Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Disney Gets Strong Endorsement From Proxy Advisor


Walt Disney on Monday received a critical endorsement from a proxy advisory firm when Glass Lewis urged shareholders to re-elect all of the company's directors in one of the season's most hotly contested boardroom battles.

Reuters reports the recommendation, which can sway how investors vote in critical elections, dealt a blow to Trian Fund Management and Blackwells Capital as the two hedge funds argue Disney needs new blood in the boardroom to reinvigorate the entertainment giant.

Glass Lewis said the company's most recent financial quarter serves as a "promising indication of Disney's strengthening prospects" under CEO Bob Iger. The company is making strides to turn its streaming business profitable and making changes at the film studio -- including parting ways with the president of the motion picture studio -- as well as plans for a $60 billion investment in parks over the next decade, the report said.

Disney's Bob Iger
\Even last year when Disney's stock price dropped, Glass Lewis said the company did not sit "idle." It hired a new chief financial officer, rationalized portions of its portfolio, refreshed portions of its creative staff and appointed new board members.

"We believe investors would be best served endorsing the incumbent directors at this time," the Glass Lewis report, seen by Reuters, said.

Trian has argued that Disney was slow to adapt to changes in streaming and bungled succession planning, creating a "leadership void" and has lost its creative spark. The mistakes have caused Disney's stock to underperform the S&P 500. Blackwells Capital, which has been more supportive of Iger's strategy, is calling for the company to spin off its parks and hotel assets and harness technology better.

Disney "pulls no punches" as it makes the case for its turnaround, including rejecting the candidates nominated by Trian and Blackwells, Glass Lewis wrote.

The advisory firm said recent gains at Disney "do not entirely paper over the less favorable aspects of Disney's, and Iger's, legacy performance", and added "we do recognize there exists a notional thesis for shareholder intervention."

But it appears Disney's initiatives are gaining traction, Glass Lewis wrote.

Bay Area Radio: Renel Brooks-Moon Exits As MLB Giants PA Voice

Renel Brooks-Moon

After a 24-season run as the Giants' PA announcer, legendary radio personality Renel Brooks-Moon announced Monday she will no longer be the voice of the Giants at Oracle Park.

Those who were listening to Bay Area radio back in the 1980s and 1990s remember Giants PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon simply as “Renel,” from her KMEL Morning Zoo era, and then her “Renel in the Mornings” duty at KISS-FM. But she went by the full name Renel Brooks-Moon when talking over PA announcing duties for your San Francisco Giants in 2000 when they moved to what we now call Oracle Park, and she’s remained in that role for the 24 years since.

That run has now ended. SFist.com reports She is parting ways with the Giants, in what seems like an amicable, albeit surprising separation.

“As a Bay Area native, it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve on the mike and in the community for the Giants for 24 years,” Brooks-Moon said in a statement released Monday. “My very first game on April 11, 2000, I shall never forget, because the job has always been bigger than me. Representation matters, and it is my great hope that my time in the booth has inspired little girls, young women and people of color to pursue their dreams even if those dreams seem impossible, because impossible dreams can come true.”

And while it does sound like Brooks-Moon is splitting with the Giants on friendly terms, it seems like there was some sort of contract dispute here. The Bay Area News Group reports that her Giants contract ended this past December, and the press release announcing her departure said the two sides had “extensive discussions” about extending her contract, but “mutually and amicably” agreed to part ways.

VA Beach Radio: Audacy Oceanfront Concerts Return April 26-28


The Audacy Oceanfront Concerts will return to Virginia Beach April 26-28, 2024. At Neptune’s Park and on the Boardwalk, attendees can anticipate three days of music from Juicy J, NLE Choppa, Tee Grizzley, Skilla Baby, 310babii, Shordie Shordie and more to be announced, as well as live DJs, delicious food and beverage offerings, and fun beachfront activations.

“We are thrilled to put music and toes back in the sand for a weekend full of great entertainment,” said Bennett Zier, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Virginia. “Our local audience and visiting guests to the area want more live entertainment, and we’re honored to provide it for them. Stay tuned for additional performers and announcements in the upcoming weeks.”

Tickets for Audacy Oceanfront Concerts go on sale this week. 

📻Listen to Z104, 106.5 The Beat, 95.7 R&B, Q94, Sportsradio 910 The Fan, Mix 98.1, Big 98.5, Alt 102.1, 94.9 The Point and Newsradio WRVA for details. For more information, click here.

N-H Radio: Binnie Station Radiothon Raises $455K+


Binnie Media recently held their 19th annual Cares for Kids Radiothon on 107.5 Frank FM and 99.9 The Wolf (as well as Rockland affiliates 106.9 Frank FM and 105.5 The Wolf).

