October 2 Radio History

➦In 1890...Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx born in New York City (Died – August 19, 1977). He was a comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. A master of quick wit, he is widely considered one of America's greatest comedians.

Groucho Marx

"The one, the only" made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born. He also had a successful solo career, most notably as the host of the radio and television game show You Bet Your Life.

You Bet Your Life debuted in October 1947 on ABC radio (which aired it from 1947 to 1949), and then on CBS (1949–50), and finally NBC. The show was on radio only from 1947 to 1950; on both radio and television from 1950 to 1960; and on television only, from 1960 to 1961. The show proved a huge hit, being one of the most popular on television by the mid-1950s. With George Fenneman as his announcer and straight man, Marx entertained his audiences with improvised conversation with his guests.

Since You Bet Your Life was mostly ad-libbed and unscripted—although writers did pre-interview the guests and feed Marx ready-made lines in advance—the producers insisted that the network pre-record it instead of it being broadcast live. There were two reasons for this: pre-recording provided Marx with time to fish around for funny exchanges and any intervening dead spots to be edited out; and secondly to protect the network, since Marx was a notorious loose cannon and known to say almost anything. The television show ran for 11 seasons until it was canceled in 1961.

He died from pneumonia Aug 19, 1977 at age 86.

Bud Abbott

➦In 1896...William Alexander "Bud" Abbott born (Died – April 24, 1974). He was an actor, best known for his film comedy double act, as straight man to comedian Lou Costello.

Groucho Marx declared Abbott "the greatest straight man ever."  Bud outlived his partner by 15 years, succumbing to cancer Apr 24, 1974 at age 77

➦In 1900...Radio actor William Barton Yarborough born (Died – December 19, 1951).  He had worked rked extensively in radio drama, primarily on the NBC Radio Network. He is famous for his roles in the Carlton E. Morse productions I Love a Mystery, where he played Doc Long, and One Man's Family, where he spent 19 years portraying Clifford Barbour. In addition, Yarborough spent three years as Sgt. Ben Romero on Jack Webb's Dragnet.

He started work on the Dragnet TV series in 1951, but the day after he filmed the second episode, he suffered a heart attack and died four days later Dec. 19, 1951 at age 51.

➦In 1928...DeFord Bailey made the first professional recordings in Nashville at the Victor Records studios.

DeFord Bailey

Bailey was an American country music and blues star from the 1920s until 1941. Bailey was both the first performer to be introduced as playing on the Grand Ole Opry and also the first African-American performer on the show. He played several instruments but is best known for his harmonica tunes.

Bailey also had several records issued in 1927-1928, all of them harmonica solos. In 1927 he recorded for Brunswick records in New York City, while in 1928 he recorded eight sides for Victor in Nashville, of which three were issued on several labels, including Victor, Bluebird and RCA. Emblematic of the ambiguity of Bailey's position as a recording artist is the fact his arguably greatest recording, John Henry, was released separately in both RCA's 'race' and 'hillbilly' series.

He was a pioneer member of the WSM Grand Ole Opry, and one of its most popular performers, appearing on the program from 1927 to 1941. During this period he toured with many major country stars, including Uncle Dave Macon, Bill Monroe, and Roy Acuff.  Like other black stars of his day traveling in the South and West, he faced many difficulties in finding food and accommodation because of the discriminatory Jim Crow laws.

Bailey was fired by WSM in 1941 because of a licensing conflict with BMI-ASCAP, which prevented him from playing his best known tunes on the radio. This effectively ended his performance career, and he spent the rest of his life shining shoes and renting out rooms in his home to make a living. Though he continued to play the harp, he almost never performed publicly. One of his rare appearances occurred in 1974, when he agreed to make one more appearance on the Opry. This became the occasion for the Opry's first annual Old Timers' Show.

He died on July 2, 1982 in Nashville and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.

➦In 1930...The Lutheran Hour,  a U.S. Christian radio program in North America, first aired as an outreach ministry of Lutheran Hour Ministries. Beginning in 2018, Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler became the Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.

The Lutheran Hour is the flagship program for Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM), which is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches.  It is the longest running Christian broadcast in the world.

➦In 1933...“Red Adams” was heard for the first time on NBC radio. Later, the program was retitled, “Red Davis” (starring Burgess Meredith), “Forever Young,” and, finally, in 1936, “Pepper Young’s Family” (starring Mason Adams, who would later find TV fame as Lou Grant’s boss, and the voice of Smucker’s Jams.) Pepper Young’s Family kept daytime radio listeners tuning in for another 23 years.

