We’ve all heard of the dangers of texting, tweeting or doing whatever else on your cell phone while driving, but it seems people aren’t heeding those warnings. Across the country, there’s actually been an increase in people driving while distracted, according to a new report.
“We did a similar analysis last year, and last year we observed the percentage of trips with distraction across the nation was 31 percent,” said Katherine Wellman of CMT. “This year, it’s up to 36 percent. It’s certainly increasing rather than decreasing, and that’s disconcerting.”
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and Wellman hopes that by releasing this report, people can be more mindful of their own behavior.
According to 2016 data, motor vehicle deaths increased 14 percent over two years, and distracted driving is a factor: drivers who have been in a crash exhibited 3.4 times more distraction while driving than the average driver, CMT found.
There are three main types of distraction behind the wheel: manual (like eating or holding a drink), visual (ie. taking your eyes off the road to change the radio) and cognitive (when your mind isn’t focused on driving).
“The concerning thing about smartphone distraction is that it actually usually includes two, if not all three, of these,” Wellman said. “If people are manually holding their phone, looking down at it, thinking about what they’re texting or reading, then all three of these are captured and as a result, it can be very, very dangerous.”
But the issue isn’t exactly that drivers are unaware of the potential danger. In fact, people are really concerned about others doing it.
In another recent CMT survey, people said the thing they fear most about other drivers on the road is that they’ll be distracted while driving. This fear tops concerns about others driving while drunk, Wellman said.
An AAA report out last week reached a similar conclusion: 88 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is on the rise as a risky behavior, beating out other dangers like aggressive driving and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“I think people are starting to become aware of [distracted driving],” Wellman said, “however, people are also very addicted to using their phones. It’s a matter of trying to increase awareness, increase dialogue and motivate people to really curb their behavior.”
So what can you do? Wellman suggests downloading an app like Highway Hero or EverDrive, both based on CMT technology, to see your behavior. Those apps will give you feedback on when you use your phone while driving. You’ll get a score and can earn badges for achievements like completing a certain number of phone-free driving trips in a row.
Distracted driving by the numbers
30 percent of all distracted driving occurs over 50 miles per hour
19.82 percent of distracted driving occurs between 30 and 40 miles per hour
2.67: the number of seconds the average driver nationally is distracted per mile
3.4: the number of seconds Boston drivers are distracted per mile
3.77: the number of seconds Philadelphia drivers are distracted per mile
Nationally, drivers are distracted for 36.06 percent of all trips
In Boston, drivers are distracted for 36.78 percent of all trips
In Philadelphia, drivers are distracted for 39.97 percent of all trips
➦In 1939...Mr. District Attorney was heard for the first time on NBC radio. The serial about the “champion of the people” was originally a 15-minute nightly program. In June of ’39, the program went to a half-hour weekly format. Pictured is Jay Jostyn who played the title role from 1940-52, when Mr. District Attorney became a syndicated TV show.
➦In 1942...People Are Funny was first heard on NBC radio. Art Baker was the show’s first host. Art Linkletter took over the popular program on radio in 1943 and later moved it to television. ➦In 1948…"The Louisiana Hayride" premiered on radio station KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, with the Bailes Brothers, Johnny and Jack, the Four Deacons, the Tennessee Mountain Boys featuring Kitty Wells, the Mercy Brothers, Curley Kinsey and the Tennessee Ridge Runners, Harmie Smith, the Ozark Mountaineers, and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys performing on the first show, broadcast live from Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium. Admission was 60 cents for adults, 30 cents for children, and remained so for the next 11 years.
➦In 1949...the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis started their own weekly 30-minute show on NBC radio. It never really caught on, because Lewis’ brand of physical comedy was much more suited to a visual medium. ➦In 1949...KQW-AM, San Francisco, California changed its call letters to KCBS-AM.
Charles Herrold
KCBS has its roots in the experiments of San Jose engineer Charles "Doc" Herrold as far back as 1909, making the broadcaster a leading contender for the title of oldest continuously broadcasting station in the United States and possibly the world.
Herrold used a variety of different radio call signs in the early days, including FN, SJN, 6XF and 6XE. In the very beginning, Herrold used a simple greeting like "San Jose calling."
That greeting and the initial FN sign (which was an inverted abbreviation of "National Fone") reflected the fact that he had been partially working on the idea of a radiotelephone.