The Frank/Wolf Cares for Kids Radiothon ran March 14th through 16th and featured 35 hours of live programming to help raise funds for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. BBCH is Maine’s only full-service children’s hospital and provides critical care for children and families in all of Maine’s sixteen counties.

Frank and Wolf personalities interviewed past and present patients and their families and shared stories from doctors, nurses, child life professionals, and other important people that contribute to BBCH’s daily mission.

This year’s donation total for Binnie Media’s Radiothon was $455,226, which will go a long way to continue to fund treatment, research and needed supplies for this critical resource to keep Maine kids healthy.

Pictured left to right: Executive Vice President Programming Heath Cole, Wolf Program Director/Director of Country Programming Chris Clare, Wolf Morning Show Personalities Andy Austin and Michelle Taylor, The Wolf’s Amy Ryan, Frank Program Director/Director of Programming Frank Brands Leif Erikson, Frank Morning Show Personality Holly Nunan, Stella Mars, Operations Director Maine, and in the very front Kenzie Dickinson, 2024 Children’s Miracle Network Champion for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

Radio History: March 19


➦In 1890...radio & film actor/announcer/host/narrator Gayne Whitman was born in Chicago.  He appeared in 213 films, while in OTR radio, he played the title role in Chandu the Magician, was a key anouncer for Dupont on NBC’s prestige series Cavalcade of America, and hosted or narrated several lesser known series. He died Aug. 31 1958 at age 68.

➦In 1912...Russ Case born in Hamburg, Iowa (Died – October 10, 1964).  He was a trumpeter and bandleader who led jazz and light music orchestras.

His professional career began when he was hired at WOC-AM in Davenport, Iowa to arrange and play trumpet with local bands on broadcasts. He worked with Frankie Trumbauer in Chicago and Paul Whiteman in New York City, then was hired by NBC to arrange for radio and television. He led orchestras which accompanied broadcasts of singers such as Eddy Arnold and Julius LaRosa, but became best known for directing ensembles behind Perry Como, including on his hit single "Till the End of Time".

Case lent his name to dozens of light orchestral albums which were released in the 1950s, and arranged for The Jackie Gleason Show in the 1960s. He also served as conductor for cast recordings of musicals such as Finian's Rainbow, The King and I, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, and Oklahoma!

➦In 1928...Radio performer Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll departed WGN radio in Chicago to head across town to WMAQ radio.

Gosden and Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. Both men had some scattered experience in radio, but it was not until 1925 that the two appeared on Chicago's WQJ.  Their appearances soon led to a regular schedule on another Chicago radio station, WEBH, where their only compensation was a free meal. The pair hoped that the radio exposure would lead to stage work; they were able to sell some of their scripts to local bandleader Paul Ash, which led to jobs at the Chicago Tribune's station WGN in 1925. This lucrative offer enabled them to become full-time broadcasters. The Victor Talking Machine Company also offered them a recording contract.

Since the Tribune syndicated Sidney Smith's popular comic strip The Gumps, which had successfully introduced the concept of daily continuity, WGN executive Ben McCanna thought a serialized version would work on radio. He suggested that Gosden and Correll adapt The Gumps for radio. The idea seemed to involve more risk than either Gosden or Correll was willing to take; neither was adept at imitating female voices, which would have been necessary for The Gumps. They were also conscious of having made names for themselves with their previous act. By playing the roles of characters using dialect, they would be able to conceal their identities enough to be able to return to their old pattern of entertaining if the radio show was a failure.

Instead, they proposed a series about "a couple of colored characters", which, nevertheless, borrowed certain elements from The Gumps. Their new show, Sam 'n' Henry, began on January 12, 1926, and fascinated radio listeners throughout the Midwest.  It became so popular that in 1927 Gosden and Correll requested that it be distributed to other stations on phonograph records in a "chainless chain" concept that would have been the first radio syndication. When WGN rejected the proposal, Gosden and Correll quit the show and the station; their last musical program for WGN was announced in the Chicago Daily Tribune on January 29, 1928. Correll's and Gosden's characters contractually belonged to WGN, so the pair was unable to use the character names when performing in personal appearances after leaving the station.

WMAQ, the Chicago Daily News station, hired Gosden and Correll and their former WGN announcer, Bill Hay, to create a series similar to Sam 'n' Henry. It offered higher salaries than WGN as well as the right to pursue the syndication idea. The creators later said that they named the characters Amos and Andy after hearing two elderly African-Americans greet each other by those names in a Chicago elevator. Amos 'n' Andy began on March 19, 1928 on WMAQ, and prior to airing each program, Gosden and Correll recorded their show on 78-rpm discs at Marsh Laboratories, operated by electrical recording pioneer Orlando R. Marsh.   Early 1930s broadcasts of the show originated from the El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.

