's top talent.
The full top 25 includes more late-night and news anchors like Jimmy Kimmel ($16M, #24) and Stephen Colbert ($15M). Forbes notes that these figures are pre-tax estimates, excluding endorsements or other ventures.
This story underscores TV's shift toward high-stakes live content like sports and evergreen formats like cooking, even as late-night struggles. For the complete list and methodology, check the original Forbes article.
Curtis LeGeyt, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, is no fan of government pressure on the media to cover stories a certain way – and says it has come “from both parties.”
LeGeyt made the remark in a blog post Sunday, addressing escalating concerns over government interference in media content. The NAB, a trade association representing over 8,300 U.S. radio and TV stations, advocates for broadcasters' rights to operate free from political coercion.
LeGeyt's comments were prompted by recent events involving ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which he described as part of "an unprecedented time in media history" where broadcasters face threats to their independence.
LeGeyt emphasized that while the current pressures are alarming, they are not isolated to one administration. He stated: "Government pressure on media to cover events in a particular way is not new and it has come from both political parties." He argued that even the perception of such influence undermines public trust in broadcasters, who rely on First Amendment protections to make content decisions without fear of retribution. The NAB's core mission, he noted, includes fulfilling "our most sacred responsibility: reporting to our communities without fear of government retribution."
Sunday, a massive public memorial service titled "Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk" was held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to honor Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
The event drew an estimated 95,000 to 100,000 attendees, with overflow seating at the adjacent Desert Diamond Arena, and featured Super Bowl-level security. Speakers included President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Kirk's widow Erika Kirk, and other Trump administration officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as conservative figures such as Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump Jr. The service blended Christian worship (with performances by artists like Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe), emotional tributes, and calls to continue Kirk's conservative activism, with Trump describing Kirk as an "American martyr" for liberty.
Mainstream media outlets provided extensive live coverage, often framing the event as a mix of mourning, political rally, and cultural flashpoint amid rising concerns over political violence. Below is a summary of key coverage from major U.S. networks and newspapers, highlighting their tone, focus, and notable elements. Coverage was broadcast live on networks like CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC, and NewsNation, with streaming on platforms like YouTube and Rumble.
Highlights of coverage from mainstream media:
Live Streaming and Accessibility: Networks like CNN (starting 1 p.m. ET), Fox News (2 p.m. ET), ABC News Live, CBS News, and NewsNation offered free online streams via their apps and websites. Hulu + Live TV provided the most comprehensive bundle. YouTube hosted official feeds from Turning Point USA and Rumble.
Post-Event Analysis: Coverage noted the event's role in galvanizing conservatives amid rising political violence concerns, with speakers pledging to expand Kirk's campus activism. Some outlets, like The Independent and USA Today, critiqued the politicization, while others (e.g., AP News) focused on visual storytelling through photos.
The House Energy & Commerce Committee voted 50-1 to advance the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) to the full House, but a last-minute compromise shortening the AM radio mandate in vehicles from 10 to eight years sparked backlash from broadcasters.
John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Media and owner of WABC New York (770), called the eight-year sunset “absurd” and a threat to public safety.
“AM radio, including 77WABC, delivers critical emergency alerts,” he said. “Tornadoes, hurricanes, and disasters won’t stop, and this sunset undermines Americans’ safety. With 300 House members and 61 senators backing the bill without a sunset, Congress must prioritize citizens’ access to vital AM news.”
The bill mandates the Secretary of Transportation to enforce AM radio access in vehicles, with fines for noncompliance and bans on extra charges. It also tasks the Government Accountability Office with assessing if alternative systems can match AM’s emergency alert capabilities.
Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) justified the eight-year limit due to fast-evolving automotive technology, while Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the bill’s sponsor, called the compromise essential to move the legislation forward, noting it speeds up DOT rulemaking and compliance. The change secured House Republican leadership’s commitment to a floor vote.
NewsBusters, a conservative media watchdog affiliated with the Media Research Center, haas released a detailed study analyzing the political content of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The report aggregates data from previous NewsBusters tracking efforts, focusing on Kimmel's political guests and monologues from September 2022 through mid-2025. Titled "STUDY: Kimmel's Demise Began Before Infamous Comments," it highlights what the organization describes as extreme liberal bias in the show's content, particularly in the wake of Kimmel's recent indefinite suspension by ABC following controversial on-air remarks about the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
The study argues that Kimmel's partisan tilt contributed to declining viewership and the show's vulnerability, predating the Kirk controversy.
The survey draws from transcripts of 369 episodes, quantifying political jokes and guest appearances to demonstrate an overwhelming focus on conservative targets. NewsBusters positions this as evidence of "hate" toward non-liberal audiences, citing examples like Kimmel's past jokes about conservatives dying of COVID or labeling CPAC attendees as fascists.Key Findings on JokesThe study tallies a total of 7,797 political jokes across the analyzed episodes.
