ESPN Radio is in the process of what could be a complete transformation that may impact every part of its schedule and eventually lead to Dan Le Batard no longer being on the network and the potential return of Mike Greenberg to radio, The NY Post is reporting.
While these plans may play out over the next year-plus, the departure of afternoon host Will Cain from ESPN Radio appears imminent. He is soon expected to sign a contract with Fox News and Fox Nation, according to sources.
As previously reported, ESPN also is strongly considering changing up its morning program of “Golic & Wingo,” as Trey Wingo’s contract is up this year.
While the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could alter decisions, discussions regarding the potential changes are in progress.
ESPN has not yet decided how it could replace “Golic & Wingo,” though Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. could remain in some capacity. The Big Lead has previously mentioned that Wingo hoped to be taken off the program.
A reunion of “Mike & Mike” — putting Greenberg and Golic back together — is not on the table for a variety of reasons, but one is that it conflicts with Greenberg’s TV program.
Instead Greenberg, who makes $6.5 million annually, could eventually be offered a midday slot with 1-3 p.m. a possibility.
That spot is currently held by Jason Fitz nationally, as he hosts “First Take, Your Take,” which features commentary from the TV show fronted by Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman. ESPN Radio executives are high on Fitz, so he would likely be in the mix in other parts if Greenberg ultimately landed from 1-3 p.m.
Either way, Greenberg will continue with “Get Up!” on ESPN, which has seen a resurgence after the program was re-formatted and Greenberg’s original co-host, Michelle Beadle, left in the summer of 2018.
As for Le Batard, he still has more than a year left on his contract, but there is a feeling among many that his program does not mesh with the tastes of Norby Williamson, who is ESPN’s executive vice president and the point person on ESPN Radio’s programming. Le Batard does more of a variety show rather than strictly sports.
According to The Post, Peter Rosenberg, who has helped the “Michael Kay Show” on WEPN 98.7 FM in New York reach the top of the ratings and is a part of Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning, could be a potential member of a new team. Keyshawn Johnson is another name to consider as part of a larger move that could include more TV.
Kellerman has radio experience in both New York and Los Angeles and could end up in the mix, as well.
Kyle Bogenschutz is out at WXYT 97.1 FM The Ticket, a surprise move in sports-talk radio circles that was announced by his co-host, Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski, on the air Monday night.
Bogenschutz, who went by "Bogey" on the air, co-hosted with Wojo since early June 2017, and had been at the station in a variety of roles before that. He started at 97.1 in January 2014.
Once an aspiring basketball coach, he also has hosted Detroit Pistons shows since early 2017, when 97.1 became the team's flagship radio station.
Bogenschutz's departure wasn't directly COVID-19 related, but rather a breakdown in contract negotiations that began months ago.
"Kyle did a great job during the time he was at 97.1 The Ticket, and you know, at this point, we're just looking ahead to what's next," said Mort Meisner, Bogenschutz's agent. "While there are no other all-sports stations in town, we're in conversations with a couple of people and I think Kyle will have something new very soon."
Earlier this month, citing the financial crisis caused by the pandemic, Entercom announced it was instituting furloughs and layoffs, as well as asking for voluntary pay cuts. Let go by 97.1 were on-air personalities Dennis Fithian and Ryan Wooley.
Bogenschutz, 30, and Wojnowski formed a unique duo, with Bogey's millennial persona often humorously clashing with older-school Wojo. Wojnowski often referred his partner as "that Bogey kid." Their show aired weekday nights, from 6 until about 7 or 8, depending if the Tigers, Red Wings or Pistons had a game.
SB NATION RADIO and JAKIB Media Partners announced the return of iconic Tony Bruno & his co-host Harry Mayes to national network radio. The duo will re-launch INTO THE NIGHT on May 11th, to be heard 10p-1a ET each weekday, across Gow Media’s SB Nation Radio Network.