On December 9, 1921, Herrold received a commercial license under the callsign KQW. It was the 21st licensed radio station in the United States and the 11th in the state of California.
However, the "arc-phone" Herrold had been using for over a decade had to be scrapped. It would only work at wavelengths above 600 meters, and all radio stations were restricted to 360 meters (roughly the equivalent of 833 kHz). He quickly created a replacement, using a tube-like transmitter drawing power from San Jose's streetcar lines. However, he never recovered financially from the loss of his arc-phone, and was forced to put the station on the market in 1925. After initially giving an option to a civic foundation, he sold it to the First Baptist Church of San Jose. Herrold stayed on as a technician for the station he had created for a few years, but died in obscurity in 1947.
There is at least one authentic broadcast recording chronicling this early history. On November 10, 1945, KQW presented a special program called "The Story of KQW," commemorating Herrold's early broadcasts. It includes a brief recorded statement by Herrold, just before his 70th birthday. During the introduction to the program, a KQW announcer explains that the program was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the broadcasting industry as well as the 36th anniversary of KQW. The announcer then goes on to say that KQW was the first radio station in the world to operate on a regular schedule. The major events in Herrold's work are then dramatized.
In 1926, station manager James Hart bought KQW's license and facilities, eventually buying the station itself in 1930. A series of power boosts brought the station's effective radiated power to 5,000 watts by 1935. It served as the San Jose affiliate of the Don Lee Broadcasting System from 1937 to 1941; during the time, that it was owned by Julius Brunton & Sons, the station's operations being co-located with KJBS at 1470 Pine Street in San Francisco.
However, in 1942 CBS offered to move its San Francisco affiliation to KQW after KSFO (560 AM) turned down CBS' offer to buy the station. KQW jumped at this offer, having been without a source of network programming for over a year. CBS moved its affiliation to KQW later that year, with an option to buy the station outright. KJBS Broadcasters then sold the station and KQW moved to a lavish CBS-owned studio at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. For all intents and purposes, it became a San Francisco station, though it continued to be licensed in San Jose.
At the end of World War II, KQW found itself in a battle with KSFO for its longtime home on 740 AM, the last Bay Area frequency that was authorized to operate at 50,000 watts. When CBS affiliated with KSFO in 1937, it cut a deal with KQW to swap frequencies with KSFO, which would then boost its power to 50,000 watts. The change was awaiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval when World War II broke out.
By 1945, however, KQW had become San Francisco's CBS affiliate, and CBS was obviously not about to give up the advantage of having the last 50,000-watt frequency in the Bay Area. While the FCC granted the frequency to KSFO, its owners, Associated Broadcasters, later decided to concentrate on plans for its new television station, KPIX-TV (channel 5). Eventually, Associated Broadcasters traded 740 back to CBS in return for KPIX getting the CBS television affiliation for the Bay Area.
CBS exercised its option to buy KQW in 1949, changing the calls to KCBS (the KCBS callsign predates the use on the CBS-owned television station (then KNXT) in Los Angeles by over 30 years, and KCBS-FM there as well). The station also officially changed its city of license to San Francisco after seven years. In 1951, KCBS signed on at 50,000 watts for the first time from an elaborate multi-tower facility in Novato originally intended for KSFO. However, the station is a class B station, not a Class A (clear-channel).
In 1968, KCBS became one of the first all-news stations in the country. However, it already had a long history in news dating back to World War II, when it was the center of CBS' newsgathering efforts in the Pacific Theater.
➦In 1956...Elvis Presley makes the first of what would be two appearances on NBC-TV's Milton Berle TV Show performing "Hound Dog" "Money Honey" and "Blue Suede Shoes" via live remote on the flight deck of the USS Hancock docked in San Diego. The show is seen by 40 million people around the US, approximately one-fourth of all TV sets. (Later in the show, Elvis plays "Blue Suede Shoes" again, this time with "Uncle Miltie" joining in as the King's "brother Melvin.")
➦In 1959…The British Broadcasting Corporation banned the Coasters' recording of "Charlie Brown" because of its reference to "spitballs." The ban was lifted two weeks later.