For the program's entire run as a nightly series in its first decade, Gosden and Correll provided over 170 male voice characterizations. With the episodic drama and suspense heightened by cliffhanger endings, Amos 'n' Andy reached an ever-expanding radio audience. It was the first radio program to be distributed by syndication in the United States, and by the end of the syndicated run in August 1929, at least 70 other stations carried recorded episodes.

➦In 1965...Sportscaster John Charles "Jack" Quinlan died at age 38 in a car accident in Scottsdale, AZ (Born - January 23, 1927, Peoria, Illinois).  

He was best known for covering the Chicago Cubs first on WIND 560 AM 1955-56, then on WGN 720 AM from 1957 to 1964, his broadcast partner was Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau 1957 to April 1960, 1961 to 1964 and Cubs legend Charlie Grimm April 1960 to October 1960.

Quinlan was killed in an auto accident after leaving a golf outing during spring training of 1965. He was an avid golfer, and a charity golf tournament in his name has been held in the Chicago area ever since.

➦In 1984....KSD-AM (now KTRS) in St Louis MO changed call letters to KUSA. The change came under Gannett ownership. After a short-lived all-news format, on which Gannett pulled the plug just as KSD was beginning to build an audience, KSD went to country and adopted the call letters KUSA. The call letters were restored by EZ Communications when it bought KSD-AM/FM in 1993. The call letters were switched back to KSD on October 4, 1993.

Unfortunately, the station lost the call letters again when it was sold to the Dorsey Media Group of St. Louis. EZ’s successor, American Radio Systems, retained the KSD call letters for use on KSD-FM.

➦In 1987...Radio writer Arch Oboler died at age 77.  He was best known for the series "Lights Out".

Oboler entered radio because he believed it had great unrealized potential for telling stories with ideas. He thought that the medium was being wasted on soap operas.

In 1933, he wrote a spec script called Futuristics, which satirized the world of the present in light of the future. NBC bought Oboler's script and broadcast it as part of a dedicatory program to NBC's new futuristic headquarters in New York City, Radio City. The broadcast was a success, but it set the stage for Oboler's future run-ins with broadcasters. In the play, one of Oboler's characters lampoons the slogan of American Tobacco. At that time in broadcasting history, making fun of commercials was still taboo.

➦In 2003...Harry Harrison aired his last show at WCBS 101.1 FM in NYC.

In 1953, Harrison worked at WCFL as a summer replacement, yet remained there eight months, substituting for the permanent DJs.  Harrison became program director at WPEO, Peoria in 1954 and hosted the morning show as the "Morning Mayor of Peoria." In just six months, Harrison made WPEO the top station.

In 1959, Harrison joined WMCA, New York, as the mid-day "Good Guy." Joe O'Brien (mornings) and Harrison gave WMCA a "one-two punch" for over eight years.  Other WMCA "Good Guys" included Jack Spector, B. Mitchel Reed, Dan Daniel and Johnny Dark, and talk show host Barry Gray. Harrison became popular with his "Housewife Hall of Fame” feature.

Often, he scored the highest ratings on WMCA. WABC program director Rick Sklar took note.   In 1968, when WABC morning man Herb Oscar Anderson left the station, Rick Sklar hired Harrison to replace him.

Every year, Harrison played seasonal songs, such as his holiday greeting "May You Always” in the winter (the Amy records single of this song made the Billboard Christmas charts in 1965), and Allan Sherman's summer camp novelty, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", throughout the summer months.

WABC personalities included, along with Harrison, Charlie Greer, Scott Muni, Bob Lewis, Lundy, Johnny Donovan, Dan Ingram, "Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow, Chuck Leonard, Bob Cruz, Frank Kingston Smith, and Roby Yonge, and others.

Harrison had a number of "trademark" phrases, such as "Morning, Mom", "Every brand new day should be opened like a precious gift", "Stay well, stay happy, stay right here" and "Harry Harrison wishing you the best... because that's exactly what you deserve!”

Harrison was let go from WABC as the station changed direction in November 1979.

In March 1980, Harrison became the morning personality at WCBS 101.1 FM, playing oldies. In 1984, with Ron Lundy joining the station, they were once again heard back-to-back. Harrison would interact with Morning Crew engineer Al Vertucci, Phil Pepe, who reported sports, and joke about "wacky weather" and toupee warnings with Irv “Mr. “G” Gikofsky (weather), Mary Jane Royce, and Sue Evans.

On April 25, 1997 New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued a proclamation, naming April 25 "Harry Harrison Day" in honor of the second "Mayor."