“I continue in amazement that at a time when there are no sports to talk about, my partner Harry and I keep getting hired to talk sports,” said Bruno, the legendary King of Sports Talk.
Into the Night with Tony Bruno and Harry Mayes will showcase daily their unpredictable, humorous and unique style.
“Amid the insanity of this Pandemic, the world needs the opportunity to enjoy what the industry calls RADIO GOLD,” said Joe Krause, Founder/JAKIB Media Partners.
“This partnership with SB Nation Radio further defines how together we will utilize the incredible power of radio and directly connect with millions of sports fans.”
Mayes and Bruno
“We are thrilled to add Tony and Harry to our lineup,” said David Gow, CEO of Gow Media. I have long been a fan of Tony’s, as I think he is one of the top talents in all of radio.”
The launch on SB Nation Radio, which has over 125 affiliates, adds another large platform for Bruno and Mayes. The duo already has a huge following on Twitch.tv and on SIRIUSXM where they are heard each weekday 3pm-6pm on Channel 211, the Dan Patrick Channel.
“It’s very exciting to have an opportunity to work with Tony Bruno again,” said Craig Larson, COO and Program Director for SB Nation Radio. “During the years I produced Tony’s morning show, I learned so much from one of the all time greats of our industry.”
Through his four decades on the air, Bruno has been a prominent sports talk voice on nearly every national radio network. He was the first voice heard on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio and the only radio host to have ever been featured in the EA Sports Madden game. After retiring from terrestrial radio, Bruno began hosting a once-a-week podcast, which expanded to a daily stream on Twitch.tv. He also hosted Countdown 2 Kickoff on ESPN Radio during the 2019 NFL season and recently returned to terrestrial radio when he began on SIRIUS XM in April, 2020.
Harry Mayes is an 18-year sports talk radio veteran, 15 of which were spent on the air in Philadelphia, where he became one of the best-known and most relatable personalities in a market known for its die-hard sports fans. Bruno and Mayes hosted together for five years on Philadelphia radio.
Entercom proudly commends longtime WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM Yankees Radio Network broadcaster John Sterling for receipt of the 2020 Governors’ Award, presented by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NY NATAS).
The Governors’ Award, an honorary Emmy, celebrates Sterlings’ 60th anniversary as a broadcaster and his thirty-one years as the radio voice of the New York Yankees.
“We’re proud to have iconic broadcaster John Sterling as a part of our Yankees Radio Network broadcast team and congratulate him for this distinguished honor,” said Mark Chernoff, Senior Vice President, Entercom New York. “From his unique home run calls to his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Yankees, our gameday broadcasts are better with John, and this award acknowledges his invaluable contributions to the industry.”
“Whenever you get an award, it’s wonderful. But when you get an award from your peers, it is even better. I’m very humbled and appreciative to be the recipient of the 2020 Governors’ Award,” said Sterling. “I’m thankful to the board for their recognition of my longtime work with the New York Yankees, which is nothing short of a labor of love for me.”
Sterling has served as the radio voice of the New York Yankees since 1989, with games airing on sister station WCBS 880 (WCBS-AM) from 2002 to 2013 and WFAN since 2014. He also serves as host of the YES Network's “Yankeeography” series and hosts “Sterling on Sports,” a nightly team commentary on WCBS-TV.
Sterling previously announced New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets and New York Islanders games for WMCA-AM, WVNJ-AM, WOR-TV and SportsChannel New York.
Previously, he spent nine years in Atlanta hosting a sports call-in show on WSB radio and covered the Atlanta Braves for Turner Sports. Other roles include Yankees pre-game host for WMCA-AM and sister station 1010 WINS in New York, as well as play-by-play announcer for the then-Baltimore Bullets and Morgan State University football in Baltimore. Sterling has received 12 Emmy Awards, including two for his role with the “Yankeeography” series.
