The Saturday Aircheck

WGAR AM 1220 - Cleveland, Ohio -- Best Of - 1976

The 1220 frequency in Cleveland was the home to AM radio station WGAR for more than 50 years.

In 1970, new management was brought in to WGAR, and both the AM and FM stations made several dramatic moves. Long only on the air for pure technical purposes, WGAR-FM then went to a 24-hour operation as WNCR, and adopted a progressive rock format that was tapped two years earlier by WMMS. The AM side saw a format shift to adult contemporary and several new personalities, including "Emperor Joe" Meyer, Bob Vernon, Chuck Collier (still with 99.5 WGAR-FM today), Norm N. Nite, and Ron Parks. The station's most noteworthy hire was morning host Don Imus. Imus left a little more than a year later to go to WNBC in New York . He was replaced by John Lanigan. Lanigan, who himself was nearly as controversial as Imus, had a very successful run in mornings until he left for a radio station in Tampa prior to returning to Cleveland at WMJI in 1985.

WGAR abandoned adult contemporary for country music on July 15, 1984. WGAR soon simulcast with its FM sister station, which again became WGAR-FM, starting in 1986.

Read More at the 1220 WGAR Facebook Tribute Fanpage.


Today the station's call letters are WHKW and it's format is religious.

Steve Harvey Show Will Host Radio Fundraiser

On Monday May 16th, Steve Harvey's long-running Premiere radio program will host the "Neighbors Helping Neighbors Overcome Disasters" radio fundraiser, in the wake of the Alabama and Mississippi River areas that have suffered devastating losses from tornadoes and flooding.

Partnering with the American Red Cross to accept donations, the top-rated morning show is hosting the special program during its broadcast 6 - 10 AM EDT with special guests, to offer support and urge listeners to raise funds all day long as families in the disaster-stricken regions start the long road to recovery and rebuilding in the South.

With the goal of raising $100,000, The Steve Harvey Morning Show's dedicated program will interview mayors from the Alabama and Mississippi River-affected areas, the CEO of the American Red Cross and more during its broadcast, and show support for its local radio affiliates in New Orleans, Memphis, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery, AL.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show has a dedicated hotline and text number provided by the American Red Cross where listeners and supporters can donate funds all day on May 16th, or they can also donate online. 

With federal emergencies being declared in both the Alabama tornado outbreak and the Mississippi River's ongoing flooding, neighbors, recovery teams and the nation have come together with immediate support for ongoing efforts to help families and loved ones to meet basic needs, and rebuild their homes and these historic areas.

Says Steve Harvey, "These storms and tornadoes have left so many in the South without homes, their livelihoods and much more that will take great effort and dedication to rebuild, and whatever we can do to help in the road to restoring these areas and people's lives, we will work together to raise what's needed and keep our neighbors' spirits high to persevere through these challenging times."

Radio's ‘Dream Doctor’ Charles McPhee Dies

Charles McPhee, a nationally syndicated radio host and sleep expert known as the “Dream Doctor” and who helped listeners uncover the hidden meanings of their dreams, died May 8 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif., according to a story by T Rees Shapiro at washingtonpost.com.  He was 49.

He ended his show in 2006 when he received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Mr. McPhee’s top-rated radio program aired in the country’s biggest markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

On the air, he sought to legitimize dream interpretation, a field of study that he said had strayed from its roots in the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

Mr. McPhee, a Princeton graduate who wrote his thesis on dreaming, was among the first to admit that many in the public “associate dreams with astrology and tarot cards and horoscopes.”

With his academic approach and magnetic personality, Mr. McPhee was one of the first to popularize dream interpretation to a national audience through radio, said Veronica Tonay, a University of Santa Cruz psychology professor and fellow dream expert.

Mr. McPhee, who was tall and muscular with sandy blond hair and blue eyes, easily relayed his charisma and Southern California surfer cool through the radio waves, said Tonay.

Read More.

Child Protective Services Visits Cannon, Carey

New parents Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey should still be blissed out on baby joy with less than two weeks passing since their twins' birth, but the couple is reeling from a shocking accusation, according to a story by Shari Weiss at nydailynews.com.

"The Child Protective Services were called with allegations that there was some drinking and drugs and all that going on while in the hospital," Cannon revealed during a pretaped appearance on Thursday's "Piers Morgan Tonight."

The babies, daughter Monroe and son Moroccan, were born April 30 and remain hospitalized with Carey, 42.

Cannon, 30, said the false rumor began when "a nurse suggested to my wife that if you drink Guinness … the yeast improves breast-feeding."

"I don't know if someone overheard that," he explained, "but then they were saying that my wife was drinking beer and all this stuff."

And it culminated with a visit from a CPS worker, who approached Cannon in one of the hospital's hallways on Tuesday.

The 92.3 NOW (NYC) morning show host said the incident proves that "people will do anything to try to conjure up a story."

Read More.

