A Tioga County, New York broadcasting company wants more than $2 million in state grant money to be used to boost a radio station and its advertisers, reports WNBF in Binghamton.
The owners of WEBO 1330 AM / 101.3 FM in Owego, NY are seeking some of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative funds to buy portable radios and batteries for each of Owego's 3,896 residents.
In a letter submitted with the village's application for the state grant, Radigan Broadcasting Group also proposed allocating more than $1 million for a "community advertising fund." The recommendation calls for providing 20 businesses with $52,560 each to advertise only on WEBO.
Company president David Radigan also is seeking $600,000 to pay for a news director and three business development employees for three years.
WEBO'S owners also request the station be given $305,000 for capital improvements and innovations. The company's letter says the money would be used for various projects including acquiring mobile broadcast and video production studios.
The Radigan Broadcasting Group officially launched its WEBO operations on July 1, 2006.
The Radigan "letter of support" was one of several submitted with the village of Owego's application for the $10 million downtown revitalization grant.
Thousands of tech enthusiasts and industry insiders have been flocking to Berlin this past weekend to find out about the latest developments in the world of consumer electronics at IFA 2018.
Next to a slew of new smart home gadgets, consumers also got a first look at Samsung's first market-ready 8K TV, which will be available to affluent TV enthusiasts by the end of September. While it will probably take a while for 8K television to hit the mainstream, some previous "next big things" in tech have started to deliver on their promise.
Among the big tech trends of the past years, 4K or Ultra HD TVs have been most successful in turning hype into actual sales. The Consumer Technology Association projects 4K TV sales in the United States to amount to $14.3 billion this year, leaving other emerging tech categories far behind.
As the Statista chart illustrates, smart speakers and other smart home products are also expected to see significant growth this year, translating into multi-billion dollar sales in both categories. Virtual reality headsets and consumer drones still lack that mainstream appeal but are expected to pass $1 billion in sales this year as well.
For many consumers, tried-and-true devices are more exciting than the latest gadgets, reports eMarketer.
In a May 2018 survey of 1,000 US adults conducted by Intel and PSB Research, many expressed more excitement toward familiar products like computers and smartphones than emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI). Respondents were the least thrilled about drones and autonomous vehicles.
“It’s hard to fathom going a day without using a computer or a smartphone, both of which will undoubtedly continue to evolve along with other technologies,” said Genevieve Bell, senior fellow at Intel. “But newer, emerging technologies like AI and 5G are abstract, and harder to grasp, likely leading to anxiety around what they may bring.”
WCPO 9 On Your Side will begin providing iHeartMedia radio stations in Cincinnati local weather forecasts and news features. The partnership begins early next week.
Chief Meteorologist Steve Raleigh and the 9 First Warning Weather team will provide forecasts seven days a week on these iHeart stations: WLW, WEBN, WKRC, WKFS, WCKY and WSAI. “We see this as a great opportunity to provide our 9 First Warning Weather to those listening to the area’s best radio stations,” said Jeff Brogan, vice president and general manager of WCPO.
In addition to providing weather forecasts, iHeartMedia radio listeners will hear Don’t Waste Your Money consumer reports from 9 On Your Side’s John Matarese.
The partnership also includes occasional reports and interviews with WCPO journalists working on stories of public interest. “We are excited to partner with WCPO’s 9 First Warning Weather team to deliver the most accurate forecasts in the Tri-State to our listeners across all our platforms,” said DJ Hodge, iHeartMedia Market President.
The agreement also brings together the two media companies in shared promotional and community service campaigns benefiting events and organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Jay Taylor, the longtime program director of WBNS 97.1 The Fan has exited. Staff were informed of the news Friday morning. The company is said to be moving in a new direction.
Under Taylor’s watch, The Fan has featured a stellar weekday lineup, in addition to serving as the flagship station for Ohio State and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The combination has helped lead The Fan to consistent ratings success.
Taylor told Barrett Sports Media “I’m extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to program 97.1 The Fan. I’m proud of each and every person I worked with, and I wish the brand nothing but continued growth and success in the future.”
