Radio History: April 12

 

➦In 1924...WLS-AM, Chicago signed-on.

After buying time on radio stations in the early days of broadcasting, Sears Roebuck & Co. in Chicago decided to start its own station.  Its first test broadcasts used the call sign WBBX and then WES (“World’s Economy Store”).  On April 12, 1924, the station became WLS (“World’s Largest Store”).

In its first month, WLS started its “National Barn Dance” program, a live country-music showcase that was the direct predecessor of the Grand Ole Opry.

A Chicago radio manufacturer signed on WENR Radio in 1925. The station entered a time-sharing agreement with WBCN Radio.  An investor bought both stations in 1927. He later sold the licenses to NBC.  The network kept WENR on the air.  It shared a frequency with WLS for decades.  One station would sign off and another would sign on.

Sears sold WLS to the “Prairie Farmer” magazine in 1928.  The radio station became an essential part of agriculture in the Midwest.  Farmers relied heavily on agricultural news, commodity prices and weather reports from WLS.

WENR-WLS boosted power to 50,000 watts in 1932, beaming its programming over much of the nation.  Despite its part-time status, the station built a large amount of goodwill and a huge audience.

In addition to farm programming, WLS offered entertainment and educational programs.  It also made history in news broadcasting. WLS reporter Herb Morrison famously said, “Oh the humanity!” as he watched the 1937 Hindenberg crash in Lakehurst, N.J.  The recorded account aired the next day over NBC.

The station also experimented successfully in many forms of news broadcasting, including weather and crop reports. Its most famous news broadcast was the report of the Hindenburg disaster by Herbert Morrison.

VISIT SCOTT CHILDERS' WLS TRIBUTE WEBSITE: Click Here

VISIT JEFF ROTEMAN'S WLS TRIBUTE WEBSITE: Click Here 

For about 15 years WLS shared it's frequency with WENR as part of the NBC Blue Network. In 1941 WLS changed frequency from 870 to 890 kilocycles with 50 kw of power. The transmitter site was in Chicago's south suburb of Crete, Illinois from 1924 to 1938. In 1938, they moved to it's current location in Tinley Park.

WLS was an NBC Blue Network affiliate during radio’s golden age.  NBC was forced to sell the Blue Network, which became ABC.  In 1954, ABC bought a controlling interest in WENR-WLS, combining the two into WLS.  The network bought WLS outright in 1959.

The ABC era brought a major change.  The staid, conservative WLS that brought Midwesterners a steady diet of farm reports, news and weather, general-interest music and entertainment and the “National Barn Dance” became a Top 40 station at 6 a.m. on May 2, 1960.   ABC created one of the nation’s most influential radio stations in the rock era, attracting millions of listeners each week.

Here’s a sample of a 1962 aircheck featuring Dick Biondi:

By the late 1980s, it was an adult contemporary station during the day and offered talk programming at night. WLS switched to its current full-time news/talk format in 1989.  Cumulus Media now owns the station.

Report: Nexstar Directive Threatens Network Relationships

• Nexstar Allegedly Replacing National Network Content with NewsNation Segments in Local Newscasts

A significant shift is reportedly underway at Nexstar Media Group, as the broadcast giant has allegedly begun directing its numero

us local television stations to incorporate segments from its own national news channel, NewsNation, into their local newscasts. According to Bloomberg, this directive would mean a departure from the long-standing practice of using national content provided by traditional network partners, such as NBC News.

The move suggests Nexstar, the largest owner of local television stations in the United States, is seeking to centralize and standardize the national news coverage presented across its vast network of local affiliates. 

Instead of featuring reports sourced directly from their affiliated networks like NBC, ABC, or CBS, stations would increasingly rely on material produced by NewsNation.

This potential strategy could have various implications, including greater control over national messaging by Nexstar and a more uniform national news presence across its local markets. It also raises questions about the future relationships between Nexstar's local stations and their traditional national network partners, as well as the diversity of national reporting available to local viewers. 

While NewsNation aims to offer unbiased national news, this shift could represent a deliberate effort by Nexstar to promote its own brand and content offerings.

Judge Extends Nexstar-Tegna TRO Another Week

A federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order until April 17 to pause the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger, a deal that would create the largest broadcast station group in the U.S. reaching 80% of American households.

The seven-day extension gives U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley time to rule on a preliminary injunction that could block the deal outright. The decision follows a Tuesday hearing in Sacramento regarding a consolidated federal antitrust lawsuit filed by DirecTV and a group of eight state attorneys general, led by California and New York.