CUMULUS MEDIA’s Westwood One announces the launch of Weekends with Roula, a three-hour-long weekend syndicated radio show hosted by Roula Christie. Weekends with Roula will launch on Saturday, May 2, 2020 on more than 50 radio stations, including two top 10 markets: KRBE-FM/Houston, and WWWQ-FM/Atlanta.
Weekends with Roula, is designed for both Hot AC and CHR stations, and targets Women 25 to 54. Her content is upbeat and motivational as she helps listeners find fun in the madness of juggling work and family. Roula mixes pop culture and entertainment news with hilarious conversations between her kids and her mom.
Roula Christie
Roula Christie will continue to anchor The Roula & Ryan Show, one of the most-listened-to morning shows in Texas, which airs mornings on 104.1 KRBE-FM/Houston.
“Roula is a star in Houston, and now it’s time to showcase her talent on a national scale” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Marketing, CUMULUS MEDIA and President, Westwood One. “With her effervescent and accessible personality, women across the country will find it easy to relate to Roula as they balance family, work, and personal time together.”
“I am OVER THE MOON at the opportunity to be nationally syndicated with Westwood One for Weekends with Roula! I hope to connect with the rest of America the way I have been able to connect with my Greater Houston-area audience,” said Roula. “I’m so grateful to my husband, Tasos, and children for providing me with material! I’m so excited!”
The National Association of Broadcasters said it is time for the FCC to recognize that broadcast competition—for both television and radio—has reached a new height and that actions must be taken to level the playing field.
TVTechnology.com reports this viewpoint comes from comments filed by the NAB to the 2020 Communications Marketplace Report. Specifically, it wants the FCC to adopt broad definitions of competitive markets and to reform local TV and radio ownership rules that are consistent with the current landscape.
It has been well reported that the trend for broadcast TV stations and traditional pay-TV providers has been the loss of viewers and subscribers to online, streaming options. From 2014-2019, NAB said that the number of OTT video services has increased 140%, and as of summer 2019, 74% of all U.S. households had either Netflix, Amazon Prime and/or Hulu. It said analysis shows that linear TV viewing has declined “in near-perfect correlation to Netflix’s rising penetration.”
The rise of digital devices that can display this content has also increased and exceeds the weekly reach of live + time-shifted television, per NAB.
This has also impacted the ad market, which has only been compounded by the current coronavirus pandemic, even as traditional TV has seen increased gains in audience during the pandemic.
“Given all these profound changes in the media and advertising markets, the FCC cannot maintain its woefully outdated view that broadcast radio stations compete only with other radio stations and that broadcast TV stations compete only with other TV stations,” the NAB said. “In a media landscape marked not by scarcity but by unprecedented abundance of platforms and content, all outlets—whether traditional or digital, audio or video—fight for consumers’ limited time and attention for advertisers’ limited dollars.”
NAB makes the case that for TV to remain meaningful in the digital marketplace, broadcasters must achieve greater economies of scale. To do so, NAB argues the FCC ownership restrictions and the Department of Justice merger review process should be modernized “to reflect competitive realities.”
Seattle Times Co. received a nearly $10 million loan last week as part of the federal government’s rescue program for small businesses. The money is helping the publisher avoid layoffs and payroll cuts for its staff of 700, despite a plunge in advertising revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, The Wall Street Journal reports The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is in essentially the same financial distress as the Times, with a similar size workforce among its parent’s publications. Yet it isn’t eligible for the aid and had to furlough or cut pay for 10% of its 900 employees this month.
The reason: its parent company, WEHCO Media Inc., has more than 1,000 employees—the Small Business Administration’s maximum size for newspapers to qualify for the forgivable loans.
Papers representing more than 80% of U.S. circulation are disqualified from the government’s Paycheck Protection Program because of the way their companies are structured, according to data from the Alliance for Audited Media.
The issue has prompted a bipartisan push in Congress to either amend PPP rules to make an exception for local news, or get news organizations other forms of aid in the next stimulus bill.