➦In 1974...Murray the K departed WNBC 660 AM NYC. He had joined NBC in 1972 for the weekend NBC Monitor and also for a regular evening weekend program on WNBC radio. Although it was low-key, Murray's WNBC show featured his own innovative trademark programming style, including telling stories that were illustrated by selected songs, his unique segues, and his pairing cuts by theme or idiosyncratic associations.
➦In 1978...Mutual Broadcasting System moved the "Larry King Show" from Miami to Washington, D.C.
➦In 2014…WBT Charlotte and WSPA Spartnburg radio host Arthur Smith died at age 93. Smith was also noted for his "Feudin' Banjos" (1955), which was also recorded by Lester Flatt. It was revived as "Dueling Banjos" and used as a theme song in the popular movie, Deliverance (1972). Released as a single, it became a hit, played on Top 40, AOR, and country stations alike. It reached the Top Ten and hit #1 in the US and Canada. Because he was not credited in the film for the song, Smith sued Warner Brothers, and gained a settlement. His name was added to the film credits for his piece, and he received a share of royalties.
➦In 2015...listeners heard the final broadcast for WLW 700 AM morning host Jim Scott who retired from radio after nearly 50 years on the air in the Queen City.
Entercom today debuted “DreX and Nina,” a new morning show on B96 WBBM-FM. The new morning show will air weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PT. Gabe Ramirez, host of the previous B96 morning show “The J Show,” will continue as morning host along with DreX and Nina.
“Entercom is at it again, playing offense in Chicago radio,” said Jimmy de Castro, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Chicago. “Today we welcome DreX and Nina to the Windy City to partner with Gabe and wake up our fans every morning to laugh, sing and dance with B96, Chicago’s #1 Hit Music destination.”
“I’m honored, privileged and humbled for this opportunity to come home to the Chicago audience,” stated DreX. “I’d like to thank Entercom, Jimmy de Castro, Todd Cavanah, Erik Bradley and the entire B96 crew for welcoming me with open arms. I am very much looking forward to teaming up with my two new partners Nina and Gabe in America’s greatest city.”
“I’m so excited to join this rock star team at the legendary B96,” said Nina. “Todd and Erik bring so much heart and passion to everything they do and it’s contagious. A big thank you to them and Jimmy de Castro for bringing me on board. Alongside DreX and Gabe, I’m confident that we’re going to do some great things. I can’t wait to wake up with the beautiful people of Chicago.”
WBBM 96.3 FM (3.3 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
DreX previously worked in the Chicago market at WKSC-FM from 2002 to 2010. Prior to that, he worked mornings at KTFM in San Antonio and WHYT in Detroit. Nina most recently worked mornings at WBMP-FM in New York City and has also worked at KBKS and KJR-AM in Seattle and KZZO in Sacramento.
Shares of Amazon.com Inc fell 4 percent on Monday after President Donald Trump again attacked the online retailer over the pricing of its deliveries through the United States Postal Service and promised unspecified changes.
Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE, and this will be changed. Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country...not a level playing field!
Shares of the company were down 3.9 percent at $1,389.50, according to Reuters.
Trump has been vocal about its opposition to Amazon’s use of the postal service and Monday’s tweet adds to investor worries that the company could see more regulation.
Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
Details of Amazon’s payments to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) are not publicly known, but some Wall Street analysts have estimated it pays the postal service roughly half what it would to United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) or FedEx Corp (FDX.N) to deliver a package.
“President Trump’s comments are consistent with industry sources we have spoken to in the shipping industry, who often label Amazon’s deal with the USPS as a sweetheart deal,” DA Davidson analyst Tom Forte wrote in a note.
“An argument, however, could be made that the USPS was losing billions before it expanded its service offerings for Amazon and would, still, likely lose billions if Amazon discontinued its use of the USPS tomorrow,” Forte said.
Trump last Thursday accused Amazon of not paying enough tax, making the postal system lose money and putting small retailers out of business.
Cumulus Media announces the addition of New York City journalist and television personality Juliet Huddy to the new “Bernie & Sid In The Morning” talk show on 77 WABC Radio.
Juliet Huddy
Huddy joins Co-Hosts Bernie McGuirk and Sid Rosenberg on “Bernie & Sid In The Morning”, which debuts today on 77 WABC Radio and airs weekdays from 6am-10am. The program replaces the long-running “Imus In The Morning Show”, and features the colorful on-air cast’s passionate conversation about the biggest topics in New York and across the nation, with high-profile guests and interaction with great New York listeners.