On March 19, 2003, after a 44-year career in New York radio, Harrison left WCBS-FM, saying "I am not retiring." His farewell to his loyal radio friends (from 5:30 to 10:00am) was held before a live audience at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. It offered old airchecks plus guest appearances by WCBS-FM colleagues Don K. Reed, Bobby Jay, Steve O'Brien, Randy Davis and Dan Taylor, his replacement, as well as his son and daughter, Patti. Harrison took phone calls from Bob Shannon, Mike Fitzgerald, Ed Baer, and Ron Lundy.

Shortly after he left WCBS-FM, Harrison's long-time wife, Patti, who he had always referred to as "Pretty Patti" on the air, died.

Harrison returned to WCBS-FM with a Saturday morning show in 2004. It offered two hours of variety and two hours of Beatles music and memories.

On Memorial Day, May 30, 2005, Harry and "Cousin" Bruce Morrow were guests on WABC Radio’s annual Rewound show. Four days later, on June 3, WCBS-FM ended its "oldies" format, in favor of the new "Jack" format.  However, as a result of listener disapproval, the WCBS-FM Oldies format was brought back on July 12, 2007, in a 'Classic Hits' modernized form.

Harry Harrison was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2019 and died January 28, 2020.

1996
➦In 2004...Radio personality Tom Rivers died of bronchial asthma at age 38. Rivers worked at WQYK-FM, Tampa and WUSN-FM, Chicago. (Note: not to be confused with the CHUM personality Tom Rivers.) Listeners of WQYK-FM 99.5 loved his amiable, conversational patter during morning drive time.

Rivers was a veteran of 17 years in country radio, most of it spent at WQYK-FM Tampa, Fla., where he served, at various times, as PD, morning host and VP/GM. His career also included a stint as PD/morning host at WMZQ Washington, D.C.

The industry heaped awards on him, including the rare double honor as top personality of the year in both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

2004
Country stars such as Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and Mary Chapin Carpenter - whose rise to prominence in the early 1990s paralleled Mr. Rivers' own meteoric ascent in country radio - counted him as a genuine friend.

Rivers died after going to sleep March 19 in Chicago, where he worked the last year of his life as operations manager at WUSN-FM. According to his mother, The cause of death was bronchial asthma, a chronic condition he battled much of his life.

He started working the 7 p.m. to midnight shift at Tampa's WQYK-FM . By 1990, at just 24, he had moved up to program director, launching WQYK's era of ratings dominance and eventual recognition by the CMA as the nation's top country station.

➦In 2005...Morris Blum died from cancer at age 95. Blum started WANN-AM in 1947 in Annapolis, Maryland and pioneered the idea of black programming, playing gospel and rhythm and blues.

Morris Blum
Blum served in the merchant marine as a radio operator aboard a tanker and later in radio intelligence for the FCC during WWII, according to his son.

"When my father returned home, he witnessed a lot of racism and recognized the barriers many in the Annapolis community faced. He loved nothing more than having guests in the air studio who had never spoken their mind freely before. This was an amazing thing for African-Americans, too."

Carl Snowden, a civil rights activist and former Annapolis City councilman, told the Baltimore Sun that Blum "spent the better part of his life fighting against bigotry. He averted a catastrophe in Annapolis at the time of Dr. Martin Luther King's death in 1968. He opened the station and allowed the African-American community to come of the radio and voice its concern. There were uplifting comments that allayed fear here."

➦In 2006...William Charles Beutel died at age 75  (Born - December 12, 1930). He was a radio, television reporter, journalist and anchor. He was best known for working over four decades with the American Broadcasting Company, spending much of that time anchoring newscasts for WABC-TV in New York City. He also was an ABC radio network newscaster before ABC Radio's split into 4 networks on January 1, 1968. After the split he reported on the American Contemporary Network as did his Eyewitness partner Roger Grimsby. 

After a stint in the Army, Beutel graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and then studied law at the University of Michigan Law School, though he left Michigan without obtaining his law degree. While Beutel was in law school, he wrote Edward R. Murrow a letter saying, "I very much wanted to be a radio journalist." Beutel received a letter back advising him to go to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. His first radio job was in Cleveland before moving to CBS Radio in New York City in 1957.

➦In 2012…Entertainment journalist and one-time radio personality Norman Mark died of multiple myeloma at the age of 72.