Pepper Young's Family was one of radio's more popular daytime drama series, with various format and title changes during its long run from 1932 to 1959. It was created and written by short story author and playwright Elaine Sterne Carrington. With Burgess Meredith in the title role, the program began as Red Adams, about high school athlete Red Adams, his family and friends.

The 30-minute series was broadcast on the Blue Network, airing on Sunday nights at 10:30pm. When Beech-Nut Gum signed as a sponsor, they wanted no mention of their competition, Adams gum, so the title changed to Red Davis, a 15-minute series heard three times a week from 1933 to 1935. The series was again retitled, and the 15-minute Forever Young was heard on NBC weekdays at 3pm from January 13 to June 26, 1936. Three days later, on June 29, it became Pepper Young's Family, continuing on NBC for the next 23 years with Procter & Gamble's Camay as the sponsor.

➦In 1939...the most celebrated portrayal of Sherlock Holmes came to the US airwaves, as Basil Rathbone debuted in the title role on The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on the NBC Blue network. As in the movies, Nigel Bruce played the bumbling Dr. Watson.

The show first aired on the Blue Network but later moved to the Mutual Broadcasting System. The series was originally broadcast from Hollywood. During World War II, the show was also broadcast overseas through the Armed Forces Radio Service.

➦In 1942...the juvenile western radio drama The Cisco Kid starring Jackson Beck debuted on Mutual.  After the network run ended in 1946 another cast headed by Jack Mather was syndicated 1947 thru 1956.  Yet another cast featuring Duncan Renaldo produced a 156-episode syndicated TV run beginning in 1950.

➦In 1949...the popular family comedy,  The Aldrich Family, became one of TV’s first hits, as the longtime radio show appeared on NBC-TV for the first episode in a 4-year run.  It thus earned the distinction of being the very first TV sitcom.

After finding an audience with Kate Smith's radio listeners, The Aldrich Family was launched in its own series as a summer replacement program for Jack Benny in NBC's Sunday night lineup, July 2, 1939, and it stayed there until October 1, 1939, when it moved to Tuesday nights at 8 p.m., sponsored by Jell-O, which also sponsored Jack Benny at the time. The Aldriches ran in that slot from October 10, 1939 until May 28, 1940, moving to Thursdays, from July 4, 1940 until July 20, 1944. After a brief hiatus, the show moved to CBS, running on Fridays from September 1, 1944 until August 30, 1946 with sponsors Grape Nuts and Jell-O before moving back to NBC from September 5, 1946 to June 28, 1951 on Thursdays and, then, as a Sustaining program in its final run of September 21, 1952 to April 19, 1953 on Sundays.

Beginning on July 5, 1946, the program ran for 10 weeks on Friday nights as a summer replacement for Kate Smith Sings. The sponsor, General Foods, used the time to "promote its salt product ... instead of Grape Nuts".

The show was a top-ten ratings hit within two years of its birth (in 1941, the show carried a 33.4 Crossley rating, landing it solidly alongside Jack Benny and Bob Hope).

➦In 1962...Johnny Carson made his debut as host of the The Tonight Show.   Carson began his broadcasting career in 1950 at WOW radio and television in Omaha. Carson soon hosted a morning television program called The Squirrel's Nest. One of his routines involved interviewing pigeons on the roof of the local courthouse that would report on the political corruption they had seen. Carson supplemented his income by serving as master of ceremonies at local church dinners, attended by some of the same politicians and civic leaders whom he had lampooned on the radio.

The wife of one of the Omaha political figures Carson spoofed owned stock in a radio station in Los Angeles, and in 1951 referred Carson to her brother, who was influential in the emerging television market in Southern California. Carson joined CBS-owned Los Angeles television station KNXT.

Carson

In 1953, comic Red Skelton—a fan of Carson's "cult success" low-budget sketch comedy show, Carson's Cellar (1951 to 1953) on KNXT—asked Carson to join his show as a writer. In 1954, Skelton accidentally knocked himself unconscious during rehearsal an hour before his live show began. Carson then successfully filled in for him. In 1955, Jack Benny invited Carson to appear on one of his programs during the opening and closing segments. Carson imitated Benny and claimed that Benny had copied his gestures.

Carson hosted several shows besides Carson's Cellar, including the game show Earn Your Vacation (1954) and the CBS variety show The Johnny Carson Show (1955–1956). He was a guest panelist on the original To Tell the Truth starting in 1960, later becoming a regular panelist from 1961 until 1962.

