After nine years, iHeartMedia 's afternoon personality on WHTZ 100.3 FM NYC is leaving to to host ta morning show in Denver.
Kincaid will host mornings on iHM's Top40 KPTT 95.7 FM The Party starting in August.
"JJ Kincaid is one of the top talents in the country and is master at connecting with listeners on air and socially -- he certainly is a first-round pick," said Jim Lawson, SVP/Programming, iHeartMedia Denver.
"We’re excited to bring his talents to 95.7 The Party as we build Denver's next great must listen to morning show."
Kincaid commented, "I can't even express how excited I am to join 95.7 The Party. We're putting together a team that will be exciting and engaging for morning listeners. This has been months in the making and I can't thank the fine people I work for at iHeartMedia enough for believing in me," he said.
"Having the opportunity to connect with people in a place as beautiful as Denver is no less than amazing."
The long-running “Dave & Carole” show on WKLH 96.5 FM is no more as the station’s management decided not to renew Carole Caine’s contract, the Saga Communications station said Monday in a press release.
"After careful consideration, WKLH has made the decision not to renew Carole Caine’s contract. Carole has been an integral part of WKLH’s morning show for almost thirty years."
Luczak came to the station, then WMGF in 1983, with Don Girard. Caine became newsperson in 1985 and full time co-host in 1986.
She signed-off Monday morning.
From now on, the station’s morning show will be known as “WKLH mornings with Dave Luczak,” who is the “Dave” half of the “Dave & Carole” combo. Caine’s last day co-hosting the show was Monday.
“Change isn’t easy, but it’s inevitable,” said Ann Marie Topel, the vice president of the Saga Communications Milwaukee Radio Group. “We are very grateful for the many years Carole Caine has been with us. She has had a long, admirable and impressive career with WKLH. We wish her well and thank her for her years with us.”
The Milwaukee Business Journal reports Luczak actually started the show almost 33 years ago, debuting as “Girard & Luczak” on 96.5.
This is the second notable change announced at WKLH in recent weeks. The station rebranded to “Hometown Rock 96.5” from “Classic Hits” in April and shifted its music mix to include more 1980s tracks and less from the 1960s and 1970s.
UPDATE 9AM 6/30: The 2015 MISS USA Pageant as announced the show will still take place in Baton Rouge on July 12th. "We are disheartened by recent events but the show will go on."
earlier posting...
(Reuters) - NBC cut ties with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and the "Miss USA" and "Miss Universe" pageants on Monday after the real estate developer and TV personality made comments insulting Mexicans earlier this month.
The Donald
The pageants, part of a 50/50 joint venture with NBCUniversal for the English-language broadcasts that together have in the past year attracted 13 million viewers, would no longer air on NBC "due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants" the company said in a press statement.
The decision by Comcast Corp-owned NBC was announced four days after Spanish-language Univision said it would not air the Miss USA pageant on July 12 and severed ties to the Miss Universe Organization. Trump’s lawyer said the billionaire would sue.
Trump, in announcing on June 16 that he was seeking the Republican Party nomination for the November 2016 presidential election, described migrants from Mexico to the United States as drug-runners and rapists.
"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people," he said in opening his campaign at Trump Tower on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
Public outrage and pressure followed, then the decisions by Univision and NBC. Trump needs to find another partner to help fund and broadcast the shows or he must pick up all the costs himself and find another media company to broadcast them.
Trump had already said that while he was running for the White House he would not take part in "The Apprentice" reality TV show on NBC, in which he uses "You're Fired!" as his signature command to eliminate contestants.
NBC said sister show "Celebrity Apprentice" licensed from United Artists Media Group would continue.
The last season of Celebrity Apprentice averaged about 7.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen, which measures viewership.
Trump said on Monday that he stood by his comments:
"If NBC is so weak and so foolish to not understand the serious illegal immigration problem in the United States, coupled with the horrendous and unfair trade deals we are making with Mexico, then their contract violating closure of Miss Universe/Miss USA will be determined in court."
The Miss USA show that aired on a Sunday in June 2014 averaged about 5.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It said the Miss Universe show that aired on a Sunday in January 2015 averaged about 7.7 million viewers. By comparison, the series finale of popular TV period drama "Mad Men" drew 3.3 million.
In the aftermath of Trump's June 16 comments, Mexicans rich and poor, cabinet ministers and staunch critics of the government alike reacted angrily.