To many Chicagoans, Mark may have been best known for his work for more than a decade as WMAQ-Ch. 5's entertainment reporter and film critic. But Mr. Mark also had worked for 13 years as a writer and TV critic at the Chicago Daily News, hosted radio shows on WIND-AM and WAIT-AM during the late '70s and '80s, wrote both fiction and nonfiction books, and contributed freelance articles to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ursala Andress is 88
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
  • Actor Renee Taylor (“The Nanny”) is 91. 
  • Actor Ursula Andress (“Dr. No,” ″Casino Royale”) is 88. 
  • Singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry is 87. 
  • Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 78. 
  • Actor Glenn Close is 77. 
  • Actor Bruce Willis is 69. 
  • Actor Mary Scheer (“iCarly,” ″MadTV”) is 61. 
  • Actor Connor Trinneer (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 55. 
  • Guitarist-keyboardist Gert Bettens of K’s Choice is 54. 
  • Rapper Bun B of UGK is 51. 
  • Drummer Zach Lind of Jimmy Eat World is 48. 
  • Actor Virginia Williams (“Fuller House”) is 46. 
  • Actor Abby Brammell (“The Unit”) is 45. 
  • Actor Craig Lamar Traylor (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 35. 
  • Actor Philip Bolden (“Are We There Yet?”) is 29.
✞REMEMBRANCES
  • In 2007..Luther Ingram, Soul singer and songwriter (b. 1937)
  • In 2013..Bud Palmer, Basketball player (NY Knicks) and sportscaster, dies at 91
  • In 2017.. Jimmy Breslin, Author and columnist (NY Post, News, Newsday), dies at 88

Monday, March 18, 2024

Audacy Facing Divestitures In Kansas City and Greenville-Spartanburg


As Audacy seeks approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the broadcaster faces the need to divest at least one station. 

Due to the restructuring, Audacy will lose its grandfathered status in the market, necessitating the cut of one FM station in its Greenville-Spartanburg portfolio to meet regulatory standards. Currently, Audacy holds seven stations in the market, of which five are FMs—one over the legal limit. The station being cut loose has already been decided: Magic 106.3 (WSPA). Formerly under the WYRD-FM call letters, this station has been with Audacy since 1999 following Entercom’s acquisition of 41 stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group. 

With the FCC’s blessing, WSPA will be moved to “The Greenville Divestiture Trust,” managed by media brokerage firm Kalil & Co.’s Kalil Holding Group LLC. The initial transfer will cost Audacy $10,000, with an ongoing $1,000 monthly fee to Kalil & Co. until WSPA finds a new owner.

Meanwhile, Audacy faces challenges in deciding which station to let go of in Kansas City. 

The organization currently operates nine radio stations, including one on an expanded band AM frequency, under a specific waiver from the FCC. Audacy is seeking a waiver to continue operating all stations in the market. Despite its new majority Attributable Shareholder, Laurel Tree Opportunities Corporation, and the indirect controlling parent, George Soros’ Fund for Policy Reform, Audacy will likely divest only in these markets.

 Here are some other key points in the bankruotsy proceedings:
  • Financial Reorganization: Audacy has been dealing with significant debt since its 2017 acquisition of CBS Radio, which added $1.5 billion in new debt. As part of the Chapter 11 reorganization, senior debt holders swapped their debt for an ownership stake in the company.
  • Ownership Changes: The new ownership group, including banks that significantly reduced Audacy’s debt from $1.9 billion down to $350 million, will take control of the board. This group will likely install a new board of directors, potentially by Audacy’s annual shareholders meeting in May.
  • CEO’s Future: The fate of current CEO David Field remains uncertain. Analysts believe the chances of him retaining his position are “extremely low.” The new management team could be led by someone with expertise in both digital and broadcast media.
  • Cost-Cutting Measures: Trimming expenses will be a priority for the new leadership. Expect major cost-cutting efforts, including potential headcount reductions.

S-I Print Gets A Lifeline


The owner of Sports Illustrated said it had chosen a new company to publish the magazine, a deal that could settle some of the recent friction at the storied publication and continue the print edition.

The NY Time reports Authentic Brands Group, which owns the intellectual property rights to Sports Illustrated as well as to celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali, said it had struck a long-term deal to license Sports Illustrated’s publishing rights to Minute Media, a digital-media company focused on sports.

Minute Media’s license with Sports Illustrated will stretch for 10 years with an option to extend for up to 30 years total, into the magazine’s centenary. The companies declined to disclose financial terms but said that Authentic Brands Group was taking a stake in Minute Media as part of the deal.

The deal is a significant expansion for Minute Media, a New York-based company founded in 2011 whose holdings — which include the sports websites The Players’ Tribune and Fansided — generate more than $400 million in revenue annually.

Sports Illustrated has been engulfed in turmoil for months, the result of a corporate tug of war between the company that owns the iconic magazine and the energy drink mogul whose executives have been running it. The agreement begins immediately and effectively wrests Sports Illustrated’s operations away from Arena Group, the digital-media company that has run the magazine since 2019 and threatened to end its print edition.

It is a new chapter for Sports Illustrated, which published its first issue in 1954. Asaf Peled, the chief executive of Minute Media, said in an interview that he planned to continue Sports Illustrated’s print edition.

WSAB Study Offers Insight On Relevance of Radio, TV


Local media leads truth and accuracy in Washington state in a recent statewide media study, conducted by SmithGeiger for the Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB). Based in Los Angeles, SmithGeiger's research for WSAB underscores the enduring relevance of local radio and television broadcasters across the state, despite the rise of on-demand content. 