Huddy is well known to New York listeners, having hosted Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” for four years. Huddy has also hosted several national programs on the Fox News Channel, including “Fox & Friends”, “Day Side” and her own nationally syndicated talk show ,“The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet”. She left the Fox News Channel in September 2016 to launch a music website, BlondeAndCrossbones.com, covering the hard rock and heavy metal music scenes.
Craig Schwalb, 77 WABC Program Director, said: “Juliet is a natural performer, and is equally comfortable talking entertainment and life as she is talking politics. Juliet is an amazing addition to the show and to 77 WABC.”
Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-New York, said: “Juliet is great on TV, but on the radio, listeners will get to hear so many different sides of her. She is the perfect personality to join Bernie and Sid.”
Juliet Huddy said: “This an exciting new direction for me that matches my wacky and provocative personality. I am so excited to torment Bernie and Sid everyday.”
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed news/talk anchor Pete Mundo as Assistant Program Director and On-Air Host, Mornings, for News TalkKCMO 710 AM / 103.7 FM in Kansas City, MO.
Mundo started his radio career at KWOX/KMZE in Woodward, OK, and was ultimately named news and sports director for the stations. He was Sports & News Director for Omni Media Group in Woodward, OK. His move from the Midwest to New York City in 2013 included opportunities with WCBS-AM, CBS Sports Radio and WFAN-AM/FM as a freelance anchor and host. During his time in NYC, he has consistently hosted national shows on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio Network to over 300 affiliates. Mundo holds a BBA degree from the Villanova University School of Business.
Donna Baker, Midwest Regional Vice President and Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Kansas City, said: “In our extensive national search for the right talent to connect with our loyal KCMO News Talk audience, Pete emerged as the clear choice. We are excited to welcome him back to the Midwest to lead 103.7-710 KCMO to a new level of success for our listeners and advertisers.”
KCMO 710 AM (10 Kw-D, 5 Kw-N DA2)
Doug Hamand, Vice President, Programming Operations, Cumulus Media, said: ““Pete will be a tremendous addition to News Talk 103.7–710 KCMO. His passion for local Kansas City news and his commitment to on-air excellence will make him an incredible asset to the Cumulus Media-Kansas City team.”
KCMO 94.9 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage
Mundo said: "I'm thrilled by the opportunity to return to the nation's heartland to host mornings on the legendary KCMO and to assume programming responsibilities as Assistant Program Director. Bringing a fresher perspective to news, political, sports and local topics and how they affect the Kansas City community on KCMO-Talk Radio 103.7/710 is something I'm very much looking forward to. Many thanks to Donna Baker and the entire KC Cumulus staff for welcoming me to this great team."
SiriusXM announced today that Trisha Yearwood, Grammy Award-winning country music star, has launchws her new weekly SiriusXM show, Trisha's Take Five as of today. It will air on Garth Brooks' exclusive SiriusXM channel, The Garth Channel.
Each week Trisha will handpick a new four-song theme and then invites listeners to choose the fifth track. The series will kick off with the premiere theme of "Auto-Pilot," with Trisha selecting songs including "Little Red Corvette" by Prince and "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman among her favorites.
"I'm so excited to share my favorite music with SiriusXM listeners, and I'm honored to host my own show on Garth's SiriusXM channel," said Trisha Yearwood. "I love The Garth Channel because it explores such diverse music. No artist is influenced by just one genre of music. But of all the great voices you'll hear on The Garth Channel, I'm most excited about including the voice of the listener on Trisha's Take 5."
"I have been lucky enough to be best friends with Trisha Yearwood for over 20 years now. I have found everything I have done gets better when Trisha is added. Her addition to SiriusXM is no exception. The Garth Channel just got better," said Garth Brooks.
Trisha's Take Five will air Mondays at 5:00 pm ET on The Garth Channel, SiriusXM channel 55 and through the SiriusXM app. The weekly show will rebroadcast on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm ET, Fridays at 9:00 am ET, Saturdays at 3:00 pm ET and Sundays at 8:00 pm ET.
Garth Brooks' exclusive SiriusXM channel, The Garth Channel, launched September 2016 with a special invitation-only concert for SiriusXM listeners at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
SiriusXM announced today that Irving Azoff, the renowned music dealmaker and talent manager to some of the biggest names in the record industry, will host a new show, Unmanageable, on SiriusXM's Volume channel.
