Fred Winston Returns F/T To WLS-FM

In a seismic shift involving four of radio’s best known voices, Fred Winston moves in to afternoons, Brant Miller returns to mornings, Greg Brown moves up to middays, and Scott Shannon moves out at oldies WLS-FM(94.7).

According to Robert Feder at timeoutchicago.com, all four moves, announced Friday, mark a wholesale realignment of the Cumulus Media station’s daytime lineup.

Winston, a Chicago radio legend who first joined sister station WLS-AM (890) in 1971 when it was a Top 40 powerhouse, has been working weekends on WLS-FM since late August. Starting Monday, he’ll be on from 2:30 to 6pm Monday through Friday.

“Fred personifies WLS,” said Jan Jeffries, senior vice president of programming for Cumulus Media and program director of WLS-FM. “He is back where he belongs in the driver's seat every afternoon.”

LISTEN HERE

Winston, who’d been sidelined since June 2005 when CBS Radio switched WJMK-FM (104.3) from oldies to Jack FM, said he was eager to return. "I'm proud to be joining the best team in radio today,” he said in a statement. “I'm so excited that Jan Jeffries and Cumulus brought me onboard to reintroduce myself to Chicago, afternoons on WLS-FM."

Miller, who previously hosted mornings on WLS-FM, returns Monday to join co-host Marti Jones from 5 to 10am weekdays. On Thursday, the station parted company with Dave Fogel after more than two years as morning personality.

Read More Here.

Goodbye 'Car Talk,' Hello 'Everywhere' Radio?

From Sophie Schechter at minyanville.com:

The famous "Car Talk" brothers are shutting down their beloved public radio show, but this does not mark the end of the radio era, say executives. 

After 35 years of supplying advice and laughter to roughly 3.3 million listeners via 660 radio stations per week, NPR’s hit series Car Talk will stop producing new shows this month.  

The radio talk show, hosted by brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, has been “culturally right up there with Mark Twain and the Marx Brothers," according to Doug Berman, executive producer of Car Talk. But despite the show's 25 years of success and timeless quality, , hosts Tom, 74, and Ray, 63, have decided -- due to their advancing ages --  that it is “time to get even lazier." 

NPR has announced that Car Talk will cease producing new episodes at the end of September, so presumably this weekend, but the station will continue to broadcast reruns of Car Talk until, we assume, the show stops bringing in listeners. Car Talk reruns will run on NPR often, but not necessarily in the same prime time slots. "We're hoping to be like I Love Lucy” and air ten times a day on NPR at Nite in 2075," Tom told ABC World News. 

The premise of Car Talk is simple: The two mechanics dispense wisdom -- regarding car problems, primarily, but also about relationship issues sparked by automobile malfunctions -- to individual callers across the US and Canada. However, Tom and Ray are not your average mechanics. Both graduates of MIT, the brothers decided to open up a DIY car shop originally named Hackers Haven in 1973, selling car parts to non-mechanics while also teaching lay people how to install the equipment. When this operation proved unsuccessful, the brothers decided to open up a classic repair shop they called Good News Garage in 1977. 

That same year, WBUR, an NPR affiliate in Boston, asked the Magliozzi brothers to sit on a panel of automobile specialists. It was from this one-time appearance that NPR discovered the duo and their ability to mix auto advice with comedy. Soon after, the show Car Talk came to life. Hosts Ray and Tom took on the nicknames Click and Clack, in homage to the old, worn-out vehicles discussed on the program. Their ability to diagnose issues based on general descriptions and, in many cases, sound effects, was uncanny. 

In their 35 years on the radio and 25 years at NPR, the Magliozzi brothers have become a staple in the lives of many radio listeners, even among urbanites who don't drive or even own vehicles. “Grim news indeed,” said one fan in a Tweet after hearing that Car Talk would no longer be airing new episodes come fall. He continued, “I am mourning Click and Clack’s announcement on several levels. Most obviously, the retirement leaves a gaping void in the NPR community.” 

So what does the end of Car Talk mean in the age of new media?