On Monday, a television company owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim canceled a project with Trump, Slim's spokesman and son-in-law Arturo Elias said.
Ora TV, owned by Slim and TV personality Larry King, was working with some of Trump's companies.
"His statement was totally out of line ... working with someone so closed-minded was not going to work," Elias said, adding that the comments were racist.
On Monday, when Trump spoke to a sold-out crowd of 350 people at the City Club in Chicago, a crowd of protesters, many of them Latinos, demonstrated outside, Chicago media reported. “Trump is a racist,” they shouted.
Political analysts have said Trump, despite being one of America's most recognizable figures, is considered a long shot for the Republican Party nomination in the field of more than a dozen candidates.
(Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru, Jennifer Saba in New York and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Grant McCool; Editing by Tom Brown and Lisa Shumaker)
Cox Media Group (CMG) Radio has launched its new “Your Georgia Country” radio station in North Georgia. The new station simulcast will serve listeners from Atlanta, Athens, Rome, and all areas north across the entire state on two FM signals 106.1, a heritage country radio station that has been serving Athens and Northeast Georgia for over 40 years, and 107.1.
“Your Georgia Country” also will be the largest country signal in the Southeast with 200,000 watts of power on WNGC 106.1 FM and WTSH 107.1 FM. Featured artists include classic and new country stars like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, George Strait and many more.
WNGC 106.1 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
In order to launch this simulcast, Cox Media Group has dropped its year-old alternative rock experiment X107.1 FM Monday at 5 p.m. in favor of a simulcast of country station WNGC-FM at 106.1 out of Athens.
WTSH 107.1 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
By adding the 107.1 signals in Rome and Atlanta, thestation will now cover most of metro Atlanta and compete more directly with iHeartMedia's WUBL 94.9 FM/The Bull and Cumulus' WKHX Kicks 101.5 FM.
“Country is the hottest format right now and was our greatest opportunity in our number one market,” said Donna Hall, CMG Atlanta Radio VP and General Manager. “We’re now thrilled to bring another exciting choice for country in Atlanta and north Georgia that complements the other great CMG radio brands in the Greater Atlanta area.”
Kirk Minihane, one of three hosts on the Dennis & Callahan Morning Show, was suspended for Monday’s show as punishment for an on-air argument Friday with midday co-host Christian Fauria, according to boston.com.
During Friday’s crossover on WEEI 93.7 FM Minihane and Fauria engaged in a compelling, if uncomfortable, shouting match.
Controversy is nothing new to Minihane, who since joining Dennis & Callahan in February of 2013 has helped enhance the program’s ratings with a blunt approach that occasionally gets him into trouble.
Last July, he was suspended for a week without pay for comments he made about Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews.
He is scheduled to go on vacation beginning Tuesday.
Greater Media/Boston has named veteran radio personality Sue Tabb as morning co-host on AC WMJX Magic 106.7 FM with David O'Leary.
Tabb has been working at Magic since March, 2013, as a regular fill-in talent on the morning show and as co-host of the public affairs program, "Exceptional Women." Tabb started her radio career as the traffic reporter and sidekick on WXKS-FM (Kiss 108)'s Matty in the Morning show in Boston for five years.
"We're thrilled to have Sue join David O'Leary in anchoring Morning Magic," said Greater Media/Boston Director of Programming Cadillac Jack. "Her personality and perspective are just what our listeners are looking for as they start their day."
"I'm so excited to be joining Morning Magic," added Tabb. "Returning to morning radio and joining the team at MAGIC comes at a perfect time for me. I am looking forward to partnering with David O'Leary to give Bostonians a new way to start their day."
She replaces Candy O'Terry, who exited in March after turning down an offer from Greater Media. She'd been with WMJX nearly 25 years.
Alpha Media/Louisville announced Monday Otis has been named Program Director and Host of Afternoon Drive on WDJX 99.7 FM.
Since his start as an overnight jock/fill-in on WBNQ in Bloomington, IL 14 years ago, Otis has always had a passion (some call it addiction) for radio and goals to program one day. He worked his way from nights at WNDV (U93) in South Bend & filling in at Radio Now in Indy, to Nights at WZEE (Z104) in Madison, WI, to finally spending the past 9 years at WNKS (Kiss 95.1) (starting at Nights and working his way to APD/Afternoons). Working under some of the industry’s best programmers, Otis brings a wide knowledge of programming and experience to WDJX in Louisville.