Chicago Sportscaster Found Dead in Hotel Room

In an eerie deja-vu, the sudden death of another black male lead sports anchor for WMAQ-Channel 5 has left officials and staff at the NBC-owned news station reeling.

According to a story by Laudlyne Ihejrika at suntimes.com, sports anchor Daryl Hawks, who joined Channel 5 in July 2008, was found dead Thursday in his hotel room in Atlanta, where he had gone to cover Thursday night’s Game 6 of the Bulls-Hawks NBA playoff series.

Hawks, of River Forest, was 38 — only a year older than the late NBC5 sports anchor Darrian Chapman, who had been at the station only 16 months when in October 2002 he collapsed and died suddenly while playing a game of hockey.

“We are all stunned right now,” Frank Whittaker, NBC5’s Station Manager and Vice President of News, said. “Daryl was a great member of our sports team, and was so excited about covering the Bulls during this playoff run.”

Hawks leaves behind a wife, Sandy, their children ages 5 and 2, and a teenage son from a previous relationship.

Hotel employees found Hawks unresponsive in his room at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the news station.

Hawks was rushed to Emory University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:48 a.m.

Read More.

Radio Preacher: The End Begins May 21

Preacher sees Judgment Day coming

Since the beginning of time, people have been intrigued with the end of the world.

When would the world end? How would it end? And what would become of those who were alive on the momentous date?

The topic has picked up steam in recent months, as several end-of-time prophecies have become widely discussed.

According to a story by Phil Anderson at cjoneline.com, one of the chief prognosticators is Harold Camping, the 89-year-old president of Family Stations Inc., an Oakland, Calif.-based religious broadcasting network that boasts more than 150 outlets across the United States, as well as other stations around the globe.

Along with his contention that the church age ended in 1988 and his call for people to leave organized congregations, Camping for several years has been promoting May 21, 2011, as Judgment Day.

As the date draws closer, Camping has come under increasing fire from Christian leaders who contend the Bible says no one knows when Jesus Christ will return and the world will end.

In a recent phone interview from his Oakland, Calif., office, Camping brushed aside such criticism, saying scoffers are described in Bible passages dealing with the End Times.

He also said he isn't backing down from his contention that Judgment Day will occur on May 21 — a date he said he got through his 54-year study of the Bible.

Read More.

TomzTake: I wonder if Family Stations are prepping a program log for May 22nd?

WKMK Claims 'Interference' Victory

Clear Channel apparently has backed-off  plans to program a mid-town Manhattan translator and has suspended programming at 106.3 FM. 

WKMK in Eatontown, NJ claims to have contacted the FCC earlier this week with a complaint about interference from the translator.  CC doesn’t own the translator but has been programming audio on it using its iHeartRadio formats. Some has suspected CC would eventually start airing a Smooth Jazz format on the translator.

In a website update, WKMK Thunder Country told it listeners:

We are pleased to announce that the radio station that had been causing interference since last Thursday May 5, 2011 to our Thunder 106 signal in NJ, Manhattan, Long Island, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens, has suspended operations.

Accordingly, you should no longer be experiencing any interference issues relative to the Thunder 106 in the communities we have previously been communicating to you. Over the next several weeks we will be meeting with the NYC radio broadcaster in an attempt to help them resolve their interference issues but IN NO WAY will we accept ANY interference to our Thunder 106 signal pattern and your right to receive and enjoy our THUNDER 106 Rockin’ Country Programming.

So again, THANK YOU “THUNDER NATION” FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR LISTENING LOYALTY to us!

See Original Postings by clicking here.

Cindy McCain Rips Beck: 'Enough Vitriol and Hate'

Originally Posted: 12 May 2011 10:01 AM PDT

Cindy McCain took Glenn Beck to the Twitter woodshed for the radio/TV talker’s disparaging remarks about her daughter Meghan’s appearance in a public service announcement urging protection against the cancer risk of sun worshipping, according to a story at newsmaxx.com.

"I'm so glad Glenn Beck is leaving Fox. Enough vitriol and hate," Mom McCain tweeted in reaction to Beck’s puerile attack against Meghan.



The daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain is one of several women featured in the ad — others include Brandy, Ashlan Gorse, and Tempestt Bledsoe — which compares not wearing sunscreen with being naked and shows the women seemingly, but discretely, naked.

During Beck's show Wednesday, he and his co-hosts mocked Meghan mercilessly, with Beck pretending to vomit repeatedly while looking at McCain's ad or even hearing her name. "Just try to imagine John McCain naked with long blond hair," he said. ". . . That's USDA Prime right there."

That really riled Cindy, who has had skin cancer herself and who tweeted again: "Glenn, you are no rodeo clown," she said. "They are decent and nice. You aren't."

Read More.

TomzTake: The vomit routine is the type of bit you would expect from a rookie. Come on Glenn, that's a amateur's attempt at humor. Get a joke service.