On Unmanageable, Azoff, the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Azoff MSG Entertainment, will host conversations with some of the most influential people in the music business where they'll dive into music's past, present and future. From ticket prices to technology, artists' rights, concert safety and the current state of live and recorded music, Unmanageable will provide an in-depth look into the business of music. Unmanageable will debut on April 4 at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT on SiriusXM's Volume channel with special guests Jon Bon Jovi, Director Judd Apatow and CAA's Head of Music Rob Light.
"Irving Azoff is one of the most revered names in the music business and the possibility of doing an unscripted, free-form show with him for our subscribers was irresistible," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SiriusXM. "Unmanageable will be Irving being Irving—passionate, opinionated and questioning. Listeners will get a front-row seat as Irving and friends talk about music today, as it pertains to the industry and to the average fan and listener. This is a show that was made for our SiriusXM VOLUME channel, the only fulltime talk channel on radio devoted to talking—and arguing—about music."
"I agree with everything Scott said," commented Azoff. "I am a big fan of SiriusXM. Jon, Judd, Rob and I had a great time and the conversation was so natural that we forgot we were being recorded. We ended up with an unscripted conversation that delved into a lot of issues—I am sure listeners will enjoy this 'behind the curtain' show."
Unmanageable is the latest guest-curated program to be added to the Volume channel 106, home of talk-radio that is all about the world of music, and its fans. Azoff's new program, Unmanageable, will see new episodes debut throughout spring and summer.
SiriusXM subscribers can listen to Volume and Unmanageable on ch.106, and those with streaming access can listen online.
UPDATE 4/5/18 9:30 AM ... There's a new date in the legal saga between Bubba the Love Sponge and Nielsen Audio. After suddenly postponing Monday’s scheduled start of the courtroom proceedings, the two sides are being called in for a status conference on April 10. UPDATE 4/2/18 9:30AM...The trial has now been delayed and no start date has been announced.
Earlier Posting...
It's been a long-time coming, but the Nielsen vs. Todd 'Bubba The Love Sponge' Clem trial is scheduled to get underway today in U-S Middle District Court in Tampa.
The trial revolves around Nielsen's $1M ratings tampering case against Clem. Nielsen filed suit in October 2015 alleging fraud for tampering in the ratings process. The ratings service says Clem tried to manipulate ratings via a listener, who was in the PPM respondent pool in the Tampa market. At the time, his show aired on Beasley Media's WBRN 98.7 FM. It now airs on Genesis Communications WWBA 820 AM & on a translator at 98.3 FM.
Stakes are high for both sides. For Nielsen, its important that PPM rating results are unbiased and accurate. For Clem, a conviction of rating manipulation could not only cost him considerable damages, but potential advertisers could shy away from Clem's show because of questions concerning his ratings.
Both sides have made hefty accusations at one another in the buildup to the trial. Clem counter-sued Nielsen, and his legal team has implied that Nielsen has had incidents before in other markets, as well as problems with quality control.
Both Nielsen and Clem have filed motions last requesting certain evidence and testimony be excluded from the trial.
Several of Nielsen's motions have to do with quality control issues the company has faced outside the Tampa market that it insists are not relevant to Clem’s alleged ratings tampering activity—which the trial is set to focus on. Clem’s filings, meanwhile, aim to keep character issues of witnesses out of the courtroom, ironically, including Clem himself.
Clem's lawyers have asked the court to keep his previous “controversies and allegations of misconduct” from being presented, because they are “irrelevant and immaterial” and beyond the scope of the trial. His legal team worries that including his past legal matters could confuse the issues pertinent to this trial, mislead the jury, waste time and prejudice their client.
Among those expected to be called to testify are: Nicholas Tabachuk, the Nielsen panelist allegedly recryuted by Clem. Also: Randy Michaels, Brian Beasley (Beasley Media), Cox Market Manager Keith Lawless and WHPT Morning Man Mike Calta.
The Parkland, FL teen-led movement has reignited the nation’s gun debate, drawing stark partisan lines, as well as cries of manipulation from the right, who say Democrats have used the students as both shield and sword to advance tighter restrictions on firearms.