Alpha Media VP of Programming, Phil Becker commented on the announcement, “Otis is more than just the name of a Jay Z & Kanye song. He’s proof that Alpha Media continues to recruit the most talented players from within our industry. I am confident that he, along with OM Ben Davis are a one-two punch that will continue to keep WDJX on top for a long time to come.”
WDJX 99.7 FM (24 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Alpha Media’s Senior Vice President & Market Manager, Dale Schaefer, added, “Otis is going to be a great addition to our on-air line up and will provide a lot of leadership for the WDJX team. He will be a tremendous help and support to our Operations Manager, Ben Davis, because he is a high-caliber, proven programmer who will build on the heritage of WDJX.”
“Otis is an amazing air talent who happens to come from a pedigree of fantastic programmers. He brings large market experience and a very strategic approach; combine that with his competitive drive and passion, and you’ve got the perfect person to lead DJX,” remarked Alpha Media’s Operations Manager, Ben Davis.
Otis said, “It’s an amazing feeling to have finally reached a goal I set when I started in radio, and it’s even more exciting that I get to program at a legendary station like DJX, with a great team of people, including OM Ben Davis. I look forward to reaching new heights with Alpha Media and taking my addiction to this crazy business to another level!”
The FCC has approved the sale of Lincoln Financial Media's radio stations to Entercom for $105 million.
The deal includes Lincoln's radio stations in the Atlanta, Denver, Miami and San Diego markets. This brings expands Entercom's station portfolio to more than 130 stations in 26 markets.
Commenting on the agreement, Entercom President and CEO David J. Field stated: “We are excited to announce the acquisition of Lincoln Financial Media and welcome the addition of their outstanding brands and talented broadcasters to Entercom.
"LFM is a great organization that has done an excellent job serving its listeners, customers and communities over many years and we look forward to building on that tradition. LFM is a perfect fit for us as it bolsters our position in Denver and expands our footprint into Atlanta, Miami and San Diego with terrific brands that have significant growth potential. Furthermore, it fulfills our disciplined acquisition criteria as it enhances our company’s competitive position and growth and should be accretive to shareholders in 2015 while having a minimal impact on leverage.”
Entercom has filed to convert Lincoln Financial Media's holding companies into Delaware Limited Liability Company as Entercom Denver II, LLC, Entercom Atlanta License, LLC, Entercom Miami License, LLC and Entercom San Diego License, LLC, effective immediately upon closing.
Pandora Media Inc. has played its long-expected hand in a royalty battle with Broadcast Music Inc., pointing a New York federal judge to its recently closed purchase of a South Dakota FM radio station that the company claims should slash the rate.
According to a Friday motion from the company, the purchase of KXMZ 102.7 FM in Rapid City, South Dakota sweeps the company under a significantly cheaper license negotiated by the Radio Music License Committee.
The Music Licensing entity ASCAP had ojected to the sale. It told the FCC “that Pandora is motivated by obtaining the benefits of copyright licensing payment terms applicable to broadcasters rather than by a sincere desire to become a broadcaster; and that grant of the Petition could lead to the collapse of the collective copyright licensing system, to the detriment of copyright owners, the broadcasting industry, and American society in general”.
The FCC didn't buy that argument.
In May, Pandora lost a legal battle over the royalty rates it pays songwriters and composers, marking a victory for publishing rights group BMI.
A federal rate court ruled in favor of BMI -- Broadcast Music Inc. -- which had asked the court to raise Pandora's payments to 2.5% of its revenue from 1.75%, according to statements from both parties.
The decision was seen s an enormous victory for the more than 650,000 songwriters, composers and publishers that BMI has the privilege to represent," BMI said in a statement. "This is an important step forward in valuing music in the digital age."
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao topped Forbes list of the world's 100 highest-paid celebrities on Monday, on the heels of their lucrative clash in Las Vegas last month.
With an estimated $300 million in earnings over the past 12 months, Mayweather more than lived up to his nickname "Money" and was the undisputed champion. Pacquiao was second, making $160 million over the past 12 months.
Their final earnings from the May 2 bout, which Mayweather won by unanimous decision, have not yet been disclosed. But Forbes' estimates were based on what experts have described as the richest fight in boxing history.
"His (Mayweather's) $300 million shattered the record for athlete earnings, which was previously held by Tiger Woods who managed to bank $115 million in 2008," Natalie Robehmed, of Forbes, said in an interview. "It is above and beyond anything anyone has ever done."