Of these:
92% (7,189 jokes) targeted right-leaning individuals, groups, or issues.
7% (565 jokes) targeted left-leaning figures.
1% (43 jokes) were non-partisan.
Donald Trump was the most frequent target, with 3,584 jokes directed at him alone.
.The report notes that in 2025 alone, Kimmel made 1,128 jokes about Trump compared to only 26 about Biden, underscoring the lopsided criticism of Republicans.
September 2022, Kimmel hosted 63 political guests, with 97% (61 guests) being liberals or Democrats. Only 2% (2 guests) were conservatives:
The sole prominent conservative was MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (a Trump ally), who appeared in a segment where he was mocked by being placed in a claw machine.
Repeat liberal guests included George Conway, Jane Fonda, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Shari Redstone, the former controlling shareholder and non-executive chair of Paramount Global (which owns CBS News), made headlines last week during an interview at Axios' Media Trends Live event in New York.
Speaking with Axios' Sara Fischer, Redstone expressed support for Bari Weiss—a prominent journalist and founder of the independent media outlet The Free Press—potentially joining CBS News in a leadership role. This endorsement comes amid ongoing acquisition talks between Skydance Media (which recently acquired Paramount) and The Free Press, led by Skydance CEO David Ellison.
Redstone's comments signal her vision for injecting more ideological balance into CBS News, a network she has long influenced through her family's media empire.
Redstone's full quote: "I know there’s been talk about Bari, and I think she would be a good voice, so I’m hopeful." She elaborated that Weiss "would bring a different perspective," emphasizing the need for news outlets to "give your audience credit for being smart enough to hear different points of view and being able to narrow down on the facts."
She added that "news needs to be more balanced" and "fact-based," reflecting her broader critiques of perceived liberal biases in mainstream media.
Mario Guevara, a prominent Atlanta-area journalist known for his Spanish-language media coverage, faces imminent deportation to El Salvador after an immigration appeals court ordered his removal. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warns that Guevara “could be put on a deportation plane at any moment.”
Despite holding a valid work permit and a pathway to residency through his U.S. citizen son, Guevara’s situation deteriorated after his July bond approval was overturned. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appealed the bond, and Friday’s ruling nullified it. Guevara’s attorneys responded by filing an emergency brief in Georgia federal court to secure his release.
Andres Lopez-Delgado, an ACLU of Georgia staff attorney, expressed concern that the Department of Homeland Security might deport Guevara swiftly, jeopardizing his chances of obtaining relief and reuniting with his family.
A 64-year-old Sacramento man, Anibal Hernandez Santana, was arrested and charged Saturday morning following a drive-by shooting at KXTV, a local ABC affiliate, on Friday afternoon.
Police say Santana fired at least three rounds through a window of the station around 1:30 p.m. No one was injured, though the building was occupied.
The Sacramento Police Department identified a vehicle linked to the shooting, leading to Santana’s arrest. He faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building, and negligent discharge of a firearm. A motive remains unclear, and it’s unknown if Santana has legal representation.
The incident followed protests at KXTV on Thursday, sparked by ABC’s decision to indefinitely pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! after conservatives criticized Kimmel for misrepresenting the politics of a man accused of killing Charlie Kirk. The move, affecting ABC affiliates nationwide, drew backlash from liberals and free speech advocates who called it censorship.
KXTV, owned by Tegna, operates under an agreement with ABC to air its content alongside local programming. Tegna confirmed all employees are safe and said the company is cooperating with law enforcement while enhancing security measures. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.
Sonny Curtis, the legendary Texas-born songwriter, guitarist, and member of Buddy Holly's backing band The Crickets, passed away Friday, at the age of 88 following a sudden illness.
His wife of more than 50 years, Louise Curtis, confirmed the news to the Associated Press, while his daughter, Sarah Curtis, shared a heartfelt message on his Facebook page: "I'm heartbroken to tell you that my dad Sonny passed away yesterday after a sudden illness. I'm so grateful that I was with him at the end, along with my mom." No further details on the specific nature of the illness have been released publicly.
Born May 9, 1937, in Meadow, Texas—a small farming community between Lubbock and Brownfield—Curtis grew up picking cotton and discovered music as an escape, forming a lifelong bond with fellow local Buddy Holly. He joined The Crickets as a teenage guitarist in 1957, contributing to early hits like "That'll Be the Day" and "Oh, Boy!" before briefly leaving to pursue solo work.
After Holly's tragic death in a 1959 plane crash, Curtis rejoined the band in 1960, helping redefine their sound on albums like In Style with the Crickets, which featured his breakout composition "I Fought the Law"—a raw, rebellious anthem dashed off in an afternoon with no particular inspiration, later immortalized by the Bobby Fuller Four and The Clash.
➦In 1899...Lee DeForest sought employment with Marconi. Lee DeForest de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit. He named himself the "Father of Radio," with this famous quote, "I discovered an Invisible Empire of the Air, intangible, yet solid as granite."