The steps many struggling papers took over the past 15 years to stay afloat—round after round of mergers and consolidation, selling to private-equity buyers, taking on mountains of debt—now prevent the industry from getting meaningful federal help.
While many local papers are now owned by big chains or other conglomerates, they still see themselves as local businesses, staffed by local journalists, reliant on local business for advertising and driven by a mission that advocates say has grown more important amid the pandemic.
The thirst for local information during the pandemic has boosted web traffic and subscriptions at many news outlets. But the shuttering of the retail businesses that have long been their biggest advertisers has sent revenue into free fall.
Layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts have affected roughly 33,000 news organization employees nationwide since the start of the crisis, according to a tracker compiled by the NewsGuild-CWA, the largest journalists’ union.
Fox News has dropped pro-Trump vloggers Diamond and Silk, who had been providing content for its Fox Nation streaming channel since 2018.
According to The Daily Beast, the pair, Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway and Rochelle “Silk” Richardson, had not uploaded any new episodes on Fox Nation since the first week of April and had not made a guest appearance on a Fox TV property since a March 7 Fox Business Network interview with Trish Regan, who has since been let go as well after a controversial segment attacking Democrats.
“The social-media personalities were eventually tapped to provide weekly videos for Fox Nation after it launched as a subscription-based online video network. Their episodes, essentially 5-7 minute distillations of their freeform live-streams, appeared like clockwork on the streaming service until earlier this month,” the Daily Beast reported. “Prior to this month, the duo never missed a week posting episodes since December 2018.”
The duo were well known for staunchly defending President Donald Trump and during the first months of the coronavirus outbreak they lashed out at critics of his administration’s widely panned response, according to Mediaite.
But in doing so, they floated unfounded conspiracies about coronavirus death toll manipulation as the result of a “little deep-state action going on behind the scenes.” And in early April, they were forced to delete a tweet that recklessly encouraged people to break quarantine to gain immunity, a claim that has not been scientifically established.
Saudi Arabia has taken a 5.7% stake in Beverly Hills-based Live Nation Entertainment Inc., the world’s largest concert promoter, according to a document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.
The L-A Times reports the investment, valued at about $500 million, comes as businesses like Live Nation that depend heavily on live events have been hard hit by COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about the disease have shut down or postponed music festivals and concerts, including ones hosted by Live Nation.
The company said 8,000 shows were affected by the suspension of events from mid-March through March 31. Live Nation sold 15 million tickets for those shows, many of which were postponed. About 10% of the tickets sold were for shows that were canceled, Live Nation said.
Live Nation and its Ticketmaster division have been criticized and sued over how they have handled refunds. Ticketmaster said earlier this month it had 30,000 events canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 this year, affecting $2 billion in ticket revenue. On Friday, Live Nation said it was updating its refund policy. Ticket holders can request a refund if a new date has not been set after 60 days of the event’s postponement.
Earlier this month, Live Nation said it was implementing a salary reduction program where the salaries of senior executives would be cut by up to 50% and that its chief executive would also forgo his salary. There will also be hiring freezes, rent renegotiations and furloughs, among other cost-cutting measures, the company said.
“Given the uncertainty associated with the duration of current conditions globally, the company has launched a number of initiatives to reduce fixed costs and conserve cash,” Live Nation said earlier this month.
One of the bright sides for the media industry in the current pandemic is that certain legacy media that were being written off as no longer viable -- radio, newspapers and magazines -- are seeing increased usage, especially among younger demographics. That's one of the findings of a new report from Havas Media that draws heavily on a survey of Americans conducted earlier this month.
Mediapost reports that while the report did not disclose what percentages said they were using these media less or about the same as before, the study, Meaningful Media & COVID-19," shows the greatest gains in consumption are among younger adults.
Havas characterizes this as Millennials "embracing traditional radio and print" during the pandemic, which if true could have some interesting implications for those media coming out of it.