What It's Like Working For Glenn Beck?

Originally Posted: 11 May 2011 09:12 PM PDT

From Jay Yarow, The Wire at Business Insider

Betsy Morgan helped Arianna Huffington build the Huffington Post, and now she's helping Glenn Beck build The Blaze into a big news site.

After she spoke on stage at SAI's Startup 2011, we pulled her aside and asked her about what it's like working for Beck. She said it's not that different from working with Arianna, actually.

They're both maniacally focused on building their businesses.

Read More.



Betsy Morgan is President of The Blaze. Before working for Glenn Beck's news site, Morgan was a CEO at The Huffington Post, where she kept web traffic coming in deluges after the 2008 Obama election.

New Emergency PLAN Explained

Originally Posted: 11 May 2011 09:10 PM PDT

From The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC NYC:

Julius Genachowski, Federal Communications Commission chairman, explains the new PLAN.

It stands for the Personal Localized Alerting Network for mobile phones -- that will be rolled out first in New York City.

Listen Here.

Both Sides Now: FCC Commissioner to Join Comcast

Originally Posted: 12 May 2011 03:51 AM PDT
From Edward Wyatt, Media Decoder, nytimes.com:

Four months after the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, one of the commissioners who approved the deal said she would join Comcast to oversee its government affairs office.

Meredith Attwell Baker, a former Commerce Department official in the George W. Bush administration, announced on Thursday that she will leave the F.C.C. when her term expires at the end of June. At Comcast, she will serve as senior vice president of government affairs for NBC Universal.

Ms. Baker, one of two Republicans on the five-member commission, was nominated to F.C.C. by President Obama and started there in July 2009. As part of an ethics pledge she signed upon taking office at the F.C.C., she will not be able to contact F.C.C. officials for the length of the Obama administration, a Comcast spokeswoman said.

Read More.

NYTimes' Share of Sites' Traffic Hits 12-Month Low

April Was a Quieter Month for News Than March

Originally Posted: 11 May 2011 09:04 PM PDT

The paywall introduced by The New York Times at the end of March is hurting traffic to its website, as expected, but perhaps within acceptable levels, according to a story by Nat Ives at adage.com.

The New York Times' share of United States page views for all newspaper websites dropped from 13% in March to 10.6% in April, its lowest share in 12 months, according to new data from ComScore.

Page views from March to April declined 24.4% at The New York Times Online while slipping just 7.5% for newspaper sites as a group, according to the new Comscore numbers.

Year-over-year comparisons -- comparing April 2011 to April 2010, for example -- are inadvisable in the case of The New York Times because it adopted a different ComScore measurement methodology in May 2010.

The New York Times pointed out that some other news sites saw big declines after the big events of March, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, yielded to a quieter period in April. Yahoo News saw page views decline 23.9% and MSNBC.com saw page views slide 21.4%, according to a Times spokeswoman.

Those sites are included in Comscore's general news category, not its newspapers category.

"When you look at these numbers at Yahoo News and MSNBC that suggests that there was a dip in news," the spokeswoman said. "Despite that, and given that this is the first month where you can see the traffic patterns post-digital subscription launch, these are actually better numbers than our internal projections."

Read More.

SiriusXM Sez 'We Didn't Screw Howard'

Seeks dismissal of Stern lawsuit

Originally Posted: 11 May 2011 09:03 PM PDT
There is new news in the Howard Stern lawsuit against Sirius XM, and it is quite interesting, according to a story by Spencer Osborne at  Sirius buzz.com.

The company admits that many facts alleged by Stern, Buchwald, and One Twelve media are indeed accurate, and contends that the lawsuit centers on one pivotal issue. That issue is whether XM subscribers should be counted in the numbers tied to the performance section of the contract with The King of all Media. According to Sirius XM that answer is a resounding NO.

The company did pay Stern $25 million, and Buchwald $2.5 million when the merger with XM was completed, a fact that perhaps most investors were not aware of. The crux of this case centers on how the term “Sirius Subscribers” is defined according to the company. It is Sirius XM’s contention that XM subscribers would not be counted under the Sirius umbrella with or without the merger.

Read More.

KDKA Memorializes Legendary Fred Honsberger

                                  Fred Honsberger's wife, Chris, with the memorial plaque unveiled Wednesday

The 1020 KDKA-AM newsroom in Pittsburgh is now the Fred Honsberger Memorial Newsroom in honor of the longtime personality.

A plaque was unveiled by Honsberger's wife, Christine, along with KDKA General Manager Michael Young before a crowd of KDKA staffers, invited guests, and the Honzman's family.

Honsberger, who served as anchor, reporter, news director and talk host, died in December, 2009 after a long illness. He was on the air from a studio at his Pittsburgh-area home until a few days before his death.

(originally posted 11May2011)

Both Sides Now: FCC Commissioner to Join Comcast

From Edward Wyatt, Media Decoder, nytimes.com:Read More.