Taylor joined WBNS 2006 and oversaw the stations flip for HotAC to Sports in 2009.
Entercom, AMB Sports and Entertainment, the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United have announced a new multi-year broadcast partnership extension.
As part of the agreement, WZGC 92.9 The Game in Atlanta will remain as the exclusive flagship home for Atlanta Falcons football and Atlanta United soccer, with HotaC WSTR Star 94.1 and Urban WVEE V-103 providing promotional support. The new multi-year extension will run through the 2023 season.
“We are proud to extend our partnership with the Falcons and United,” said Rick Caffey, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Atlanta. “As the leaders in sports radio, we are committed to providing our listeners with premier coverage of their favorite hometown teams.”
“On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons & Atlanta United, we are excited to extend our outstanding partnership with the Entercom cluster of stations here in Atlanta,” said Tim Zulawski, Chief Revenue Officer, AMB Sports and Entertainment. “From management and on-air talent to the station engineers, everyone at Entercom is aligned with our mission of providing the best listening experience to our fans as possible.”
92.9 The Game will continue to carry all Falcons game broadcasts, with Wes Durham and Dave Archer providing play-by-play and color analysis. In addition, the station will continue to air pregame and postgame shows, featuring the on-air team of Mike Conti, Hugh Douglas and DJ Shockley. “The Coaches Show,” will continue to air Mondays from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Morning show “John & Hugh” will welcome Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on Mondays and Fridays at 8:20 a.m. and Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on Wednesdays at 8:10 a.m. throughout the season. Afternoon show “Dukes & Bell” will feature Ryan on Thursdays at 4:40 p.m. and Falcons President and CEO Rick McKay every other Thursday at 4:20 p.m. ET.
Atlanta United matches will be broadcast on 92.9 The Game, which has been the flagship station for the team since its inception in 2017. In the event of a scheduling conflict, United games will be heard on sister station Star 94.1. 92.9 The Game’s “Dukes & Bell” will also welcome United President Darren Eales every Tuesday at 3:20 p.m. and feature United player segments on Thursdays at 2:40 p.m. “John & Hugh” will be joined by United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra each Friday at 9:20 a.m. and feature United player segments Wednesdays at 8:20 a.m. ET.
Listeners can tune in to 92.9 The Game (WZGC-FM) in Atlanta on-air, as well as nationwide on the Radio.comapp. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Alabama coach Nick Saban called ESPN reporter Maria Taylor to apologize for his reaction to her question about the Crimson Tide's quarterback situation following their win over Louisville on Saturday night.
A frustrated Saban gave a terse response to Taylor during the postgame interview.
"Well, I still like both guys," Saban said. "I think both guys are good players. I think both guys can help our team, all right? So why do you continually try to get me to say something that doesn't respect one of them? I'm not going to. So quit asking."
Saban has continually grown more frustrated by questions about who will be Alabama's starting quarterback -- Tua Tagovailoa or Jalen Hurts. He also appeared miffed by questions from reporters earlier in the week, saying, "I wish we could talk about something else."
Tagovailoa started Saturday's 51-14 win and went 12-for-16 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Hurts also played and was 5-for-9 for 70 yards.
NBC News Chairman Andy Lack has issued a strongly worded defense of his network’s decision not to air journalist Ronan Farrow’s investigation of alleged sexual harassment, assault and rape by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, according to The L-A Times.
“For the past nine months, it has been our belief that the ‘story’ here is about Harvey Weinstein’s horrendous behavior and about the suffering and bravery of his victims, rather than a back-and-forth between a reporter and his producer and a news network,” Lack said in a memo sent to staffers Monday, which was obtained by the Los Angeles Times. “However, we’ve watched with disappointment as unfounded intimations and accusations have traveled through media circles.”
Harvey Weinstein
NBC News has been adamant in stating why it did not air Farrow’s investigation, saying he did not have a single Weinstein accuser speaking on the record or on camera, with the exception of actress Rose McGowan, who withdrew her cooperation through her lawyer. McGowan had never mentioned Weinstein by name in her February 2017 interview with Farrow, who was working under a freelance contract for NBC News at the time.