Read More Here.

Also Must Read:

Content Kings from Jacobs Media.  Replacing aging talent, Click Here.

Report: Apple's Planned Internet Radio Service Hits Snag

A Pandora-like streaming music service from Apple reportedly remains in limbo after talks with Sony hit what has been called a "last-minute snag."

Katie Marsal at appleinsider.com is reporting the details come from "sources close to the situation" who spoke with the New York Post. They said that Sony/ATV, the world's largest music publisher, couldn't reach an agreement wih Apple on a per-song rights fee.

Such rights are usually a fraction of a cent per stream, but Sony/ATV was allegedly seeking a higher royalty rate from Apple.

But Apple is seeking more flexible licensing than the deals that the current dominant Internet radio service, Pandora, has inked with record labels. Apple's licenses would allow users to play a selected artist more times than Pandora, and would allow the company to point people to the iTunes Store to generate music sales.

Read More Here.

WGST Update: Now Airing ESPN Deportes

UPDATE 3pm Friday: After Rush Limbaugh finished up his show at 3 p.m.  News/Talk WGST-AM was no more.   Instead, 640 began airing ESPN Deportes. (Clear Channel also operates a Hispanic music station on the FM side at 105.3 called El Patron.)

Earlier Posting.....

After two years on afternoons at 640 WGST-AM, conservative talk show host Rusty Humphries received an unexpected call early Wednesday.

"I was told there was a full format flip, and they were not going to continue in the news talk biz," Humphries told 11Alivereporter Jennifer Leslie. "But I don't know anything more than that. Honestly, they didn't tell me anything."

After the morning drive on Wednesday, local news and talk disappeared on WGST. Humphries last show was Tuesday.

He expects the station will move to a Spanish sports talk format after losing a ratings king Rush Limbaugh to 750 WSB-AM.  WGST has been news talk since the 1980s.

"For me personally, I was planning to leave anyway. My contract was up in another month. I decided I wasn't going to stay."

Family matters were already pulling Humphries away from Atlanta, but he's not going off the air. He does a separate syndicated show that reaches four million listeners on 280 radio stations across the country every night.

Today is the last day for Rush on 640. He to WSB’s simulcast news/talk format  on Monday.

Read More Here.

ALSO MUST HEAR: 
Cox Media VP/Market Manager Ben Reed talks about changes to N/T WSB.  Click Here.

In Changing News Landscape, Even TV is Vulnerable

Trends in News Consumption: 1991-2012

The transformation of the nation’s news landscape has already taken a heavy toll on print news sources, particularly print newspapers. But there are now signs that television news – which so far has held onto its audience through the rise of the internet – also is increasingly vulnerable, as it may be losing its hold on the next generation of news consumers.

Online and digital news consumption, meanwhile, continues to increase, with many more people now getting news on cell phones, tablets or other mobile platforms. And perhaps the most dramatic change in the news environment has been the rise of social networking sites. The percentage of Americans saying they saw news or news headlines on a social networking site yesterday has doubled – from 9% to 19% – since 2010. Among adults younger than age 30, as many saw news on a social networking site the previous day (33%) as saw any television news (34%), with just 13% having read a newspaper either in print or digital form.

These are among the principal findings of the Pew Research Center’s biennial news consumption survey, which has tracked patterns in news use for nearly two decades. The latest survey was conducted May 9-June 3, 2012, among 3,003 adults.

The proportion of Americans who read news on a printed page – in newspapers and magazines – continues to decline, even as online readership has offset some of these losses. Just 23% say they read a print newspaper yesterday, down only slightly since 2010 (26%), but off by about half since 2000 (47%).

The decline of print on paper spans beyond just newspapers. The proportion reading a magazine in print yesterday has declined over the same period (26% in 2000, 18% today). And as email, text messaging and social networking become dominant forms of communication, the percentage saying they wrote or received a personal letter the previous day also has fallen, from 20% in 2006 to 12% currently. There has been no decrease in recent years in the percentage reading a book on a typical day, but a growing share is now reading through an electronic or audio device.