Access to "information" has become the "most critical need" post-COVID-19 for most respondents, followed by media that provide "distraction," let Americans "unwind" and offer "escapism" and/or "comfort."
CUMULUS MEDIA’s Westwood One partnered with Magellan AI to analyze data on podcast advertising occurrences in the top 400 podcasts in the United States. Data was collected from Q4 2018 to Q4 2019.
On the goal of the analysis, Magellan AI Co-Founder Cameron Hendrix said, “While podcast listenership data is in high supply, there is a real need for a deep and authoritative analysis of podcast advertising trends. The results of this year-over-year analysis will provide brands and agencies with a better understanding of the ad environment they are helping to shape. With the number of podcast ads up +25% and more episodes being produced now compared to last year, it is clear that advertiser and listener interest in this medium isn’t going away any time soon. And while not reflected in this report, we've seen much of this growth continue even amidst the pandemic.”
“Westwood One is committed to sharing what we learn about all aspects of the podcast industry - the audience profile, listener habits, and with this insightful analysis, the advertising itself." said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Marketing, CUMULUS MEDIA and President, Westwood One. “During this pandemic, podcasting is one of the few media platforms to retain strong and vital audiences and advertising revenue. This research will help DTC and brand advertisers learn podcast advertising best practices and generate results from this powerful, personal, and high-performing medium.”
Key findings from the analysis include:
Podcast ads are up +25% powered by episode growth: The vast majority of podcast ad occurrence growth is due to a +22% increase in the number of episodes. Of America’s top 400 podcasts, the average number of episodes grew from 2.3 in Q4 2019 to 2.8 in Q4 2019.
Podcast over-commercialization is not occurring. Ads per podcast were up a modest +3% from Q4 2018: In Q4 2018, there were 3.1 ads per podcast. The number grew to 3.2 ads per podcast in Q4 2019, still far fewer messages than the 36 ads per hour on U.S. television as reported by Media Dynamics.
Many top podcast advertisers also advertise heavily in AM/FM radio to add reach: There was a time when podcast advertisers, mostly direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, rarely used AM/FM radio or TV. Given significant paid social inflation, brands are turning to AM/FM radio to both drive sales and build brands.
Brand ads comprise 32% of ad occurrences, up from 24% in the prior year: The share of brand advertisers has grown from 24% in Q4 2018 to 32% in 2019, a +33% increase.
Magellan AI’s Brand Power Ratio reveals music, business, TV and film, arts, and sports genres have the greatest relationship between share of brand ad occurrences and share of total ad occurrences: Sports podcasts represent 22% of all brand ad detections compared to 16% of all podcast ad occurrences. This relationship generates a 1.39 Brand Power Ratio for sports podcasts. Comedy podcasts have one of the lowest Brand Power Ratio at 0.59; 11% of all brand podcast ads run in comedy compared to 18% of all podcast ads.
Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52, according to The NY Post.
Sneed’s publicist Bill Carpenter said the singer died early Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Sneed earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the Youth For Christ’s 1999 album “Higher.”
Sneed traveled throughout the United States early in his career to sing the gospel with the Georgia Mass Choir. He arranged music on their albums and appeared with the choir in 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife,” starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.
Sneed helped form Youth For Christ, which was comprised of members between the ages of 12 and 18 from the Georgia Mass Choir. He served as a producer on Youth For Christ’s “The Struggle Is Over,” which landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s gospel songs chart in 2006.
As a solo artist, Sneed released seven albums and had several hit songs within the gospel realm including “Work It Out” and “My Heart Says Yes,” which both peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s gospel chart. He’s also known for the upbeat “Hallelujah.”
➦In 1922...WOI-AM, Ames, Iowa, became the country's first licensed educational radio station.