The memo is Lack’s first public comment on the network’s handling of the story, which Farrow published in the New Yorker in October and which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. The news division’s decision to not air Farrow’s work on TV and to allow him to take it elsewhere has become a source of embarrassment for the network, which over the last year had to deal with its own sexual harassment scandal involving fired “Today” co-anchor Matt Lauer. Farrow’s former producer has also accused NBC of trying to kill the story.
Ronan Farrow
The NY Post new attention to the matter was sparked last week by a statement from Rich McHugh, a former NBC News investigative reporter with whom Farrow worked to break the Weinstein story. McHugh in a statement alleged NBC News killed their efforts. “Is there anyone in the journalistic community who actually believes NBC didn’t breach its journalistic duty to continue reporting this story? Something else must have been going on,” McHugh said.
According to Lack, NBC News “convened an independent group of the most experienced investigative journalists in our organization to review his material with fresh eyes” after Farrow objected to NBC’s decision not to move forward with the story in its form at the time, “We asked them – tell us what, if anything, we can broadcast. But their conclusion was unequivocal – this story is not ready for air.”
Farrow responded to the memo with a tweet Monday night, calling it “false and misleading” for omitting women who were identified in the NBC version of his story. “The story was twice cleared and deemed ‘reportable’ by legal and standards only to be blocked by executives who refused to allow us to seek comment from Harvey Weinstein,” he wrote, adding that he “loved” his time at the network and praised its journalists, “many of whom have reached out to me in frustration.”
CBS claims it can’t be held liable for alleged sexual misconduct by disgraced TV journalist Charlie Rose, reports The NYPost.
In a Manhattan Supreme Court filing, the network’s news division asked to be dismissed from a suit filed by three women who claim the former “CBS This Morning” co-host subjected them to “blatant and repeated sexual harassment.”
Court papers filed Friday evening say the suit brought by Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Yuqing “Chelsea” Wei “is wholly infirm as against CBS.”
“Specifically, one of the Plaintiffs never worked at CBS, and another was not a CBS employee at the time Rose allegedly engaged in harassment,” the motion says.
“In any event, none of the three Plaintiffs state any cognizable claims against CBS.”
The women, all in their 20s, allege that Rose, 76, touched all of their arms, shoulders, waists and backs, boasted about his sexual conquests and urged Harris and McNeal to have sex with each other, “indicating that he was having sexual fantasies about them.”
They also say nothing was done after they complained to an executive producer and a personnel supervisor.
CBS fired Rose in November, one day after The Washington Post reported on allegations against him by eight women, including claims of groping and walking around naked in front of them.
PBS also canceled distribution of his long-running, eponymous interview program.
Amid all of the controversy surrounding CBS News these days, there’s one program that is still shining bright: CBS Sunday Morning.
Not only did Sunday Morning deliver the most total viewers of any Sunday morning show this past week, but the program also managed to post year-over-year audience gains, per TV Newser citing Nielsen live-plus-same-day data.
A-J Kates writes that’s notable, especially considering the Sunday public affairs programs that air after Sunday Morning, including CBS News’ Face the Nation, are seeing year-over-year audience declines on a regular basis.
Needless to say, there’s definitely not as much “Trump talk” on this program, something viewers of the Sunday politics shows may be getting a bit tired of. At least relative to last year.
The Jane Pauley-anchored August 26 broadcast delivered 5.08 million total viewers, which is +7 percent in total viewers (from 4.76 million), and a 0.9 rating / 6 share among adults 25-54, which is flat vs. last year.
Looking at 2018 to-date, Sunday Morning is up +1 percent in total viewers (5.89 million vs. 5.81 million) and flat vs. the same time period in 2017 among adults 25-54.
NBC News anchor Chuck Todd is blaming Roger Ailes for creating a hostile environment toward the media, arguing in a new op-ed that the late Fox News chairman and CEO, along with Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge and current Fox hosts Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, are "exploiting the fears of older white people" in an effort to gain more wealth and power. reports The Hill.