Four months after the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, one of the commissioners who approved the deal said she would join Comcast to oversee its government affairs office.

Meredith Attwell Baker, a former Commerce Department official in the George W. Bush administration, announced on Thursday that she will leave the F.C.C. when her term expires at the end of June. At Comcast, she will serve as senior vice president of government affairs for NBC Universal.

Ms. Baker, one of two Republicans on the five-member commission, was nominated to F.C.C. by President Obama and started there in July 2009. As part of an ethics pledge she signed upon taking office at the F.C.C., she will not be able to contact F.C.C. officials for the length of the Obama administration, a Comcast spokeswoman said.

MTV Producer Gunned Down Outside Home

Roku Owners "Cutting The Cord" In Substantial Numbers

According to Andy Plesser at beet.tv, some 15-20 percent of Roku owners are cancelling their cable or satellite services agreement and are relying solely on a broadband connection to get their television programming, said company VP Jim Funk in this exclusive interview with Beet.TV.

The Roku box, which connects via WiFi or Ethernet to a television set, streams a variety of free and subscription channels.  It is enjoying considerable growth, spurred in part by a new retail strategy and overall consumer demand.   The company expects the number of Roku devices to triple this year, from one to three million.

Beet.tv spoke with Funk Tuesday at the Streaming Media East conference.

Citadel Broadcasting Settles Righthaven Lawsuit

Even as its lawsuit model is under attack, Las Vegas copyright enforcer Righthaven LLC has reached additional settlements including one with high-profile defendant Citadel Broadcasting Co.

According to a story by Steven Green at vegasinc.com, Righthaven disclosed in court papers last week it settled with Las Vegas-based Citadel and Citadel radio talk show host Matt Allen under undisclosed terms.

Citadel was sued Feb. 24 over allegations one its radio stations in Providence, R.I., had posted on its website without authorization a Denver Post TSA pat-down photo as part of a caption contest.

Righthaven is the copyright enforcer for the Denver Post and the Las Vegas Review-Journal that since March 2010 has filed 274 lawsuits against bloggers, message board posters and website operators.

Citadel and Allen settled without their attorney ever filing a response to the lawsuit or them commenting publicly on the allegations.

Righthaven happened to sue Citadel about the time it was working on a merger in which it’s being acquired for $2.5 billion.

Read More.

Is Sirius XM Resorting to Secondhand Content?

Fans of Rosie O'Donnell won't have to go cold turkey on Sirius XM Radio.

According to a posting by Rick A. Munarriz at fool.com, the last live installment of Rosie Radio is coming on June 1, but the comedienne's new talk show gig on television will also make its way to satellite radio.

O'Donnell is moving to Oprah Winfrey's OWN this fall. The daily talk show -- Rosie -- will air on Sirius and XM the same day it airs on the struggling cable network.

Yes, it's fair to call OWN a "struggling" network. The collaboration between Discovery Communications and Winfrey's Harpo Productions has been a ratings dud since taking over the Discovery Health Channel back in January. OWN's CEO was booted last week.

Will Sirius XM listeners feel cheated? We don't know how many listeners migrated to satellite radio to catch the 2009 debut of Rosie Radio. Those that did are unlikely to be satisfied with non-exclusive broadcasts of a television show. Premium radio and hand-me-down content aren't compelling bedfellows.

The programming shift also comes just as Sirius XM is weeks away from fulfilling the three-year freeze on primary rates that helped it win regulatory approval for the merger between Sirius and XM. If things go according to plan, Sirius XM will have the freedom to bump its $12.95 monthly rate higher this summer. The move will be harder to justify if proprietary content isn't on the rise.

Read More.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Joe Jonas Fan

Rumored record leak prompts outrage from diehard supporters

Gatecrasher at nydailynews.com reports when an insider at Hollywood Records gave Gregory Littley some scoop about the oldest Jo-Bro, he took to his Twitter account to share the info. "2 Traks from @JoeJonas are leaking this WEEK," he tweeted Monday morning via his @littleylittley account. "They sound like the love child of MGMT and Justin Timberlake."

Bad move.

Littley, director of new media at the design and communications firm International Office, saw his message retweeted nearly 400 times, but he also received 11 death threats from female Joe Jonas fans. They posted his unlisted phone number online and clogged his voice mail with angry messages because they mistakenly thought he was leaking the tracks.

Turns out, Littley hadn't actually heard the songs and he's told the "leaks" are really 10-second snippets that Jonas' label was intentionally putting out to test audience response.

Read More.

Can Online Deliver Red Baron Pizza?

Will Pizza Delivery Chains Cry, ‘Curse You, Red Baron’?

From  Stuart Elliott, Media Decoder NYTimes:
Read More.

A brand of frozen pizza is getting tough with the people who deliver pizzas to consumers’ homes.

Red Baron pan pizza will begin a campaign on Wednesday that takes a bold stance against delivery pizza.