The history of WOI can be traced back to 1911 when Physics Professor "Dad" Hoffman set a transmission line between the Campus Water Tower and the Engineering Building and set up a wireless telegraph station. By 1913 this was known as experimental station 9YI and it was sending and receiving weather reports by morse code on a regular basis. The first sound broadcast was an hour of concert music on November 21, 1921.
The Commerce Department issued a full radio license for station WOI in April 1922 and the first regular broadcast took place on April 28, 1922. It is the oldest fully licensed noncommercial station west of the Mississippi River. The original callsign 9YI is now WOYI and is retained by the ISU Campus Radio Club, with the amateur radio station located in the Electrical Engineering building. The first regular programming on WOI was farm market reports gathered by ticker tape and morse code and broadcast throughout the state.
➦In 1932..."One Man's Family" was first aired on the NBC Radio Network.
One Man's Family, was an American radio soap opera, heard for almost three decades, from 1932 to 1959. It was the longest-running uninterrupted dramatic serial in the history of American radio. Television versions of the series aired in prime time from 1949 to 1952 and in daytime from 1954 to 1955.
One Man's Family debuted as a radio series on April 29, 1932 in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, moving to the full West Coast NBC network the following month, sponsored by Snowdrift and Wesson Oil. On May 17, 1933, it expanded to the full coast-to-coast NBC network as the first West Coast show heard regularly on the East Coast. The show was broadcast as a weekly half-hour series (1933-1950), sponsored by Standard Brands from 1935 through 1949, then shifted to daily 15-minute installments, initially originating from the studios of San Francisco radio station KPO, NBC's flagship station for the West Coast, eventually moving to Los Angeles.
➥In 1958...Herb Oscar Anderson started at WMCA 570 AM NYC. H-O-A became the morning personality at 77WABC during most of the 1960s. When he arrived at WABC in 1960, the station was in the early stages of a battle for listeners with WMCA, WINS and WMGM. He was one of the station’s “Swingin’ 7” air personalities, a group that included Scott Muni and was known as the All Americans. But Anderson was a throwback in a changing music scene, a fan of the big band sound, not necessarily the rock ’n’ roll he was playing on a 50,000-watt station that reached well beyond the city limits.
As the station’s low-key “morning mayor,” Mr. Anderson had a mandate: to appeal to adults whose buying power was critical to advertisers, more than to the teenagers who were already tuning in. Each morning, his booming, melodic voice crooned his lyrics to his signature song, “Hello Again”:
“Hello again, here’s my best to you. Are your skies all gray? I hope they’re blue.”
Mr. Anderson’s old-fashioned approach set him apart from other D.J.’s at the station, like the exuberant Cousin Bruce Morrow, who courted teenagers.
HOA died at age 88 in 2017.
➦In 1965...at 3 p.m., Top 40 radio visionary Bill Drake took over KHJ 930 AM in Los Angeles, and introduced the ‘Boss Radio‘ format, featuring the top hits of the day, quick jingles, fast DJ talk, and fewer commercials. Drake installed his protege Ron Jacobs as PD. KHJ hit #1 within six months and was quickly copied across North America.
The format featured a restricted playlist and restrained commentary by announcers (although a few, such as Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna, Humble Harve and The Real Don Steele, were allowed to develop on-air personalities). Other DJs from 1965-68 included Roger Christian, Gary Mack, Dave Diamond, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams, Frank Terry, Johnny Mitchell, Tommy Vance, Scotty Brink, Steve Clark, Bobby Tripp, Tom Maule and Bill Wade. Part of the format, known as "Boss Radio", were jingles by the Johnny Mann Singers.
"Boss Radio" spread throughout the U.S., bringing high ratings to KFRC in San Francisco, WFIL in Philadelphia, KGB in San Diego, WQXI in Atlanta, CKLW in Windsor, Ontario and WRKO in Boston. Drake and Gene Chenault brought many of their announcers from the other "Boss" stations, using them as a proving ground for talent.