After the primetime The Johnny Carson Show failed, he moved to New York City to host ABC-TV's Who Do You Trust? (1957–1962), formerly known as Do You Trust Your Wife? On Who Do You Trust?, Carson met his future sidekick and straight man, Ed McMahon. Although he believed moving to daytime television would hurt his career, Who Do You Trust? was a success. It was the first show where he could ad lib and interview guests,[15] and because of Carson's on-camera wit, the show became "the hottest item on daytime television" during his six years at ABC.

NBC's Tonight was the late-night counterpart to its early-morning show Today. Originating in 1954 with host Steve Allen, Tonight was somewhat experimental at the time, as the only previous network late-night program was NBC's Broadway Open House which starred Jerry Lester and Dagmar. Tonight was successful, and when Allen moved on to primetime comedy-variety shows in 1956, Jack Paar replaced him as host of Tonight. Paar left the show in 1962.

➦In 1998...Radio actor Lon Clark died at age 87.  He had the title role in Nick Carter, Master Detective on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1943 to 1955. He was also a familiar voice on such programs as the weekday serial Mommie and the Men, the frontier serial adventure Wilderness Road, the World War II dramas Words at War (1943–45) and Soldiers of the Press (1942–45), the quiz show Quick as a Flash, the soap opera Bright Horizon, the science fiction series 2000 Plus and Exploring Tomorrow, Lights Out, The Mysterious Traveler, The Kate Smith Hour, The March of Time, The Adventures of the Thin Man and Norman Corwin Presents, playing opposite such performers as Fred Allen, Art Carney, Helen Hayes and Orson Welles.

➦In 1998…'The Singing Cowboy' Gene Autry died of lymphoma at the age of 91.  Autry was a singer, songwriter, actor, musician and rodeo performer who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning style on radio, in films, and on television for more than three decades beginning in the early 1930s.

Autry was the owner of a television station, several radio stations in Southern California, and the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997.

From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films, and between 1950 and 1956 hosted The Gene Autry Show television series. During the 1930s and 1940s, he personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true—and profoundly touched the lives of millions of Americans. Autry was also one of the most important pioneering figures in the history of country music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre's development after Jimmie Rodgers. His singing cowboy films were the first vehicle to carry country music to a national audience.

In addition to his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again", and his hit "At Mail Call Today", Autry is still remembered for his Christmas holiday songs, most especially his biggest hit "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as well as "Frosty the Snowman", "Here Comes Santa Claus", and "Up on the House Top".

Autry is a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and is the only person to be awarded stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for film, television, music, radio, and live performance.  The town of Gene Autry, Oklahoma, was named in his honor.

➦In 2014...CBS Radio, Beasley Media agreed to swap stations.  Beasley announced that it entered into an asset exchange agreement with CBS Radio, whereby Beasley will exchange five stations in Philadelphia and Miami for fourteen CBS Radio stations in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Charlotte and Philadelphia.

Don McLean is 77

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Critic Rex Reed is 84. 
• Singer Don McLean is 77. 
• Country singer Jo-el Sonnier is 76. 
• Actor Avery Brooks (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) is 74. 
• Guitarist Mike Rutherford of Genesis and Mike and the Mechanics is 72. 
• Musician Sting is 71. 
• Actor Robin Riker (“General Hospital,” ″The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 70. 
• Actor Lorraine Bracco (“The Sopranos”) is 68. 
• Guitarist Greg Jennings of Restless Heart is 68. 
• Singer Phil Oakey of Human League is 67. 
• Singer Freddie Jackson is 67. 
• Singer-producer Robbie Nevil is 64. 
• Drummer Bud Gaugh of Sublime and Long Beach Dub All-Stars is 55. 
• Musician Gillian Welch is 55. 
• Actor Joey Slotnick (“Boston Public,” ″The Single Guy”) is 54. 
• Country singer Kelly Willis is 54. 
• Singer Dion Allen of Az Yet is 52. 
• Actor-talk show host Kelly Ripa (“Live With Kelly and Michael,” ″All My Children”) is 52. 

• 

  Tiffany is 51

  Guitarist Jim Root of Slipknot is 51. 
• Singer Tiffany is 51. 
• Singer LaTocha Scott of Xscape is 50. 
• Singer Lene Nystrom (Aqua) is 49. 
• Actor Efren Ramirez (“Napoleon Dynamite”) is 49. 
• Gospel singer and former “American Idol” contestant Mandisa is 46. 
• Bassist Mike Rodden of Hinder is 40. 
• Actor Christopher Larkin (“The 100”) is 35. 
• Singer Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes is 34. 
• Actor Samantha Barks (“Les Miserables”) is 32. 
• Actor Elizabeth McLaughlin (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 29.