Keith Shipman, President & CEO of the WSAB, expressed satisfaction with the findings. "It's gratifying to see the majority of our state's citizens recognize local television and AM/FM radio as leading the media landscape in truthfulness and accuracy. With local TV securing the top spot for trust and accuracy at 62%, and AM/FM radio following closely at 57%, it underscores their pivotal role in our information ecosystem. Additionally, local newspapers are highly regarded among all media sources, further emphasizing the value of local journalism.”  

Key Insights from the First-Ever WSAB Statewide Media Landscape Study: 

  •  Local radio (AM/FM) continues to lead as Washington state's preferred audio platform, with daily usage surpassing 5 hours across various devices—including in-car, digital, mobile, and social platforms—marking a +34% increase over paid audio. 
  •  The widespread availability of radio content on diverse platforms has greatly improved access, leading to increased engagement with local AM/FM stations. Notably, 77% tune into terrestrial radio, with 63% listening in their cars; 52% stream AM/FM radio, while 27% access it via their smartphones. 

Podcaster Kast Media Files for Bankruptcy


A podcast production company that was accused by comedian Theo Von and others of owing content creators millions of dollars has filed bankruptcy in California.

Bloomberg reports Kast Media Inc., which historically produced and placed ads in shows, filed a type of Chapter 11 for small businesses. It had nearly $700,000 in total assets and more than $6.3 million in total liabilities as of Jan. 31, according to a balance sheet Kast included in the Wednesday filing.

Multiple podcasters last year accused Kast and its chief executive officer Colin Thomson of falling behind on payments to shows the company worked with. In a Youtube video with more than 1.7 million views, Von said Kast owes various podcasters more than $4 million in back pay.

Kast owes Von’s company $456,398, according to the bankruptcy petition, which is signed by Thomson. The company also listed other debt that it described as being related to podcast content, subscription services and legal services.

The case is Kast Media Inc., number 24-10396, in the US Bankruptcy Court in the Central District of California (San Fernando Valley).

One Year Later, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Reaches Staggering Numbers

 


As of yesterday, it has been officially have been one year since Taylor Swift's Eras Tour kicked off in Glendale, Ariz. In the 12 months since that fateful first show, Swift has broken untold records, made history as TIME's 2023 Person of the Year, cultivated a new legion of NFL fans, and announced her forthcoming 11th studio album—The Tortured Poets Department, out April 19—among a litany of other accomplishments, according to Time magazine.

By the end of 2023—less than halfway through its scheduled 152-show run—the Eras Tour had earned over $1 billion to become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. During that period, every city where Swift played got a substantial economic boost from the so-called "Taylor Swift effect," a term that refers to the singer's unprecedented ability to influence consumer behavior. Following the inaugural U.S. leg of Eras, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that the tour's total economic impact likely exceeded $10 billion.

In the new year, Swift's staggering popularity seems to somehow still be on the rise. Less than a week after watching her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, win the Super Bowl, Swift played to the biggest concert crowd of her career while performing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia during the first run of 2024 Eras dates, following four shows in Tokyo.

Of her shows, 53 took place in the U.S. in 20 different cities stateside. The remaining 30 were part of the Latin America and Asia-Pacific legs of the tour. By the end of 2024, Swift is set to play a grand total of 152 Eras shows across 54 cities worldwide.

Swift played three back-to-back shows at MCG on Feb. 16, 17, and 18 that were each attended by a record 96,000 people for a three-day total of 288,000 concertgoers. Ed Sheeran, who drew a crowd of around 109,500 each of the two nights he played at MCG in 2023, still holds the venue's single-night attendance record. But that's largely due to the fact that Swift's stage setup took up more room in the arena, cutting down on the number of available seats.

MLB Atlanta Braves Announce Their 2024 Broadcast Team


Last season the MLB Altanta Braves went through a change in their play by play commentator for the first time in over a decade. Hopefully, the changes set for the 2024 season can walk the same path Brandon Gaudin last season.

Earlier this offseason it was announced Jeff Francoeur would be taking a reduced schedule in order to spend more time with his family. Former big league pitcher C.J. Nitkowski will take on the brunt of the color commentary duties alongside the aforementioned Brandon Gaudin.

Bally is set to broadcast 151 of the possible 162 regular season games, so we will be getting a heavy dosage of all these names in 2024. Recently, The House That Hank Built website learned about a trio of new additions that will make the on-field reporting much different from seasons past.

One of the most notable new additions is that of the recently retired Collin McHugh. Just last season, he pitched over 58 innings for the Braves, so he will certainly bring an insight on the feelings in the clubhouse considering he's not long removed from it. McHugh was often regarded as one of the brightest pitchers in the league, so I'm sure we are all eager to hear some of his insights to what pitchers are trying to do on the mound.