The format brought high ratings to the station until the late 1970s, when FM radio became the dominant form of music broadcasting. In November 1980, during the Bob Shannon show, "93 KHJ" switched from top-40 to country music. The country format, with the slogan "We all grew up to be cowboys", lasted three years before it was changed to an oldies format: "The Boss is Back", with the original Johnny Mann Singers "Boss Radio" jingles, on April 1, 1983.
➦In 1972...Arthur Godfrey aired his last show on CBS Radio Network.
Godfrey 1948
Godfrey became nationally known in April 1945 when, as CBS's morning-radio man in Washington, he took the microphone for a live, first hand account of President Roosevelt's funeral procession. The entire CBS network picked up the broadcast. Unlike the tight-lipped news reporters and commentators of the day, who delivered news in an earnest, businesslike manner, Godfrey's tone was sympathetic and neighborly, lending immediacy and intimacy to his words. When describing new President Harry S. Truman's car in the procession, Godfrey fervently said, in a choked voice, "God bless him, President Truman."
Godfrey made such an impression on the air that CBS gave him his own morning time slot on the nationwide network. Arthur Godfrey Time was a Monday-Friday show that featured his monologues, interviews with various stars, music from his own in-house combo and regular vocalists. Godfrey's monologues and discussions were usually unscripted, and went wherever he chose. "Arthur Godfrey Time" remained a late morning staple on the CBS Radio Network schedule until 1972.
➦In 1975…Influential radio personality Tom Donahue died from a heart attacked at age 46. He has been credited as the inventor of 'free form, 'deep cuts' and 'classic rock' radio. During his career, he made stops at KSAN San Fracisco, KMET Los Angeles, KPPC Los Angeles, KMPX San Francisco, KYA San Francisco and WIBG Philadelphia.
➦In 2006…When syndicated radio talk host Rush Limbaugh was accused by Florida prosecutors of "doctor shopping" for prescription painkillers, his attorneys worked a deal under which a single prescription fraud charge would be dismissed after 18 months, provided Limbaugh remained drug-free and did not violate any laws.
Jessica Alba
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Actress-singer Ann-Margret (Third Watch, Four Corners, Scarlett) is 79.
Actor Paul Guilfoyle (CSI) is 71.
Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno is 70.
Actress Nancy Lee Grahn (Santa Barbara, General Hospital) is 64.
TV food show host/chef Bobby Deen (Not my Mama’s Meals, Paula’s Best Meals, Holiday Baking Championship) is 50.
Actress Elisabeth Rohm (Law and Order, Angel, Bull) is 47.
Actor Jorge Garcia (Lost, Hawaii Five-Oh, Alcatraz, Becker) is 47.
Actress Penelope Cruz (American Crime Story) is 46.
Actress/voicist Catherine Reitman (Family Guy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) is 39.
Actress Jessica Alba (L.A.’s Finest, Dark Angel, Flipper)s 39.
The Academy of Country Music and dick clark productions announced today that the 55TH ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS will take place in Nashville, TN for the first time in the show’s 55-year history.
In an unprecedented move, the 55th ACM Awards will be the first awards show to broadcast from three iconic Country Music venues including the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.
The announcement was made this morning during Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s daily press conference. Hosted by reigning ACM® Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban, the 55th ACM Awards will be broadcast on Wednesday, Sept. 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will stream live and on demand on CBS All Access.
“While we were disappointed to postpone our April show in Las Vegas, we couldn’t be more thrilled to host the rescheduled 55th ACM Awards in the home of Country Music for the first time in the Academy’s history,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “First and foremost, we want to ensure the safety of our artists and industry, and to ease the burdens of traveling large teams; therefore, we decided to bring the ACM Awards to them this September in Nashville. Now, more than ever, is the time to bring our community together to honor the best in our genre, and there is no more special place to do that than three of the most revered venues in Country Music - The Grand Ole Opry House, The Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. A huge thank you to these historic venues and to the state of Tennessee and city of Nashville for all of the support in making this a reality!”