SWFL Radio, TV Struggle To Get Back On-Air

There are many scenes like this in SWFL (News-Press photo)

WINK News is back on the air in Southwest Florida.  The station moved to its transmitter site, according to a posting on the WINK News website.

The broadcast was interrupted Wednesday after a storm surge from Hurricane Ian breached the station’s broadcast center on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers.

“Our studios, like most of Southwest Florida, were flooded in the storm surge so we are emergency broadcasting from our transmitter site that is near Babcock Ranch,” said Mark Gilson, director of digital distribution at WINK News.

The power went out just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, but anchors Lois Thome and Chris Cifatte and Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt continued to broadcast on Facebook for a period of time.

Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in North Captiva, pummeling the Southwest Florida coast with catastrophic storm surge and intense winds, ripping trees from the ground and ripping homes from their foundation in some instances.

Poll: Almost Half of Us Couldn't Live Without Electronics

Nearly half of Americans can’t live without their electronics (48%) and WiFi (46%), according to The NY Post citing new research.

A survey of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that other essentials – besides food and water – people can’t go without include medicine (55%), electricity (53%) and gasoline/petrol (51%).

The study examined respondents’ perspectives on supply chain issues and found that nearly half say the issues have “somewhat affected” their lives (45%) – from impacting their cost of living, their jobs and finding basic essentials.

On average, Americans buy a third of their essentials online, with respondents 35-44 being the most likely to get at least half of their necessities this way.

The research suggests that brighter days may be on the horizon – two in five Americans are optimistic that the situation involving global supply chain disruptions will get better.

But change doesn’t happen overnight: A third of respondents predict supply chain disruptions will continue for another two years (34%).

While 30% think supply chain issues will remain the same, the same percentage believe things will only worsen (30%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of WithSecure, the survey also tested respondents’ knowledge about basic economic terms, discovering that although seven in 10 Americans are “confident” in their understanding of supply chain issues – only 59% actually know what the term means.

Radio Has Audio Listeners On Television

Anyone who has tried to put together a presentation about audio has encountered the problem of finding stock images that accurately reflect certain audio behavior. For example, search “listening” and you will see people listening to one another; try “listening to music” and you will see smiling people in headphones, some of whom choose to dance; “listening to the radio” fetches images of boom boxes and car consoles, and “listening to podcasts” usually has a combination of mobile phone or tablet and headphones.  

What’s missing? According to Edison Research,  there’s another way Americans are choosing to consume audio that is rarely mentioned when we talk about audio consumption — televisions. 

Televisions tend to be the center of many homes in America, and in many ways modern televisions have evolved in function almost as much as mobile phones. From their days of carrying a few broadcast channels to their current spot as a hub of entertainment, the importance of TV in the audio landscape needs to be recognized.

Traditional TVs as an audio source provide pure music channels such as Music Choice or other cable music stations (not including MTV or VH1). Internet-connected TVs, or ‘Smart TVs’, allow users to access any number of audio apps to listen to streaming services, books, radio stations, or podcasts. Edison Research’s Share of Ear data measures share of time spent listening through both types of televisions. 

The graph below shows that Americans 13+ spend 9% of their total audio time listening through a television. Americans 13-34 spend the most time with audio through a television (11%), with 7 percentage points being on an internet-connected TV. Not an insignificant number. 

The Next Big Battle Is for the Soul of Your Car

A few years from now, in addition to deciding your next vehicle’s make and model, you may have another tough choice: the Google model or the Apple one?

The Wall Street Journal reports cars, especially electric ones, are becoming something like smartphones on wheels, some of the dynamics that played out in the early days of the mobile industry are playing out in the auto industry. Competition between the two kingpins of the smartphone industry has in the past couple of years gained new momentum, with Google racking up auto-maker partnerships for the automobile-based version of its Android operating system, and Apple teasing plans to expand its software capabilities in the car.

Software increasingly controls most aspects of our cars, from driver-assist systems maintaining the vehicle’s speed and heading on the highway to the code and computers that assure the car comes to a stop when we step on the brakes—or the car does the braking for us.

But the auto-operating system competition so far centers on the infotainment system that shows everything from maps to movies on the road.