Also notable is the absence of regular sideline reporter, Kelly Crull. It seems the Braves will instead rotate through Hanna Yates, Wiley Ballard, and Ashley ShahAhmadi as their sideline reporters for 2024. It has not yet been stated why Crull will not be apart of the Braves broadcasts for the upcoming season.

Trevor Scales will remain the host for the majority of "Braves Live" while the beloved Peter Moylan and Nick Green will serve as analysts once again in 2024. Bally's season-long coverage will start with an hour long edition of "Braves Live" at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 28th when the Braves take on their rivals the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day.

Study: Americans Can’t Tell The Difference Between Facts And Opinions


With many people’s judgments clouded by partisan bias, troubling new research finds many Americans struggle to distinguish facts from opinions in their 24-hour news cycles. 

Study authors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say this worrisome trend potentially holds grave implications for civic discourse in the United States. On an individual level, this research suggests the average American is ill equipped to navigate the nonstop wave of political information (and possibly misinformation) they receive on a daily basis.

“There’s a huge amount of research on misinformation. But what we found is that, even before we get to the stage of labeling something misinformation, people often have trouble discerning the difference between statements of fact and opinion,” says study co-author Jeffery J. Mondak, a professor of political science and the James M. Benson Chair in Public Issues and Civic Leadership at Illinois, in a university release.

“We also see a lot of research on misinformation that comes at the problem from the angle of, ‘How are we doing in terms of playing whack-a-mole with misinformation? Are we able to fact check them and rebut these claims?’ Well, that isn’t necessarily a useful way of getting at the root cause of the problem,” adds Matthew Mettler, a U. of I. graduate student and co-author of the study.

The Study Finds focused on assessing whether Americans can differentiate statements of fact (2 + 2 = 4) versus statements of opinion (“Green is the most beautiful color”). The research team placed a particular emphasis on political statements.

Researchers asked study participants to categorize 12 statements regarding current events as either statements of fact or statements of opinion. Rather surprisingly, 45.7 percent of respondents did as badly as if they had flipped a coin to make a decision.

“What we’re showing here is that people have trouble distinguishing factual claims from opinion, and if we don’t have this shared sense of reality, then standard journalistic fact-checking – which is more curative than preventative – is not going to be a productive way of defanging misinformation,” Prof. Mondak explains. “How can you have productive discourse about issues if you’re not only disagreeing on a basic set of facts, but you’re also disagreeing on the more fundamental nature of what a fact itself is?”

3/18 WAKE-UP CALL: Guess Who Won The Russian Election

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his preordained electoral victory Sunday as a sign of the country's "trust" and "hope" in him, and after stifling any real attempt at unseating him, felt confident enough to refer to late opposition leader Alexei Navalny by name.  Despite several opposition protests across Russia, Putin easily claimed another six-year term by getting 87% of the vote with 80% of the precincts counted, election officials said. Other candidates languished below 5%. Putin has been in power since 1999, and the predetermined victory will allow him to surpass Josef Stalin's 29-year tenure, making the former KGB agent the longest-serving Russian leader in more than 200 years even though the country has been engaged in a costly war in Ukraine for more than two years. The turnout of 74.22% was higher than the 67.5% recorded in 2018.

➤BIBI CALLS SCHUMER'S COMMENTS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE:  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denied claims that he is an obstacle to peace in Gaza and dismissed as "totally inappropriate" Sen. Chuck Schumer's call for Israelis to hold elections to vote Netanyahu from power. "It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership," Netanyahu said. "That is something the Israeli public does on its own, we're not a banana republic." Schumer, D-NY, the nation's highest-ranking Jewish elected official and long a supporter of Israel, said last week that "nobody expects Prime Minister Netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, preserve Israel’s credibility on the world stage and work toward a two-state solution.”

➤TRUMP TALKS THE ABORTION DEBATE: Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the abortion debate, which has been a politically fraught subject for Republicans.  Reports claim Trump has discussed having a ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy with three exceptions: rape, incest and the life of the mother.  “Pretty soon, I’m going to be making a decision. And I would like to see if we could do that at all. I would like to see if we could make both sides happy,” Trump said on “MediaBuzz” Sunday.

Trump was vocally pro-life throughout his presidency, but he drew backlash after telling MSNBC in September that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-week ban on abortion was “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.” While he has not officially announced his recommendation for abortion, his stance on the issue illustrates the changing attitudes and strategies among Republicans.

“If the Republicans spoke about it correctly, it never hurt me from the standpoint of elections. It hurt a lot of Republicans,” Trump told host Howard Kurtz. “But I tell people, No. 1, you have to go with your heart. You have to go with your heart. But beyond that, you also have to get elected, and if you don’t have the three exceptions, I think it’s very, very hard to get elected.”