Enter the Motor City Madman, musician Ted Nugent, perhaps the National Rifle Association’s most outspoken board member, according to The Washington Post.
In a Friday interview mostly focused on González’s and Hogg’s criticism of the NRA, Nugent and radio host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo discussed how the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have navigated media appearances and their belief that the teenagers have been manipulated by left-wing ideologues.
“These poor children, I’m afraid to say, but the evidence is irrefutable. They have no soul,” Nugent told Pagliarulo on the radio show on WOAI 1200 AM in San Antonio, which is syndicated nationwide.
Nugent and Pagliarulo dissected González’s and Hogg’s interviews with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota five days after the shooting. “If they accept this blood money, they are against the children,” González said, speaking about politicians who accept donations from the NRA. “You’re either funding the killers, or you’re standing with the children.”
Nugent noted that no known NRA members have been involved in mass shootings, and he decried Camerota for not challenging González’s link between mass shootings and the NRA.
“The lies from these poor, mushy-brained children who have been fed lies and parrot lies,” Nugent said. “I really feel sorry for them. It’s not only ignorant, dangerous and stupid — it’s soulless. To attack the good, law-abiding families of America when well-known, predictable murderers commit these horrors is deep in the category of soulless.”
Defending the NRA, Nugent noted that the gun-rights group has provided firearms safety training and that it is sustained not by gun manufacturers but by “families, good families” in the organization.
Nugent, like many on the right, has been flustered by recent portrayals of firearms in the media and by the students, and been incensed when the semiautomatic AR-15 — what the NRA has called America’s favorite rifle — is described as a “weapon of war.” Semiautomatic rifles are not carried into combat, Nugent said on the program.
Pagliarulo said Nugent’s claims on his program were “verifiably true.” When asked by The Washington Post to clarify what he meant by that, he said in an email exchange: “Ted called them liars. That’s verifiably true. Unless, of course, you believe NRA members are ‘child murderers,’ or you’re either ‘with us or with the killers.’ ”
Former FBI special agent and current CNN law enforcement analyst Josh Campbell says constant attacks by Fox News prime time hosts against the FBI and other institutions is doing a disservice to their viewers. He made the comments on Reliable Sources Sunday on CNN.
CBS-TV’s long-running “60 Minutes” series scored its highest-ever ratings Sunday night with its interview of porn star Stormy Daniels who claims she had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump 12 years ago. But most voters don’t attach much importance to her claims now that Trump is president of the United States.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 54% of Likely U.S. Voters closely followed news reports about the Daniels interview, with 21% who followed those reports Very Closely. Forty-five percent (45%) didn’t pay close attention to the “60 Minutes” interview, including another 21% who didn’t follow news reports about it at all.
But only 39% attach any importance to the Daniels interview when it comes to their perceptions of the president and the job he is doing. Fifty-six percent (56%) don’t. This includes 17% who say the interview is Very Important to their perceptions of Trump and 34% who say it’s Not At All Important.
Perhaps in part that’s because a new high of 52% believe when most reporters write or talk about Trump, they are trying to block him from passing his agenda. By contrast, 48% said most reporters were trying to help President Obama pass his agenda in the second year of his presidency.
Nexstar Media Group Inc., which owns abc27, is refuting claims that the station and a manager discriminated against a Harrisburg-based news anchor and retaliated after she complained.
In an interview Friday morning with the Central PA Business Journal, a Nexstar executive said decisions affecting the anchor, Flora Posteraro, had nothing to do with her gender or an anonymous complaint filed in August with the company’s human resources department
"Her claims that this is retaliation are preposterous," said Theresa Underwood, a senior executive vice president and regional manager with Nexstar, which is based in Texas.
Like many companies, Nexstar typically does not comment on legal or HR matters, Underwood said. But she said the company wanted to defend itself and abc27’s general manager, Robert Bee, whose alleged actions are the subject of a complaint filed by Posteraro with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, or PHRC.
Chuck Curley
The company’s reaction did not surprise Posteraro’s attorney, Chuck Curley of the Conshohocken-based law firm Curley & Rothman LLC.
"Companies always say they do a thorough investigation and they always say they take it seriously," Curley said. "That’s just a cliche. The fact is, what happened to this woman in this short period of time, falling from where she fell, the only explanation we think holds any water is the fact that they were retaliating against her."