The campaign, by an agency in St. Louis named Cannonball, is going to be waged online rather than on television. Red Baron and Cannonball plan a series of six webisodes, featuring the comedian Howie Mandel, who is perhaps best known for hosting the TV game show “Deal or No Deal.”

Not surprisingly, the campaign riffs off the Mandel game show connection, declaring that Red Baron pan pizza is the “real deal” compared with delivery pizza on attributes like taste, quality, speed and cost....

The webisodes will present Mr. Mandel visiting a family or friends who begin heating up a Red Baron pizza as Mr. Mandel calls a national pizza chain that makes deliveries to place an order.

The Web videos are to show viewers the conversations between the deliverers and Mr. Mandel — with the trade dress, or identifying brand marks, of the chains in question blurred or obscured.

The six webisodes will be available to watch on the Red Baron Facebook page, as well as on YouTube. The plan is for one to be uploaded each Wednesday, through June 15....

The goal of the campaign is to demonstrate how a Red Baron pizza can cost less than a delivered pizza if a consumer takes into account the charges and tips associated with pizza delivery.

WKMK Contacts FCC Over NJ 'Interference'

WEDNESDAY 5/11/11 UPDATE:

Via station's website, WKMK informed 'loyal listeners' they were making 'progress' with the FCC on interference it's 106.3 was experiencing from a mid-town Manahttan translator.

According to the station, the interference was occurring in NJ, Staten Island, Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens. According to the website update:

The FCC has been most helpful in trying to resolve this issue and in an effort to isolate what areas are still affected, they have now requested more “targeted” information as to “exactly where” the affected areas remain. We are particularly interested to see if you are experiencing listening problems in Lower Manhattan, Mid Town Manhattan, Essex County NJ, Hudson County NJ, Union County NJ.

Additionally, we are also interested if any other areas still remain affected and thus with that said, we would like ANYONE STILL EXPERIENCING INTERFERENCE to respond to this request and fill out the information on it's website.

Below is the 60dBu Coverage Contour for the translator W293BU:

ORIGINAL POSTING 5/10/11:


106.3 FM WKMK in Eatontown, NJ says it has contacted the FCC about listener reported interference from a translot currently carrying audio programmed by Clear Channel.  CC is using a moved-in 100-watt translator at 106.3 FM in mid-Manahattan. Reportedly, CC has a deal to simulcast an HD-2channel and for the past week or so has been rotating a format from its iHeartRadio programming.

The Press-owned WKMK is also taking it case to it listeners, posting the following on its website:

To our Loyal Thunder 106 Listeners! We are aware that many of our listeners in the Counties of Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Bergen, Essex, Hudson as well as Staten Island, Brooklyn, Long Island and Lower Manhattan are experiencing interference with our Thunder 106.3 signal.

We have become aware that a New York radio station is sending out a signal that is on the same106.3 FM frequency. We have already contacted the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) about the interference and are making every attempt to have the interference stopped immediately. In the meantime we could use your help.

Please fill out the form below and provide your information to us. By doing so we will be able to advise the FCC on how and where this interference is affecting YOU, our LOYAL LISTENER.

Another Realignment At Clear Channel

OUT:  George Toulas, Dave Crowl and Tom Thon

PROMOTED:  Tom McConnell, Hartley Adkins, Matt Martin

Get the news from John Hogan just as CC employees got it..in a memo:

Good afternoon, all:

Over the last several months we have been reviewing our regional clusters with a view toward how we might better operate these clusters, given the unique aspects of their market size, competitive situations, the continually changing environment and in thinking of them not simply as radio stations but as widely distributed local businesses which face similar challenges.  We are now prepared to begin developing an overall strategy for how those businesses might best be operated to ensure the greatest opportunity for audience growth, revenue growth, and the highest possible profitability and efficiency.

Because this plan will effectively serve to reinvent how these businesses are run, and as it will represent a significant departure from how we’ve run those businesses in the past, we’ll be making some personnel changes surrounding it. George Toulas, Executive Vice President of Operations for Regional Markets, and Dave Crowl and Tom Thon, Senior Vice Presidents of Operations for these regions will be leaving the company.  We thank each of them for the contributions they have made to Clear Channel Radio over the years, and we wish them well.

Market Managers Tom McConnell (Boston#, Hartley Adkins #Washington, DC and Baltimore# and Matt Martin #San Antonio) will each be promoted to the position of Senior Vice President of Operations.  Tom will have responsibility for the Northeast market, Hartley will oversee the Southeast market, and Matt will be responsible for the West.  In addition, they will also work closely with me, regional market leaders and a small group of senior CCR executives to develop and implement our plan for reinventing regional market operations. Each will also play a larger strategic role within the company going forward.