The "Meet the Press" host also said in The Atlantic that "there's a new kind of campaign underway" to "destroy the legitimacy of the American news media" that has made reporters targets of animosity not seen since the segregated South.
He writes:
"Bashing the media for political gain isn’t new, and neither is manipulating the media to support or oppose a cause. These practices are at least as old as the Gutenberg press. But antipathy toward the media right now has risen to a level I’ve never personally experienced before. The closest parallel in recent American history is the hostility to reporters in the segregated South in the 1950s and ’60s.
"Then, as now, that hatred was artificially stoked by people who found that it could deliver them some combination of fame, wealth, and power.
"Some of the wealthiest members of the media are not reporters from mainstream outlets. Figures such as Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, and the trio of Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and Laura Ingraham have attained wealth and power by exploiting the fears of older white people. They are thriving financially by exploiting the very same free-press umbrella they seem determined to undermine.
"Much of the current hand-wringing about this rise in press bashing and delegitimization has been focused on the president, who—as every reporter in America sadly knows—has declared the press the “enemy of the people.” But, like much else in the Trump era, Donald Trump didn’t start this fire; he’s only spread it to a potentially more dangerous place.
"The modern campaign against the American press corps has its roots in the Nixon era. President Richard Nixon’s angry foot soldiers continued his fight against the media even after he left office.
"Roger Ailes, who went on to help found Fox News, was the most important of those figures. His sustained assault on the press created the conditions that would allow a president to surround himself with aides who argue for “alternative facts,” and announce that “truth isn’t truth.” Without Ailes, a man of Trump’s background and character could never have won. Roger Ailes was the godfather of the Trump presidency."
Trust in media has been at all-time lows in Gallup polls for years, with its most recent poll in Sept. 2016 showing just 32 percent of Americans, including 14 percent of Republicans, trust the news media.
The same poll taken in 1976 showed 72 percent of Americans trusted the news media.
Fox News host Leland Vittert on Sunday pressed News/Talk WHP 580 AM host R.J. Harris, an outspoken supporter of President Trump, on why the president's apparent economic successes haven't translated to strong approval ratings.
Vittert specifically noted a new poll from ABC News and The Washington Post, in which 60 percent of respondents said they disapprove of Trump’s performance in office. The poll also found that only 3 percent of African-Americans approve of the president's job performance.
“Where’s the disconnect?” Vittert asked his guest.
"The disconnect is still in the mainstream media," Harris responded. "The mainstream media is blamed for everything, I’m not trying to take the easy path here, but they spend so much time beating him up."
Vittert interjected by asking if that assessment didn't give voters enough credit.
"When you sit here and continue to say blame the mainstream media, people are smart," Vittert said. "If their pocketbooks are full and they’re feeling good and they’re buying stuff and they feel like they’re going to get a promotion and a raise at work, do they really care what the mainstream media tells them?"
Harris agreed with the statement, adding that he thinks "America is pretty darn happy right now."
Harris then said that he wasn't sure that was the case, asserting that the African-American community was doing "much better" economically under Trump.
The back-and-forth came only days after Trump's disapproval rating reached a new all-time high, according to the ABC News/Washington Post poll.
Fairbanks AM talk-radio station KFAR 660 AM and sports station KCBF 820 AM both launched FM tanslator simulcasts.
Perry Walley, general manager for Last Frontier Mediactive, said the stations added the FM translators to give their AM listeners a higher-quality audio experience. The FM stations also give the company the option of broadcasting high-definition radio stations, although that’s not a service they now provide.
“I’m building for the future. When will that happen, it just depends on how everybody gets their HD radios,” Walley said.
A pair of cousins in the Lower 48, Rob Ingstad and Tor Ingstad, each own four of the eight stations managed under the Last Frontier Mediactive name in Fairbanks. The remaining four commercial radio stations in Fairbanks are owned by iHeartMedia.