In her complaint with PHRC, filed March 22, Posteraro claims she was discriminated against on the basis of her gender and that the television station retaliated against her for complaining about Bee, who allegedly made derogatory remarks about women anchors after coming to abc27 in January 2017. He also is alleged to have based staffing decisions on gender.
Posteraro was offered the same pay, but she considered the change a demotion and complained to HR on Feb. 5, alleging it was an act of retaliation, according to the complaint to PHRC.
Legendary sports broadcaster Ned Reynolds was let go Friday from his morning sports-talk radio show "Sports Reporters" on KWTO JOCK 98.7.
Reynolds confirmed to the News-Leader Friday afternoon that he is no longer with Meyer Communications.
"It's part of life in our business," Reynolds said. "You accept these decisions for what they are."
Reynolds didn't elaborate.
Reynolds, 76, was in good spirits and said he'll continue to be on KY3 once a week in addition to broadcasting Springfield Cardinals games on TV.
His retirement in December 2014 as sports director of KY3 TV ended nearly 48-year run in which Reynolds not only won numerous awards and covered some of the Ozarks’ most memorable events.
During four decades, the Ozarks TV watchers would eat their weeknight dinners as Reynolds delivered the 6 o’clock sportscast and again at 10 p.m. Often, his opening line was, “Hey, Gang!” a terrific way to connect.
Reynolds dedicated his time to numerous charities and, in the late 1990s, volunteered to assist the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in producing video tributes for its annual enshrinement ceremonies, events that often draw 1,600.
Reynolds anchored morning sports talk radio on KWTO 98.7 FM beginning in 1982 and continued the “Sports Reporters” show that began in the late 1990s.
Sierra Automated Systems to present NAB Hall of Fame Inductee Elvis Duran with the first gold "Hall of Fame Edition" iSL console.
Sierra Automated Systems will honor NAB Hall of Fame inductee Elvis Duran at a special Press Event on the NAB Show floor on Monday, April 9 at 12:00pm (booth N6816 in North Hall). During the event SAS Owners Ed Fritz and Al Salci will personally present Duran with the first of its kind gold "Hall of Fame" edition iSL console prior to his induction into the NAB Hall of Fame that evening
SAS Vice President Al Salci stated, "In 2017, SAS celebrated its 30th anniversary by showcasing our history. In 2018, we look forward to celebrating Elvis Duran's many achievements and showcasing the next generation of SAS products. Elvis Duran is the personification of our mantra, Only The Best Use SAS!"
Duran recently celebrated his 25th anniversary at iHeartMedia's Z100 WHTZ New York. SAS is used extensively throughout iHeart's flagship facility that houses 6 broadcast stations, Premiere Networks operations, and iHeartRadio channels. SAS technology powers an Audio Distribution Network of over 10,000 channels and over 50 networked consoles.
Phil Ramone, the instinctive music producer whose mixing mastery for Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Paul Simon and Billy Joel helped fashion some of the most sumptuous and top-selling albums of his era, has died.
The 14-time Grammy winner and 33-time nominee once dubbed “The Pope of Pop” was hospitalized in late February with an aortic aneurysm in New York and died Saturday morning at New York Presbyterian Hospital, according to Ramone's son Matt.
A native of South Africa who at age 10 performed as a violinist for Queen Elizabeth II, Ramone spent years working as a songwriter, engineer and acoustics expert in New York before charting a path that would make him a trusted studio partner in the eyes (and ears) of the industry’s biggest stars.
Among the albums on which he worked were Streisand’s 1967 live A Happening in Central Park; Paul & Linda McCartney’s Ram (1971), sandwiched between the Beatles and Wings eras; Dylan’s aching Blood on the Tracks (1975); Simon’s pop classic Still Crazy After All These Years (1975); Joel’s critical and commercial breakthrough The Stranger (1977); Sinatra’s last-gasp Duets (1993), a model of technical wizardry; and Ray Charles’ final album, the mega-selling Genius Loves Company (2004).
Ramone served as a songwriter in New York’s famed Brill Building music factory and worked early on with Quincy Jones, Tom Dowd, Creed Taylor, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller and Burt Bacharach & Hal David, among others. In 1959, he launched the A&R Recording studios on Seventh Avenue in New York, where Blood on the Tracks and so many other classics were recorded.