As Clear Channel Radio continues to grow its leadership position within the industry, we believe that it’s critical to be able to elevate our high performers in a way that both indicates our appreciation for their abilities and performance and draws on their strengths to benefit the company as a whole. We value our regional properties, and believe that with the leadership of Tom, Hartley and Matt, these stations can do even more for their communities, for their audiences, for advertisers, and for Clear Channel Radio.

Please join me in congratulating Tom, Hartley and Matt on their new positions.

Cox Media Group Executive-VP Bob Neil to Retire

Cox Media Group Executive Vice President Bob Neil will retire on May 31 after serving the company for 25 years.

Neil was instrumental in the creation of CMG when Cox Enterprises integrated its direct marketing, newspaper, radio, and TV businesses in 2009.  Neil’s replacement will be announced in the coming weeks, and he has agreed to consult with CMG in a multi-year agreement.

“Bob has contributed enormously to the success of our CMG properties with his brilliant programming, research and content skills,” said CMG President Doug Franklin.  “His leadership over radio for 19 years is evident in the quality stations and employees we have across our network.”

For the past two years as executive vice president, Neil has overseen various radio, television, newspaper, digital and research operations within CMG.  In addition, he served as president of Cox Radio and also had responsibility for CMG Research, which under his leadership began supporting CMG’s newspaper and TV properties.

“Cox is an amazing company, and it starts at the top with Jim Kennedy, Jimmy Hayes and Doug Franklin,” said Neil.  “Being part of the CMG start-up has been a once in a lifetime experience.  It’s been a privilege to work with our folks at the best radio stations, television stations and newspapers in America.   I look forward to continuing to contribute.”

Prior to his current position, Neil served as president and chief executive officer of Cox Radio, Inc. from 1996 to 2009. He joined Cox in 1986 as station manager of Atlanta’s WSB-AM/FM, and in 1988 was named vice president and general manager of Tampa’s WWRM-FM.  From 1989 to 1992 he was vice president and general manager of WSB-AM/FM, and from 1992 to 1996 served as executive vice president-radio of Cox Broadcasting.  He was named president and chief executive officer of Cox Radio, Inc. in 1996, when it became a public company, and served until 2009, when he began serving in his current position.

Union Wants Same Raise As WaPo Publisher

Business Week photo

Union leaders representing newsroom and other employees at The Washington Post want the same 16.4% pay raise that Publisher Katharine Weymouth received this year, according to a message to rank-and-file members that also criticized management contract demands regarding holidays and salary issues, report Joe Strupp in a story at mediamatters.org.

The salary request occurred during this week's first round of contract negotiations. The Guild's current contract with the Post expires on June 7, 2011.

In a bulletin to members issued late Thursday, the Washington Baltimore Newspaper Guild Local 32035 declared: "After at least three years of doing much more with less, the Guild is asking for a 16.4 percent across-the-board pay increase  -- exactly the amount given to the Post's publisher this year."

A March SEC filing by the Post revealed the 16.4% pay hike for Weymouth, who has been publisher since 2008. It also stated that Weymouth received a substantial performance bonus last year:

In 2010, Ms. Weymouth was paid $537,000 in base salary and received a bonus of $483,750 based on the achievement of pre-established 2010 performance goals. In addition, Ms. Weymouth received $1,053,441 based on achieving pre-established goals under the WP Media Three-Year Long-Term Incentive Plan and a payment of $72,000 for her 2,400 vested Performance Units in the 2007-2010 Award Cycle.. Effective April 1, 2011, Ms. Weymouth's base salary will increase to $625,000.

Read More.

TX Radio Personality Steve Gehrlein Passes

Popular San Antonio car expert and radio personality Steve Gehrlein has passed away, according to a story by Jasck Dennis at examiner.com.

Gerhlein, the owner of Cambridge Auto Center on Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio, was known for his friendly personality and sense of humor.

Gehrlein, 62, hosted “The Automotive Show” on weekends at KTSA Radio and was listened by tens of thousands of South Texans.

Author of “Save $$$ on Car Repairs,” Gehrlein offered trustworthy tips to consumers he helped avoid overspending or being ripped off from mechanic scams.

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and 150th District Court has even recognized him as an expert, with Gehrlein testifying in over 250 court cases involving automobile claims.

Read More.

Video Promo: 'The Far Right vs. The Far Left'

From talk host Tom Becka, 1110 AM KFAB Omaha a show promo you won't tune out!

Departing Vieira: My Husband ‘is in good health’

                            From left, Al Roker, Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Natalie Morales

Meredith Vieira addressed rumors about her reason for leaving Today during a press conference held Monday morning, saying that articles speculating about the health of her husband, who has multiple sclerosis, “diminished” her, according to a story by Vidya Rao at today.com.

“There’s so much speculation in the press recently [about] ‘poor Meredith with her invalid husband’ and I want to set the record straight on that,” she said. “My husband Richard is in good health, and that’s part of the reason I want to leave right now because …  I want to be there with him and I want to have fun and I want to appreciate our time together and not have to punch a clock so much. It diminished him, those articles, and it diminished me.”