Singer Katy Perry's massive Prismatic World Tour helped her nab third place with $135 million, followed by British boy band One Direction with $130 million and TV and radio host Howard Stern with $95 million.
Musicians and athletes dominated the top 10 spots which included only two women.
Country music star Garth Brooks was No. 6 with $90 million, while pop singer Taylor Swift tied for No. 8 with actor Robert Downey Jr. with $80 million.
Forbes compiled its annual list of the most powerful celebrities from the worlds of sports, television, music and books by estimating pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2014 to June, 1 2015. Management, agent and attorney fees were not deducted.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who earned $28 million in the previous list, nearly doubled her earnings to an estimated $52.5 million, according to Forbes.
"I personally think she has been able to monetize fame better than anybody else," said Robehmed. "A large percentage of her earnings come from her iPhone game."
Kardashian placed just above Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence who was No. 34 with $52 million. Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson, No. 65 with $35.5 million, are the only two film actresses to make the 100 list, compared to 14 male movie stars.
"I think that really speaks to the wider Hollywood pay gap. It is a lot more difficult for women to get the kind of roles that they would earn massive profits on the back end of in comparison to male actors," said Robehmed.
British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at No. 21 with $60 million was the highest earning chef ever on the list, which included 38 musicians, 29 athletes, six personalities and two comedians.
President Obama on Monday announced new rules that will require businesses to pay millions of additional American workers overtime wages. The long-awaited regulation would make all salaried workers who earn less than $970 per week, roughly $50,440 per year, automatically eligible if they work more than 40 hours a week. Current cutoff is around $23,660 a year.
"In this country, a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay," Obama wrote in an op-ed for the Huffington Post. "That's at the heart of what it means to be middle class in America." Obama will tout the proposal during an event Thursday in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The move could raise pay for nearly 5 million workers - or could it?
Under current rules, employees who make more than $455 a week, or $23,660 a year, and work more than 40 hours per week, are considered management and aren't eligible for overtime. (joke) "Right now, too many Americans are working long days for less pay than they deserve," Obama wrote. There will be a public comment period.
A white collar exemption excludes "executive, administrative and professional" employees from receiving overtime. Advocates for changing the rule say the white collar exemption allows employers to avoid paying lower wage workers overtime by classifying them as management.
Business groups, including National Retail Federation, warn that the rule will motivate employers to move their employees from salaried work to hourly work, will reduce workers' hours and will lead to less employees' benefits.
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has elected Dan Mason as Co-Vice Chairman and Treasurer of its Board of Directors. The industry leader was voted into the position during the recent Board of Directors meeting in New York City.
”Dan is one of the Foundation’s most ardent ambassadors and gives tirelessly of his time,” stated Phil Lombardo, Chairman, Broadcasters Foundation. “The entire Board is grateful that he is taking on these additional responsibilities to advance our charitable mission of helping broadcasters in need.”
Dan Mason was most recently President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS RADIO, where he oversaw more than 125 stations across 27 markets. He successfully integrated the original CBS, Group W, Infinity Radio, and American Radio Systems. The National Association of Broadcasters Executive Committee honored him as their 2012 National Radio Award winner for his outstanding leadership in the radio industry. He was named Executive of the Year by Radio Ink and was consistently among the top honorees on their list of Top 40 Most Powerful People in Radio, including the No. 1 position.
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has distributed millions of dollars in aid to broadcasters who lost their livelihood through a catastrophic event, debilitating disease, or unforeseen family tragedy. Individual donations can be made to the Guardian Fund or by joining the Foundation as a Member. Corporate contributions are accepted through the Angel Initiative, and bequests can be made to the Legacy Society. For more information on how to give help, or get help, please visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org, call 212-373-8250, or email info@thebfoa.org.
In 1961...Radio pioneer, Dr Lee De Forest, died at age 87. He had 180 patents to his credit and named himself the "Father of Radio," with this famous quote, "I discovered an Invisible Empire of the Air, intangible, yet solid as granite."
Dr. 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 40 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.
He was involved in several patent lawsuits, and spent a substantial part of his income from his inventions on legal bills. He was indicted for mail fraud, but later was acquitted.
De Forest was a charter member of the Institute of Radio Engineers. DeVry University was originally named DeForest Training School by its founder Dr. Herman A. DeVry, who was a friend and colleague of De Forest.