In 1964, Ramone engineered the classic bossa nova album Getz/Gilberto, from American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist Joao Gilberto. It would become one of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time and earn him his first Grammy, for best engineered recording. It also won the album of the year Grammy.
➦In 1872…Portrait painter-turned-inventor Samuel Morse, who contributed to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system and was co-developer of the Morse code, died at the age of 80.
Gertrude Warner
➦In 1917...Radio actress Gertrude Warner was born in Hartford Conn. She was known as the third busiest radio actor and one of the ‘queens of the daytime’ during the OTR era. She played such well known characters as Della Street on the daytime Perry Mason, “the lovely Margot Lane” on The Shadow, and the title character on the soap Joyce Jordan, M.D. Her radio career spanned 28 years and well over 4,000 performances. She succumbed to cancer Sept. 26 1986 at age 69.
Jack Webb
➦In 1920...the creator & star of Dragnet Jack Webb was born in Santa Monica.
Before Dragnet hit the bigtime on NBC Radio in 1949 he had already scored two west coast cult hits with Pat Novak for Hire, & Johnny Madero Pier 23. Dragnet came to TV in ’51 while continuing on radio until ’56. Pete Kelly’s Blues, featuring the jazz he loved so much, was an unsuccessful Webb radio series in ’51, a moderate film success in ’55, and a so-so TV series in ’59. He scored one more TV hit, producing Emergency (1972-77.)
Webb died of a heart attack Dec 23, 1982 at age 62.
➦In 1947...The Big Story (dramas based on newspaper reporting) was first heard on NBC radio. It stayed on the air for eight years.
➦In 1964...As popular music’s most resounding commercial success, the Beatles have sold more than 2.3+ billion albums, while earning six diamond, 24 multi-platinum, 39 platinum and 45 gold albums in the United States alone. It is a remarkable sales record, by any measure, although their most historic, chart-making moment is easily the first week of April 1964, when the band held the top five positions on the vaunted Billboard charts, writes Kenneth Womack at Penn State University.
As the April 4, 1964, issue of Billboard magazine demonstrates, the Beatles were simply dominating the American music scene. And during that unforgettable week, their music occupied the top five chart positions — the only time in pop-music history that a single act has accomplished such a feat. With “Can’t Buy Me Love” holding down the top slot, “Twist and Shout” was second and “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please Please Me” rounded out the top five.
Even more incredibly, the Beatles held seven additional positions on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “I Saw Her Standing There” at No. 31, “From Me to You” at No. 41, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” at No. 46, “All My Loving” at No. 58, “You Can’t Do That” at No. 65, “Roll Over Beethoven” at No. 68 and “Thank You Girl” at No. 79. As if to underscore the awe-inspiring power of Beatlemania during that fabled period, two Beatles tribute acts clocked hits that very same week, including the Carefrees’ “We Love You Beatles” at No. 42 and the Four Preps’ “A Letter to the Beatles” at No. 85. For April 11, 1964, issue of Billboard, the Beatles added two more hits to the Hot 100, including “There’s a Place” at No. 74 and “Love Me Do” at No. 81, giving them a total of 14 hits songs on the Billboard charts at the very same time.
➦In 1973...the CBS Radio Network began to offer top of the hour newscast 24-hours-a-day.
During the 1970s and into the mid-1980s, the CBS Radio owned-and-operated news stations had a superior style and sound: tight and cohesive production, lively presenters, excellent engineering and outstanding "audio logos" from a company called Identitones. This compilation contains a few stagers and sounders from the heyday of the CBS Radio local news format.
In partnership with CBS Laboratories, CBS Radio developed a unique system to advise affiliates of news bulletins. When activated from network headquarters, CBS NetAlert transmitted coded information over the network lines to each station to communicate anything from the start of a special feed to a national emergency. The system had the capability to override local programming for a special report from CBS News. A NetAlert receiver is seen toward the end of this video.
➦In 1997...FCC auctioned first S-DARS licenses to CD Radio and American Mobile Radio Corp.
➦In 2010...Joey Reynolds does last show at WOR 710 AM.
➦In 2017…Country Music Disk Jockey Hall of Famer Warren "Rhubarb" Jones, a radio morning show fixture in Atlanta for 23 years (WYAY), died of a heart attack at 65.