While extending the pause, Nunley modified the terms of the order after Nexstar and Tegna warned that full compliance would cause "immediate operational harm."

The plaintiffs seeking to block the merger allege that the proposed combination would "irreparably drive up consumer costs, reduce local competition, shutter local newsrooms and increase both frequency and duration of blackouts" for network programming and local sports.

The ongoing legal battle follows a rapid sequence of events last month, when the Nexstar-Tegna merger was approved by the FCC and DOJ, formally closed minutes later, and then immediately paused by Nunley's original March 27 restraining order.

YouTube Increasing Subscription Prices

YouTube is raising its subscription prices in the United States by up to $4 per month, with the changes taking effect starting in the next billing cycle. The standard individual YouTube Premium plan increases from $13.99 to $15.99 a month, while the family plan sees a $4 jump to $26.99 a month.

Other subscription tiers are also affected by the price hike. The standalone YouTube Music Premium will increase by $1 to $11.99 a month, and the lower-cost YouTube Lite tier—which offers ad-free viewing for most videos but excludes Music Premium—will now cost $8.99.

A YouTube spokesperson stated that the increases are necessary to maintain the features members value most, such as ad-free viewing, background play, and access to more than 300 million tracks on YouTube Music.

This marks the Alphabet-owned platform's first U.S. price increase in three years for YouTube Premium, which originally debuted in 2018. The move follows a broader industry trend, as streaming competitors like Spotify, Netflix, and Disney+ have also recently raised rates to offset higher content and operational costs.

Globally, YouTube reported last year that its combined YouTube Music and Premium services had surpassed 125 million subscribers.

Nielsen Claims Cumulus' Financial Distress Not Its Fault

Cumulus Media has attributed its recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, in part, to Nielsen Ratings' policy of linking national and local ratings sales, calling it a "significant contributing cause." However, Nielsen is challenging this claim in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, arguing that both district court findings and Cumulus's own executives contradict the allegation.

Nielsen points to previous statements from Cumulus's bankruptcy filings, which cited "industry decline, macroeconomic pressure, elevated interest expense, and looming maturities" as reasons for its financial distress, with Nielsen's conduct only "exacerbating" the situation. Nielsen suggests this undermines Cumulus's narrative of irreparable harm, reframing the dispute as a "standard commercial disagreement over pricing" or an "ordinary overcharge claim." Nielsen states that if Cumulus ultimately proves antitrust violations, it can recover damages later.

Cumulus is seeking to uphold a preliminary injunction issued in January by U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas. The injunction was granted after Cumulus showed a likelihood of success on its claims and that it would suffer irreparable harm without it, preventing Nielsen from enforcing its tying policy through excessive pricing.

The Cumulus-Nielsen anti-trust case is now paused due to Cumulus’ bankruptcy.

Veteran Play-By-Play Announcer Leaving ESPN

Mark Jones

Mark Jones is leaving ESPN after more than 30 years, sources told The Athletic. His final ESPN assignment is Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, when the Boston Celtics face the Orlando Magic.

ESPN thanked Jones in a statement, noting his enduring impact on the network’s NBA and college football coverage since 1990, but did not formally confirm the departure. Jones, 64, is not expected to retire; his next steps remain unclear.

A longtime play-by-play announcer, Jones was once ESPN’s No. 2 NBA play-by-play voice and filled in for Mike Breen for two Finals games in 2022 when Breen tested positive for COVID. In recent years he moved down the NBA depth chart behind Breen, Dave Pasch and Ryan Ruocco.

Jones has also been a regular on ESPN’s college football broadcasts, including Pac-12 late-night windows, and has contributed to studio coverage for the Finals, Draft Lottery, All-Star Game and other marquee events. A Toronto native, he has called local games for the Sacramento Kings, though most of his career has been with ESPN/ABC.

Green Bay Radio: Morning Show Host's TRO Hearing In May

The departure this week of Otis Day (Richard Dey) from WKSZ 95.9 KISS-FM comes two weeks after competing WIXX morning host Natalie Jansen filed a 109-page petition seeking a temporary restraining order against him alleging online bullying and harassment.

Jansen’s March 23 petition in Brown County identifies Dey as Otis Day and asks the court to bar him from harassing or contacting her (in person, by phone, in writing, electronically or through third parties), to stay away from her home or temporary locations, and to refrain from posting about her or her child. The petition also seeks a four-year injunction with the same restrictions.