Google and Apple both have systems—called Android Auto and CarPlay—that mirror phone apps on vehicles’ displays.

L-A Radio: Liz Hernandez Joins Line-Up At The Wave

Audacy welcomes Liz Hernandez as morning show host for KTWV 94.7 The Wave in Los Angeles. Beginning October 3, Hernandez will be heard weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PT.

“Liz’s familiarity and history with Southern California make her a perfect fit to take the reins of The Wave’s morning drive,” said Jeff Federman, Regional President, Audacy Southern California. “We’re certain she will deliver a fresh, dynamic morning show that resonates with the Wave’s community.”

“This truly is a homecoming to my first love, radio, and what better way than with a morning show at The Wave,” said Hernandez. “I am incredibly proud to be a Latina in this space and to represent my culture and community, and grateful for the opportunity to be a voice for the beautiful people of Los Angeles. I am excited to bring my energy and years of experience and to continue to celebrate this amazing city.”

Hernandez is a Mexican American Emmy-nominated television personality, broadcaster, and journalist. As a SoCal native, Hernandez started her entertainment career as a radio host on the Power 106 FM nationally syndicated show, “Big Boy’s Neighborhood.” After hosting for 10 years, she moved on to television entertainment news as a host and correspondent for Access Hollywood, E! News, and MTV. Her career has been built on storytelling and the power of words. She continues to connect with community as the Founder and Creator of WORDAFUL, a video and live event series that focuses on the importance of how we communicate with others and ourselves.

📻Listeners can tune in to 94.7 The Wave (KTWV-FM) in Southern California on air and nationwide on the Audacy app and website. Fans can also connect with the station via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

Former ESPNer Rachel Nichols Joins Showtime Sports

Rachel Nichols Joins Showtime

Sports journalist Rachel Nichols has landed a new gig in Showtime’s sports division, a year after ESPN canceled her show and removed her from basketball coverage reports The Wall Street Journal.

On her Twitter account, Ms. Nichols posted a statement from Showtime Basketball welcoming her to the network. She is expected to work as a host and producer on a range of content across multiple platforms for Showtime. 

She wrote on the social media platform: “Thrilled to be partnering with @Showtime and getting back to celebrating what we love most about sports. We’re gonna have so. much. fun.“

In her debut appearance on Showtime, she spoke about her former employer and the circumstances that led to her eventual departure from ESPN. 

In the summer of 2021, ESPN removed Nichols from its National Basketball Association coverage and canceled her weekday afternoon show, “The Jump.” 

That decision came about a month after the New York Times reported on a recording of a phone call Nichols made in July 2020. On that call, she complained that the job of anchoring “NBA Countdown” telecasts had gone to another ESPN personality, Maria Taylor, instead of her. Nichols is white; Taylor is Black.

FCC Wants Tenga-Standard General Docs On Staffing

The Federal Communications Commission has asked Tegna and Standard General for yet more documents, with a particular focus on any potential layoffs or impact on retransmission-consent negotiations related to their proposed merger, in the process suggesting the commission won’t decide whether or not to allow the companies to merge until late October at the earliest, reports NextTv.com

Tegna, which owns 64 TV stations in 51 U.S. markets, agreed to be acquired by Standard General back in February for $8.6 billion including debt. It also owns multicast networks True Crime Network, Twist and Quest, as well as advanced advertising company Premion.

In June, the FCC asked for more info from the companies on that deal following pushback from critics who said it would lead to layoffs. This week, the agency’s Media Bureau followed up with a letter seeking even more, giving the companies until October 13 to respond, or alternately, until another date the Media Bureau will agree to.

The NewsGuild-CWA, which formally opposed the merger in a petition to deny, earlier this week told the FCC in meetings that the commission needed to collect more info on potential staffing issues.

Consumer Sentiment Surges to 5-Month High

Consumer sentiment in September ticked up to a five-month high, according to Barron's citing the final estimate from the University of Michigan’s consumer survey.

The consumer sentiment index rose to 58.6 in September, showing a modest improvement from August’s 58.2 reading. However, the figure came in lower than the preliminary reading of 59.5, released in mid-September.

“The downward revision to September’s preliminary reading, though still continuing the modest rebound since a record low of 50 set in June, highlights consumer’s precarious position,” wrote Oxford Economics economist Matthew Martin.

The index measuring consumer evaluations of current economic conditions rose by 1.9% in September to 59.7.