Walley said the company added the FM translators because the FCC offered a handful of opportunities for FM translators in recent years and isn’t likely to offer more for at least a few more years.
Talk radio station KFAR 660 AM (10 Kw) — Fairbanks’ oldest radio station — now broadcasts at 97.5 FM (250 watts) in addition to its old spot on the AM dial. Sports station KCBF 820 AM (10 Kw) can now also be found at 107.9 FM (250 watts), according to The News Miner.
James K. Lontz, also known as "Jimmy Launce" of Lakewood Ranch, Florida formerly of Farmington Hills, Michigan passed away on Tuesday August 28, 2018 at the age of 84.
Launce was the host of his daily radio program in Detroit on WJR 760 AM.
For 38 years his popular radio show was rated #1 in Michigan in his time slot and heard by thousands across America and Canada. His variety program was known for his personal style of comedy, interviews with controversial figures, news-makers of the day.
On his live broadcasts, he was known for outlandish stunts such as strapping himself into a harness outside the windows of the station's sky scraper location to describe and experience a window washer's vocation. Jimmy flew a jet fighter while describing the experience through a microphone in his oxygen mask. He connected with his audience who thought of him as a friend. Listeners named their new-born daughters after his infectious radio theme song, GINA.
Launce was the host of the Detroit TV broadcasts of the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. He was a popular after-dinner speaker, stage and film actor, writer and voice from instructional and educational videos, nature films, as well as, national and international radio and television commercials. He was chosen by the Shriver Family to serve as master of ceremonies for the Special Olympics at Central Michigan University and on CBS Television.
➦In 1918...Iconic ABC radio commentator Paul Harvey was born in Tulsa Okla.
His daily quarter-hour midday ‘news & comment’ began on ABC April 1 1951, and continued to his death Feb. 28 2009 at age 90.
He was known for his dramatic pauses, quirky intonations and his folksiness. “Hello Americans. Stand by for news!.” Another popular Paul Harvey radio feature was ‘The Rest of the Story.’
➦In 1957...“The Buddy Deane Bandstand” debuted on WJZ-TV in Baltimore. The two-hour rock ‘n’ roll show gave viewers the chance to call in and talk to celebrity performers, which tied up telephone lines so badly the phone company was forced to ask Deane to desist from the practice.
➦In 1959...WCBS 880 AM bans “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin because of recent street violence
➦In 1961...the Carol Burnette-Richard Hayes Show premiered on CBS radio.
➦In 1962...The Beatles enter EMI's Abbey Road studios for their first formal recording session, rehearsing "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me." Producer George Martin likes the former, but also insists the band record a song by Mitch Murray, "How Do You Do It."
Unhappy with the song, which they feel inferior to their own, the Beatles tape it anyway; Martin later relents after the band revamps "Please Please Me," and "How Do You Do It" will become a #1 hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers.
➦In 1970...George Harrison released the "My Sweet Lord" single to radio.
➦In 1982...The Steve Miller Band moved to #1 with "Abracadabra", which meant for the first time in seven weeks, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor was not #1. Chicago moved from 5-3 with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and at #4--Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me". Air Supply reached #5 with "Even the Nights Are Better". The rest of the Top 10: Melissa Manchester moved from 11 to 6 with her biggest career hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", John Cougar Mellencamp dropped with "Hurts So Good", the Go-Go's remained on "Vacation", Crosby Stills & Nash were at 9 with "Wasted On the Way" and Sir Paul McCartney was in the #10 spot with "Take It Away".
➦In 1997...The Howard Stern radio show premiered in Louisville, Kentucky on WTFX-FM.
He teamed with Dizzy Dean on TV’s Game of the Week in the ’50′s, also working the games of the St. Louis Browns & Cardinals, the LA Angels & Kansas City Royals.
He succumbed to lung cancer at age 89.
➦In 2014…Longtime Chicago broadcaster (WGN-AM, WGN-TV) Roy Leonard died of complications from an esophageal infection at the age of 83.
➦In 2014…TV news correspondent (CNN, CBS, ABC) Bruce Morton died of cancer at 83.