Lee de Forest
In 1906 de Forest invented the Audion, the first triode vacuum tube and the first electrical device which could amplify a weak electrical signal and make it stronger. The Audion, and vacuum tubes developed from it, founded the field of electronics and dominated it for forty years, making radio broadcasting, television, and long-distance telephone service possible, among many other applications. For this reason de Forest has been called one of the fathers of the "electronic age".
He is also credited with one of the principal inventions that brought sound to motion pictures.
De Forest was a charter member of the Institute of Radio Engineers. DeVry University was originally named De Forest Training School by its founder Dr. Herman A. De Vry, who was a friend and colleague of de Forest.
➦In 1899...Hanley Stafford born (Died September 9, 1968) He was an actor principally on radio.
Hanley Stafford
He is remembered best for playing Lancelot Higgins on The Baby Snooks Show. Stafford also assumed the role of Mr. Dithers, the boss of Dagwood Bumstead on the Blondie radio program. He is commemorated by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
After emigrating to the US in his twenties he became active in radio acting, appearing in show on KFWB, L-A. Beginning in 1937 he became widely known as Lancelot Higgins (“Daddy”) in Fannie Brice’s radio skit, ‘Baby Snooks,’ and as Dagwood’s boss Mr.Dithers on the radio version of the comic strip ‘Blondie.’
Stafford emigrated from England to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1911. He enlisted in the 43rd Battalion of the Canadian Scottish Infantry in 1915, was wounded in the Third Battle of Yprès in 1916 and returned to England in 1918. Until 1924 he toured Canada in drama productions and landed in Los Angeles that year. He played in stock for eight years and then in tent shows. He was appearing on KFWB radio in Los Angeles by April 1932 then went to Phoenix to manage a stock company, the Delmas-Lawless Players, before returning to Los Angeles to resume stage and radio work the following August.
➦In 1927...NBC Radio's sportscaster Graham McNamee called the famous “Long count” championship fight in which Jack Dempsey lost the heavyweight boxing title to Gene Tunney. He was featured on the cover of the October 3, 1927 issue of Time magazine
➦In 1943...singer Kate Smith ended her War Bond radio appeal. She had been on the air for 13 continuous hours and collected $39 million in bond pledges.
Kate Smith
Smith was a major star of radio, usually backed by Jack Miller's Orchestra. She began with her twice-a-week NBC series, Kate Smith Sings (quickly expanded to six shows a week), followed by a series of shows for CBS: Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931–33), sponsored by La Palina Cigars; The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35); The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35); Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36), sponsored by A&P; and The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37).
The Kate Smith Hour was a leading radio variety show, offering comedy, music and drama with appearances by top personalities of films and theater for eight years (1937–45).
The show's resident comics, Abbott and Costello and Henny Youngman, introduced their comedy to a nationwide radio audience aboard her show, while a series of sketches based on the Broadway production of the same name led to The Aldrich Family as separate hit series in its own right in 1940.
➦In 1957...the CBS Radio Workshop ended after 18 months of what the critics said was ingenious radio programming. The CBS Radio Workshop was an experimental dramatic radio anthology series that aired starting January 27, 1956.
➦In 1988...103.5 WQHT and 97.1 WYNY switched frequencies in New York City.
➦In 1989...Irving Berlin, one of the greatest songwriters in American history, whose "White Christmas" is one of the top-selling singles of all-time, died in his sleep at the age of 101 in New York City.
Irving Berlin
Berlin composed some 1,500 songs -- including favorites like "God Bless America" and "White Christmas" -- 19 Broadway musicals, and 18 movie scores.
"God Bless Ameria" was also written by Berlin in 1918, he filed it away until 1938, when Kate Smith's manager asked Berlin if he had a patriotic song Smith might sing to mark the 20th anniversary of Armistice Day, celebrating the end of World War I. According to author Sheryl Kaskowitz, who wrote a book about the history of the song, not only was Smith looking for a song to remember veterans of that war, but she was also hoping that there would not be another war, seeing that hostilities and war "tensions in Europe were escalating." It was "a simple plea for divine protection in a dark time—a plangent anthem in just 40 words," adds film writer Richard Corliss.
Berlin's daughter, Mary Ellen Berlin-Barrett, states that the song was actually "very personal" for her father, and was intended as an expression of his deep gratitude to the nation for merely "allowing" him, an immigrant raised in poverty, to become a successful songwriter.
➦In 2003...Alexander Gordon Jump died (Born - April 1, 1932). He was best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap.
He also played the "Maytag Repairman" in commercials for Maytag brand appliances, from 1989 until his retirement from the role in July 2003.
➦In 2004…CBS-owned TV stations were fined a total of $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for showing Janet Jackson's exposed right breast during the Super Bowl halftime show. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit later voided the fine ruling that the broadcast was legal under the FCC's then-current policy of allowing "fleeting" indecency on the airwaves.