Pittsburgh Radio: Deborah Acklin Steps Down As CEO At WQED

Deborah Acklin

WQED President and CEO Deborah Acklin is stepping down after 12 years of leadership and success to focus on essential medical treatments following a diagnosis of non-smoker’s lung cancer.

As the first woman President and CEO of WQED, Deb has served in her current role since 2010, and prior to that held leadership roles across a broad range of organizational operations — from Executive Producer to Executive Vice President and General Manager. Among her many achievements, she led WQED out of crippling debt and functional bankruptcy to become a financially-thriving multimedia powerhouse. Her tenure is also marked with unprecedented professional awards recognition for producing meaningful content at the local, national and international levels, as well as building and nurturing a nationally recognized education department.

A public media champion, Deb’s production and distribution experience ensured that WQED Pittsburgh remains a national and international content creator, distributing The Pittsburgh Symphony Radio series, and epic documentaries including August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand; Harbor From The Holocaust; and The War That Made America, the latter, for which she served as Executive Producer. She also envisioned the potential for Doo Wop music showcases, which raised many millions and became a favorite of PBS pledge shows nationwide.

October 1 Radio History

➦In 1909...Everett H. Sloane born in NYC (Died – August 6, 1965). He  was a character actor who worked in radio, theatre, films and television. He was also a songwriter and theatre director.

Sloane's radio work led him to be hired by Orson Welles to become part of his Mercury Theatre. Sloane recorded one program with The Mercury Theatre on the Air and became a regular player when the show was picked up by a sponsor and became The Campbell Playhouse

In the 1940s, Sloane was a frequent guest star on the radio theater series Inner Sanctum Mysteries and The Shadow, and was in The Mysterious Traveler episode "Survival of the Fittest" with Kermit Murdock.

Reportedly depressed over the onset of blindness, Sloane committed suicide in 1965 at age 55.

WJZ - 1922

➤In 1921...WJZ Radio signed-on. WJZ is now WABC in New York City. The original Westinghouse Electric Corporation, whose broadcasting division is a predecessor to the current broadcasting unit of CBS Corporation, launched WJZ in 1921, and was located originally in Newark, New Jersey.

WJZ was sold in 1923 to the Radio Corporation of America, who moved its operations to New York City, and on January 1, 1927, WJZ became the flagship station for the NBC Blue Network.

NBC Blue would become the American Broadcasting Company in 1942.  In 1953, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, and changed the call letters of their New York area stations to WABC.  Today, the WJZ call sign is assigned to 1300 AM in Baltimore.  It is owned by Entercom and airs  CBS Sports Radio.

➦In 1922...“The Radio Digest,” a daily news program got started on WBAY in New York City, which is now WFAN 660 AM.

Miami Radio: WAXY To Flip To Conservative Talk

Audacy has announced the launch of Radio Libre 790 WAXY-AM in Miami. The new Spanish conservative talk station is in partnership with Americano Media, the nation’s first national conservative Hispanic network in Spanish. Radio Libre 790 launches October 3.

“We’re proud to introduce Spanish radio to our South Florida portfolio for the first time ever and empower the voice of so many of our neighbors in this community,” said Claudia Menegus, Regional President and Market Manager, Audacy. “With the launch of this station, we aim to not only serve our listeners but give them a reliable home for the news they seek and the information they rely on every day.”

“The joint endeavor with Audacy is a natural fit for Americano,” said Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo, Founder and Chief Executive, Americano Media. “We provide the best Hispanic news-talk programming in Spanish, with the best hosts covering important current events, and Audacy’s audience is demanding that information. This is the first of many terrestrial radio syndication agreements for Americano, and we look forward to a strong partnership with Audacy.”

Wake-Up Call: Ian Heads Toward South Carolina, Devastation In Florida

Ian's Track (Wall Street Journal graphic)

Ian, now a hurricane again, is threatening to carve a new path of destruction through South Carolina Friday when it roars ashore north of Charleston, according to Bloomberg.

The storm will drive a surge of water into the city of 3 to 6 feet (1.8 meters) and drop up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain, according to Mike Doll, a meteorologist at commercial-forecaster AccuWeather Inc.

Power outages will reach far inland as Ian’s winds shake trees and power lines throughout the region. The storm is likely to create an even higher flooding surge further up the coast, with as much as 10 feet of water being pushed on shore in places, Doll said. Around Myrtle Beach, the surge could be also be 3 to 6 feet.

The damage in South Carolina, and the flooding rains inland, will be severe but won’t rival the devastation across Florida, where it may take weeks or months to assess the true cost, Doll said.