Vieira said that the decision to walk away from Today was a tough one, and that conversations about the move began in January, when Jeff Zucker stepped down as the CEO of NBC Universal.

Read More.

Today Welcomes Savannah Guthrie

Tornado Relief Radio-Telethon raises $533,000

Life changed for the Hunstville-Tennessee Valley on April 27, 2011. When the sun came up on April 28 it revealed a disaster of epic proportions. Loved ones lost, homes obliterated and neighborhoods wiped off the map.

On May 6, 2011the rallying cry of neighbor helping neighbor rang out as ringing phones. The Taking Action for the Tennessee Valley: Tornado Relief Telethon kicked off at 4:30am and continued long after 11:00 p.m. During the telethon stories were shared, tears flowed, and donations poured in. The day ended with an amazing total, $533,000.

“Today showed why the Tennessee Valley is one of the best places to live in the country,” Stan Pylant, WHNT NEWS 19 President, General Manager said, “Our community gave with their hearts.”

WHNT NEWS 19 partnered with Clear Channel's WDRM 102.1 FM in Decatur, AL. to promote and broadcast the day long telethon,including a Tornado Relief special airing from 6:30 to 8:00pm. There were live performances including former Alabama band member, Teddy Gentry with his new band Rockit City, singer Bradley Walker, Marty Raybon and other local musicians. During the event, big checks were presented and memories were shared from four of our hardest hit communities. The special ended with a candlelight vigil broadcast live from DeKalb, Franklin, Madison counties and at the WHNT NEWS 19 studios. A virtual vigil was held on WHNT NEWS 19’s Facebook page.

"The response to our relief drive has been simply amazing.” WHNT News Director and Station Manager, Denise Vickers, commented on the telethon. “I believe it's a testament to the giving spirit of people during a time of great tragedy. Thank you for helping us 'get results' for those who need it most."

All donations were made to the American Red Cross and will stay in the Tennessee Valley.

Millenium's NJ Stations Acquired By Oaktree Capital

Millennium Radio, owner of seven radio stations in southern New Jersey, said Monday it plans to sell its stations to an investor group based in California.

According to a story by Elaine Rose at pressofaltanticcity.com, the details of the sale to Oaktree Capital Management of Los Angeles were not disclosed. The sale is contingent on approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

Millennium Radio had been in financial difficulties for several years after it ran up debt by overpaying for its radio stations, industry analysts said.

Plans for Millennium's 11 New Jersey stations were not announced.

Talk station WKXW-FM 101.5, heard in most of the state, is Millennium's flagship station.

Millennium CEO Bill Saurer said in a statement Monday that the company will benefit from a strong financial position and solid cash flow as a result of the sale.

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iNet Radio Ushers Rebirth of Local Airwaves

Video may have killed the radio star, but some New Yorkers are breathing life back into the airwaves. “I used to listen to the radio as a kid,” said Williamsburg Web developer Chris Edwards, 29. “Then overnight, every DJ played the same set. I stopped listening to radio.”

What was lacking, he tells Emily Anne Epstein at metro.us, was a sense of community. Then Edwards discovered East Village Radio, an Internet radio station that broadcasts from a tiny storefront on First Avenue at First Street.

“They play genres you wouldn’t normally hear,” Edwards said. He now tunes in several hours a week.

EVR general manager Peter Ferraro told Metro he has watched the station grow from a pirate radio operation in 2003 to a full-fledged Web station that now reaches over 90,000 listeners a day.

There are 98 traditional radio stations in the New York metro area. Meanwhile, hundreds of Internet radio stations like EVR and Barnard College’s WBAR have all rapidly increased listenership in the last few years.

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Live365 Intros Pro Talk Radio Package

(PRNewswire) Live365, the world's most diverse Internet radio network and provider of premier broadcasting services, announces the launch of its new professional talk radio package. Talk radio enthusiasts now have an opportunity to broadcast their voice to a global audience using Live365's extensive distribution network and complete suite of easy-to-use broadcasting tools.

Live365's latest professional package delivers superior sound quality, no listener caps, and distribution on multiple platforms including mobile (iPhone, Android) and audio devices (TiVo, WD players).

The Live365 talk radio package allows users to choose between two broadcasting options, including one that offers full music royalty coverage. With the royalty-covered option, broadcasters can play music worry-free throughout their shows. From DJ novices to professional talk bloggers, the Live365 talk broadcasting package allows anyone to get their message heard.

"Live365 is excited to introduce our latest professional broadcasting package," said Jason Stoddard, Director of Broadcasting Sales. "The talk radio package delivers not only a powerful new social platform for talk enthusiasts and bloggers, but also helps bring new, diverse content to our base of three million listeners."

To learn more about talk radio broadcasting on Live365, visit: http://www.live365.com/pro/talk.