The filing also targets Emily Chagnon of Marion, alleging she created a fake social media account (“Sally Gibson”) and a page called “Tiw’s Day Hollaback XXIW” that posted Jansen’s previous addresses, more than 50 photos of Jansen’s minor child, personal information about the child’s father, and repeated defamatory statements. Jansen says a Sept. 7, 2025 post included a surreptitious photo of her at a work event and suggested she had been followed; she reported that incident to law enforcement.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports Jansen' petition says she has never met Day and asks the court to issue a temporary restraining order requiring him to do the following: 

• Cease or avoid harassing Jansen. 
• Avoid Jansen’s residence and/or any premises she temporarily occupies. 
• Avoid contact that harasses or intimidates Jansen, including contact at her home, work school, public places, in person, by phone, in writing, by electronic communication or device, or in any other matter. 
• Avoid contacting Jansen or causing anyone besides an attorney or law enforcement officer to contact Jansen 
• Not post online or on-air content about Jansen or her child. 

Natalie Jansen

The petition also asks the court to issue an injunction with the same stipulations for four years. 

On the same day, Jansen also filed a restraining order petition against Emily Chagnon of Marion. In that petition, Jansen alleges Chagnon, whom Jansen says she also never met or spoke to, created and operated a fake social media account targeting Jansen.

Jansen alleges the harassment forced her to change daily routines, avoid public events and decline professional opportunities for safety reasons. She says investigators uncovered communications between Chagnon and Day in which Day allegedly was informed of and supported posts targeting Jansen.

WKSZ gave no specific reason for Day’s departure. Injunction hearings in both restraining order cases are scheduled for May 22.

Fox News Sending Morning Show On The Road In TV

Fox News' "Fox & Friends" is embarking on a cross-country RV tour to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The morning show will make six stops from Texas to New Jersey, broadcasting live from local restaurants and bars, and will culminate in a giveaway of the custom-outfitted RV.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the tour kicks off on April 24 in Houston, Texas, at Armadillo Place. Additional stops include The Bid Biscuit in Lenexa, Kansas (May 6); Fudpuckers in Destin, Florida (May 15); Tortuga Jacks in Jekyll Island, Georgia (May 28); Lulus in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (June 5); and Duffer’s Restaurant and Homemade Ice Cream Parlor in Wildwood, New Jersey (June 12).

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt highlighted the American tradition of a road trip, while Steve Doocy mentioned his "inner Clark Griswold" was triggered by the RV. The channel, along with sponsors America 250 and Camping World, will give away the "Freedom Traveler" RV live on the show on July 3, with Fox News covering the winner's tax bill.

R.I.P.: Walter Reeves, Longtime WSB Radio Personality

Walter Reeves (1952-2026)

Walter Reeves, the beloved Atlanta radio personality and longtime host of WSB’s “The Lawn and Garden Show with Walter Reeves,” died Friday morning at the age of 74 following a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

A staple of weekend mornings in metro Atlanta, Reeves hosted the highly popular Saturday gardening program for 26 years before his retirement in 2020. During his lengthy broadcasting career, his show consistently ranked as one of the most listened-to weekend radio programs in the region. He was revered by local listeners for his practical, localized advice—such as guiding gardeners through the impacts of late freezes on Georgia's famous peach trees.

Reflecting on his expansive career prior to his retirement, Reeves expressed deep gratitude for his time on the airwaves. “I’ve had a wonderful time being on radio,” Reeves said. “It’s been a great opportunity. I appreciate WSB of course for letting me do this opportunity. It’s been a lot of fun.”

He began his media career at WGST-AM radio from 1986 to 1993 before moving to the larger footprint of WSB, where he remained until 2020. 

Reeves was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016 and by 2020 felt it was time to step away from the airwaves.

Reeves's significant contributions to local broadcasting and agricultural journalism were formally recognized in 2018 when he was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. The organization honored his legacy and decades of service to the community with a dedicated video presentation celebrating his career.

Radio History: April 11

➦In 1904...Actor Paul McGrath born in Chicago (Died  at age 74 – 13 April 1978). He was a film, TV, Broadway, and radio actor best known for his radio appearances in the 1940s and 1950s. McGrath was a regular on the soap operas Big Sister and Young Doctor Malone. He also played the host on Inner Sanctum Mystery.  On TV he had recurring roles on The Edge of Night & Guiding Light.