Keith Urban to host
“Tennessee is honored to be a part of this historic event," said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Showcasing the talent and musical heritage of our state is always a source of pride, and it couldn't be more valuable than this year. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I want to thank the Academy of Country Music for bringing this event home.”
“Country music has been our voice and our companion through so many difficult times and now it is our comfort as we confront and defeat the coronavirus,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper. “I’m excited to join country music fans worldwide to celebrate with the Academy of Country Music and artists that uplift and inspire us all in these extraordinary times. And I look forward to the day when we can safely welcome visitors back to enjoy all that Music City has to offer, including over 160 live entertainment venues with the best country music shows in the world.”
“We are delighted to host the 55th ACM Awards and make history alongside the Academy of Country Music as the show comes to Nashville for the first time,” said Scott Bailey, President of Opry Entertainment Group. “We look forward to sharing this moment with our friends at The Bluebird Cafe and are pleased that fans will have the opportunity to experience the most famous stages in country music in such a unique way.”
As always, the health and safety of the artists, fans, industry, staff and partners is of the utmost importance. All guidelines set forth by national, state and local health officials will continue to be closely followed and implemented during the production along with additional safety measures to be instated by dick clark productions and the Academy of Country Music.
The 55th ACM Awards, honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in Country Music, will feature exciting performances, unprecedented collaborations, surprising moments and more to be announced in the coming months.
With millions stuck at home due to coronavirus shelter-in-place orders and searching for entertainment, data suggest that new releases by major pop artists are drawing fewer listeners than normal. Instead, streaming metrics show, listeners are tuning in to old favorites from the likes of Bob Marley, Dixie Chicks and Bill Withers—the singer of “Lean On Me,” who died last month, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Several factors are denting pop-music listening. Major artists are delaying album releases, and workers ordered to stay home aren’t commuting, cutting into time spent listening to radio, analysts say, adding that news is drawing more interest for those who do tune in. And without live concerts or performances on talk shows, music labels’ promotional machines are less powerful.
The sharp decline in pop-music listening depressed overall music-streaming numbers during the past month, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, even as consumption of older music has increased, along with video streams on services like YouTube.
On Spotify, the largest streaming service by subscriptions, cumulative streams of the top 200 U.S. songs have fallen in recent weeks—tumbling 28% from the week ending March 12 to the week ending April 16 to the low point for the year so far. The drop-off is especially pronounced, given that those weeks saw new album releases from major streaming artists including J Balvin, the Weeknd, Childish Gambino and Dua Lipa. Meanwhile, catalog music—songs more than 18 months old—has been on the rise and hit a high for the year in the week ended April 9, accounting for 63% of total audio streams, up from 60% the week ended March 12, according to Nielsen/MRC.
“We are seeing something of a shift towards comfort music,” says Midia Research analyst Mark Mulligan.
A study this month by Nielsen/MRC found more than half of music consumers are opting for older music. Bob Dylan and Hank Williams Jr.—as well as country artists Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson—are among those whose songs have seen an uptick in listeners. Mr. Marley’s catalog alone jumped 23% in the three weeks through April 2 over the prior four weeks.
Overall music consumption across sales and streams began plunging around March 12, when states including California and New York began issuing shelter-in-place orders, said Nielsen Music/MRC Data analyst Dave Bakula. Streams of children’s and classical music took off over the following two weeks.
The shift to catalog music poses a challenge to the record industry and services like Spotify and Apple Music, whose businesses typically focus on finding and promoting new hits.
Music services, meanwhile, which all offer essentially the same music, have tried to compete with one another on music discovery, developing recommendations to serve up what’s new and of potential interest to listeners.
Among those spending less time with music, 49% said it is because they are driving or commuting less; 47% said they are spending more time with other forms of entertainment, particularly video, according to Nielsen/MRC.