In 1983...WPLJ 95.5 FM switched from AOR To Top 40. In the Spring of 1983, the station began a transition from AOR to CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio). With word that a Top 40 format was coming to 100.3 FM, WPLJ moved further into a CHR direction. Though the station began playing artists like Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, Larry Berger stated that he did not make the decision to move to a CHR format until the last week of June, and WPLJ adopted a Rock-leaning CHR format on June 30, 1983.
From 1985...Jim Kerr on WPLJ...
In 1987...WYNY 97.1 FM, New York moved from a AC format to gold-based Country format as "Country 97".
The first song played was Dolly Parton's, "Think About Love."
The initial lineup included Mike Wade, Randy Davis, Jack Scott, Lisa Taylor, Mike McCann, Floyd Wright, Jay Michaels, Bill Rock and Jessica. "Dandy" Dan Daniel later joined the station, as well as Scott Carpenter and Carole Mason.
The PD was Michael O' Malley, who is currently a country format radio consultant.
In Media Confidential One Year Ago...
DC Radio: Matt Drudge Gives Rare Interview To WTOP. Click Here
Total U.S. advertising expenditures declined 4.0 percent in the first quarter of 2015 to $37.4 billion, according to data released today by Kantar Media, the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing information.
The data includes, for the first time, Paid Search expenditures from Kantar Media’s search marketing intelligence division, AdGooroo. Paid Search advertising has been factored into both the Q1 2014 and Q1 2015 analysis; this data will be included in Kantar Media’s quarterly analysis going forward.
“First quarter results are skewed by comparisons to last year and the $600 million of incremental spend generated by the Sochi Olympics,” said Jon Swallen, Chief Research Officer at Kantar Media North America. “Excluding the impact of special events, core ad spending measured by Kantar Media was down about 2 percent in the period. Even after taking into account assumptions about the growth of spend on other unmonitored media, it has been a relatively slow start for the ad market in 2015.”
Measured Ad Spending By Media.
Top Advertisers 1Q 2015
Sixteen of the 21 individual media types monitored by Kantar Media had lower ad spending in the first quarter. These results are consistent with the ongoing shift of ad budgets towards unmeasured digital media, as well as a general slowing of advertising activity.
Among television media, expenditures on Cable networks grew 4.1 percent. A primary reason for the gain was a 3.8 percent increase in the amount of available paid ad time as networks packed more spots into programming to help offset lower audience ratings. The inaugural College Football Playoff in January was another important growth source.
Ad spending on Spanish Language TV increased 4.8 percent. The number of national brands purchasing time on Hispanic stations continues to expand and this demand contributes to spending growth.
Network TV expenditures declined 9.2 percent in Q1 compared to a year ago period, which featured the Winter Olympics. If the incremental ad spending contributed by this event is excluded, Network TV was flat versus last year. Spot TV, which has a biennial business cycle tied to Olympics and political advertising in even-numbered years, saw ad spending fall by 6.8 percent. Syndication expenditures were 4.9 percent lower.
Ad spending for Paid Search, which reflects text ads on the Google and Bing search engines, rose 7.0 percent in Q1. Automotive, financial service, media and retail advertisers led the way.
Print media showed a 7.3 percent decline in expenditures for Consumer Magazines, while. ad spending in Sunday Magazines decreased by 32.3 percent in Q1. . Expenditures were down 16.0 percent in Local Newspapers and 13.5 percent in National Newspapers on broadly lower spending among auto, financial, retail and telecom marketers.
Radio advertising in Q1 was characterized by gains for the local market sector and declines within the national segment. Hispanic Local Radio expenditures increased 6.5 percent and English-language Local Radio was up 5.0 percent, paced by higher spending from auto dealers, legal services, and health care providers. Network Radio decreased 2.0 percent and National Spot Radio fell 11.3 percent.
NBC said it will no longer carry the Trump-produced Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. Nor will he return to the long-running reality show “The Celebrity Apprentice” as host, a role Trump already said he would give up because of his presidential bid according to Variety.
“Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump,” NBC said in a statement. “At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values.”
NBC’s move comes on the heels of a fight that broke out last week between Trump and Univision. The Spanish-language giant pulled the plug on its planned telecast of the Miss USA pageant after Trump’s statements earlier this month about Mexican immigrants. In the news conference announcing his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, Trump asserted that many immigrants coming across the border are “rapists” and bringing in drugs.