➤LEFT LOSES ITS MIND OVER 'BLOODBATH' DECLARATION: Former President Donald Trump’s declaration that if his second attempt at securing a second term in the White House fails then it will result in a “bloodbath” was taken entirely out of context by the Biden team and the media, according to his campaign. 

Trump was speaking from an airfield in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday during a rally in support of Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, when the former president seemed to suggest another electoral loss would lead to widespread violence in the United States. “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” Trump said.

President Biden’s campaign was quick to call out the 45th president’s rhetoric, declaring Trump’s statements a further piece of evidence that his public cozying up to authoritarians like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is not just politics as usual, but a sign of his own authoritarian leanings.

According to Trump’s campaign, the “bloodbath” comment is being taken out of context from a larger speech. The former president was not indicating any sort of violence, they say, but was instead referring to the impact Chinese auto manufacturing will have on U.S industry and job markets, his team said.

➤MAN SHOOTS 3 FAMILY MEMBERS:  A man faces multiple charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey after suspected of killing three family members, including a 13-year-old girl, and carjacking vehicles in both states, authorities said Sunday. Andre Gordon Jr., 26, was charged in Bucks County, PA, with three counts of first- and second-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and other charges, according to court documents. In New Jersey, Gordon was charged with first-degree carjacking and weapons offenses, the state Attorney General's Office said in a news release Sunday. "The string of violent acts that took place yesterday, allegedly at the hands of a single armed individual, alarmed and terrorized communities in Bucks and Mercer counties."

Apple In Talks to Let Google Gemini Power iPhone AI Features


Apple Inc. is in talks to build Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone, according to people familiar with the situation, setting the stage for a blockbuster agreement that would shake up the AI industry.

Bloomberg reports the two companies are in active negotiations to let Apple license Gemini, Google’s set of generative AI models, to power some new features coming to the iPhone software this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. Apple also recently held discussions with OpenAI and has considered using its model, according to the people.

If a deal between Apple and Google comes to fruition, it would build upon the two companies’ search partnership. For years, Alphabet Inc.’s Google has paid Apple billions of dollars annually to make its search engine the default option in the Safari web browser on the iPhone and other devices. The two parties haven’t decided the terms or branding of an AI agreement or finalized how it would be implemented, the people said.

A deal would give Gemini a key edge with billions of potential users. But it also may be a sign that Apple isn’t as far along with its AI efforts as some might have hoped — and threatens to draw further antitrust scrutiny of both companies.

Apple is preparing new capabilities as part of iOS 18 — the next version of the iPhone operating system — based on its own AI models. But those enhancements will be focused on features that operate on its devices, rather than ones delivered via the cloud. So Apple is seeking a partner to do the heavy lifting of generative AI, including functions for creating images and writing essays based on simple prompts.

Swift’s Taylor-Made Recordings Just Reached A Special Milestone

 


Taylor Swift started releasing re-recorded editions of her first six albums–renamed Taylor’s Version–nearly three years ago. Since then, all four projects she’s delivered have become massive global commercial successes. They’ve all churned out big hits and sold incredibly well. This week, Swift hits a special milestone for the first time with one of her re-recordings. according to Forbes.

“Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]” is the new No. 1 song on two of Billboard’s charts. The single, taken from her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, jumps to the top spot on both the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay rankings.

That track now stands as the first No. 1 from any of Swift’s re-recordings on one of Billboard’s radio charts. Impressively, before this week, she had never reached the highest rung on any of the radio rankings with a tune from a re-recorded album, but suddenly, she’s scored two such wins at the same time.

“Is It Over Now?” lifts from No. 3 to No. 1 on both of the aforementioned rankings, which are two of the three of Billboard’s pop radio charts. At the same time she leads both the Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay lists, Swift also controls the third pop radio tally, the Adult Contemporary chart. On that roster, her single “Cruel Summer” is still in charge.

As she earns another leader, Swift makes history on both tallies. On the Pop Airplay chart, “Is It Over Now?” helps the singer further distance herself from all other acts with the most No. 1s ever. It’s her thirteenth champion, while the runners-up, Rihanna, Maroon 5, and Katy Perry, all claim 11.

On the Adult Pop Airplay chart, Swift doesn’t yet own the record for the most No. 1s ever, but she’s close. “Is It Over Now?” is her twelfth ruler. She’s currently behind only Maroon 5, as the pop band has collected 15 winners.

“Is It Over Now?” has been slowly climbing on the radio charts for several months, since it was first released in October of 2023. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and was a huge sales success the moment it hit the Billboard rankings, but it usually takes much longer for singles to climb on the radio lists