Whitney Houston Checks Back Into Rehab

The singer, who has struggled with addiction for years, is undergoing treatment in an outpatient program for drug and alcohol treatment, according to a story by christina Everett at nydailynews.com.

The 47-year-old is said to have voluntarily checked herself into treatment to support her "longstanding" recovery process.

In 2004, Houston entered rehab for substance abuse. Before admitting her problems, she had dismissed rumors of her drug use in a now-infamous sitdown interview with Diane Sawyer.

"Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack," Houston said at the time. "Let's get that straight, okay? I don't do crack. I don't do that. Crack is whack."

Houston received treatment again in 2005 under the order of her mother, Cissy Houston, who petitioned a Georgia court to order the singer to rehab.

Marking her return to music with a comeback album in 2009, Houston declared herself healthy and clean.

However, her 2010 tour overseas was plagued with problems.

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Meredith Vieira: 'It's A Difficult Day For Me'

Official: Viera To Leave Today in June, Ann Curry named co-anchor

After nearly five years as co-anchor of TODAY, Meredith Vieira has decided to leave the show in June. Ann Curry will take her place as co-anchor of America’s No. 1 morning show alongside Matt Lauer. Meredith will continue in a new role at NBC News, with an official announcement in the coming months.

Today’s current third hour co-host, Natalie Morales, has been named news anchor, and NBC News White House correspondent and msnbc anchor Savannah Guthrie will be co-host of the third hour of Today. The new anchor team will debut in June.

From The '60s: John Walker Dies at 67

Founding member of the Walker Brothers

John Walker, one of the founders of the Walker Brothers, has died at the age of 67, according to an article at the guardian.co.uk.

The songwriter, vocalist and guitarist, who played a pivotal role in the band, which scored huge commercial success in the 1960s and 1970s with songs such as Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Any More), passed away at his Los Angeles home.

He had liver cancer.



Born John Maus, he and the other two unrelated members of the group, Scott Engel and Gary Leeds, adopted the Walker Brothers name after their formation in 1964.

His spokeswoman said: "Sadly John passed away yesterday morning Californian time, after a six-month battle with liver cancer."

In a mirror image of sorts to the British pop invasion of the US in 1960s, the band's fame flourished after travelling to the UK during the same decade.

The official John Walker website said it was with "deepest sadness" that it had to report the musician passed away.

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Morning Joe's Mika: Almost Quit Over Gender Pay Gap

MSNBC Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski has revealed she almost quit the show because she was earning far less than her male colleagues. Brzezinski makes the revelations in her new book, 'Knowing Your Value', in which she discusses how women can negotiate the salary they're worth.

Maddow Leads NBC News Video Consumption

The Rachel Maddow Show enjoys the highest degree of engagment, meaning minutes spent per month, among all the NBC News and MSNBC news programs, according to MSNBC.com president Charles Tillinghast, in this inteview with Beet.TV.

Part of its success has been from an online/offline strategy, involving high degree of interactivity around Apps and social media, Tillinghast explains in this video.

Is Robin Quivers Leaving 'Howard Stern Show'?

Howard Stern's sidekick Robin Quivers may not be on his Sirius-XM satellite radio show for much longer, according to a story by Courtney Hazlett, for today.com.

In an exclusive interview with Radar Online, Quivers said that she may soon leave to do her own thing. "I love to do radio and television and I've always wanted my own television show, so I've been putting out feelers for those kinds of things," she told the website.

And she apparently already has a goal in mind: to potentially replace Oprah as the queen of daytime TV. (The final episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airs May 25.) "Let's hope," she replied when asked if she was angling to replace Winfrey.

"It will be like a talk show, but with subjects that I'd be interested in," Quivers told Radar of her television plans. "I think I have some interesting things to say and I don't think anybody out there is saying them."

Stern signed a new five-year deal in December with Sirius-XM, but had said that the rest of the cast would be negotiating their own contracts. Not long after, Quivers announced her own deal on the show: "I have decided ... after a long and very wonderful association with this show for almost 30 years ... that it's time ... It is my decision to go out ... after this next five years!"

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Clark, Clear Channel Part Ways

Comedian leaves WPYX after newspaper article

Radio personality and comedian Eddie Clark and Clear Channel Communications came to a decision to part ways on Friday following a meeting between the two sides, according to a story by Tom Quinlan at
timesunion.com.

The former co-host of 106.5 WPYX's "Wakin' Up With The Wolf" weekday morning program had recently done an interview with the Times Union which appeared in Friday's sports section and was not reported to Clear Channel Communications before it was published, a violation of company rules according to Clark.

But Clark was quick to point out that Clear Channel Communications specifically told him this was not the reason which ultimately led to Clark and the company's separation. Clear Channel Communications was not available for comment.

"At the end of the day, they did what they had to do," said Clark, who said he harbors no ill feelings toward his former employer.

Clark is also currently appearing on WOFX Sunday mornings on the nationally syndicated "Race Day On Fox" program.

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