➦In 1907...Paul Douglas Fleischer born (Died from a heart attack at age 52 − September 11, 1959).  He worked originally as an announcer for CBS radio station WCAU in Philadelphia, relocating to network headquarters in New York in 1934.

Douglas co-hosted CBS's popular swing music program, The Saturday Night Swing Club, from 1936 to 1939.

He also appeared on the CBS network broadcast of the 1937 World Series between the New York Giants and New York Yankees alongside France Laux and Bill Dyer.

Paul Douglas

He made his Broadway debut in 1936 as the Radio Announcer in Doty Hobart and Tom McKnight's Double Dummy at the John Golden Theatre.  Douglas began appearing in films in 1949. He may be best remembered for two baseball comedy movies, It Happens Every Spring (1949) and Angels in the Outfield (1951).

Douglas was host of the 22nd annual Academy Awards in March 1950. Continuing in radio, he was the announcer for The Ed Wynn Show, and the first host of NBC Radio's The Horn & Hardart Children's Hour. In April 1959 Douglas appeared on The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show as Lucy Ricardo's television morning show co-host in the episode "Lucy Wants a Career".

In 1955 he appeared in the play "The Caine Mutiny" but his union placed him on probation for allegedly saying, "The South stinks. It's a land of sowbelly and segregation," which offended southern audiences. Douglas claimed that he was misquoted.

Douglas was originally cast in the 1960 episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Mighty Casey", a role written for him by Rod Serling based on his character in Angels in the Outfield. Douglas died the day after production of the episode had been completed. He had been in his last stages of illness during filming, and his severe physical state was apparent on film. (The crew incorrectly assumed that his condition was the result of heavy drinking.) The episode – which was a comedy – was deemed un-airable. It was, however, resurrected some months later, and Douglas's scenes were re-shot with Jack Warden.

➦In 1912...John Larkin born (Died from a heart attack at age 52 — January 29, 1965). He was an actor whose nearly 30-year career was capped by his 1950s portrayal of two fictional criminal attorneys — Perry Mason on radio and Mike Karr on television daytime drama The Edge of Night.

John Larkin

After having acted in an estimated 7,500 dramatic shows on radio, he devoted his final decade to television and, from April 1962 to January 1965, was a key member of the supporting cast in two prime-time series and made at least twenty major guest-starring appearances in many of the top drama series of the period.

Larkin developed a distinctively resonant voice perfectly suited to radio, the prime entertainment venue in American homes during the Depression 1930s. By the latter part of the decade, when he was in his mid-twenties, Larkin had worked for a number of stations, including KCKN and WHB in the Kansas City, later, in Chicago, where he became known for versatility in performing announcing and hosting duties in addition to acting in front of the microphone for numerous scripted shows, including Vic and Sade, one of network radio's most popular programs of the 1930s, and the one for which he received his first major credit as a radio actor.

Following military service in World War II, he became one of the radio's top dramatic voices. He was offered, in 1947, the title role in CBS Radio Network's three-and-a-half-year-old afternoon crime serial, Perry Mason which, as was the case with all radio daytime dramas, consisted of an 11-minute script, broadcast Monday through Friday in a 15-minute time slot, including commercials, promos and credits.

Larkin's familiar authoritative voice had soon come to symbolize the Perry Mason radio persona and he remained with the role for eight-and-a-half years until the program's conclusion in December 1955.

➦In 1921...KDKA in Pittsburgh made history by broadcasting the first live sporting event on radio. The event was a boxing match between lightweights Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee, called by Pittsburgh Daily Post sports editor Florent Gibson. The broadcast marked a significant milestone as it demonstrated radio's potential to deliver real-time entertainment and news to a wide audience. Johnny Ray won the 10-round fight, and the event paved the way for future sports broadcasts, showcasing radio’s ability to bring live action into homes with vivid detail, including the sounds of the crowd and the clang of the gong.

➦In 1924...the retailer Sears ended three days of  test transmissions using the call sign WES (for "World's Economy Store"). Sears originally operated its station at the company's corporate headquarters on Chicago's West Side, which is also where the company's mail order business was located. On April 12, 1924, the station commenced officially, using the call letters WLS (for "World's Largest Store"). On April 19, the station aired its first National Barn Dance. The station shared time on the frequency with WCBD until November 11, 1928, at which point it began sharing time with WENR.