Read More Here.

Michael Savage Off TRN, Free To Work New Deal

Conservative talker Michael Savage is off the air after winning an arbitration ruling in a dispute with the Talk Radio Network.

His attorney. Daniel Horowitz,  indicates talks are already underway with a new network to distribute the Savage Nation.  However, a posting on Savage’s website stated he “will not be heard on the radio for some time.”

Talker’s magazine estimates the Savage Nation listenership at more than 8 million people listen to Savage’s show each week, placing him behind only Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity in ratings.

AP sent an email  to Oregon-based Talk Radio Network which was not immediately returned. Savage’s bio and name already have been removed from the company’s website.

Horowitz told the AP Savage has been fighting the network for two years to get out a contract that was 10 years old. Horowitz said the agreement lacked protections afforded to artists and entertainers under California law, and tied Savage to Talk Radio Network indefinitely.

Savage spent more than $900,000 fighting his case but was awarded more than $1 million in arbitration. The agreement also calls for Savage to be able to obtain all archived tapes of his show.

Phil & Brent Leaving KMOD Tulsa

UPDATE 11/23/12: Sad news to report Phil Stones passed award 11/21/12. For posting, click here.


Original posting...

No Contract Extension

Phil and Brent, hosts of the Morning Drive on KMOD for the past 25 years, announced on Thursday morning their last day on the air will be Friday, October 12^th, according to a report by fox23.com.

The raucous pair received regional and national fame in the early 90’s with the invention of the character Roy D. Mercer. The larger than life good ol’ boy would prank call unsuspecting victims, triggering laughs with catchphrases like “How big a boy are ya?”

Brent Douglas and Phil Stone took Mercer to the nation later in the 90’s when they released the sketches with Capitol Records.

KMOD Operations Manager Don “DC” Christi issued a statement on their pending departure today.

“They have meant so much to me as the Program Director of KMOD, our listeners, our clients and decades of fellow employees, that I find myself speechless and lacking the proper level of hyperbole to sum up their exit,” said Christi.

According to another report Clear Channel management could not reach a mutual agreement on a contract extension with Phil & Brent. Details for the new morning show will be announced soon.

Read More Here.

Dukes Out, Solomon In At KFNC Houston

Radio's Revolving Door:  KFNC (97.5 FM) midday hosts Fred Faour and A.J. Hoffman will move to afternoon drive to replace departing host Carl Dukes, and Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon will return to the ESPN affiliate to host a midday show, station owner David Gow said Thursday.

According to the TV & Radio blog at blog.chron/com, Dukes, who joined KFNC in March 2008, is leaving Houston to join CBS Radio’s WCGZ-FM in Atlanta, Gow said. Faour and Hoffman, who have cohosted at middays since May 2010, will move to the 4-7 p.m. slot while Tepper, the station’s program director, will move from the afternoon show to middays to work with Solomon, who hosted a show on the station in 2007-2008.

“Fred and A.J. have been ready for afternoon drive, and we think listeners will enjoy them in that time slot,” Gow said. “We are delighted to add Jerome. He’s one of the top voices in sports in this market.”

Gow, who also owns KGOW (1560 AM) and Yahoo! Sports Radio, recently acquired KFNC in a bankruptcy auction after the station was placed into Chapter 11 by its former owner, Cumulus Media.

Also Thursday, CBS Sports Radio said it will assume distribution of the Jim Rome Show next year. Rome’s show will now air on the new network beginning Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Other Comings & Goings...

• Oldies WLS-F Chicago says goodbye morning man Dave Fogel, morning co-host Marti Jones stays on, and she'll be joined by Tom O’Toole.

• Hot AC KSTP (KS95)/Minneapolis AM Driver Trey Barber exits.

• Jeff Andrews, APD at Cumulus Oldies WLS-FM/Chicago, is named PD/afternoon host at CHR sister KCHZ/Kansas City. Andrews, who starts on October 15, takes over for Maurice DeVoe who segued to CHR sister KLIF/Dallas.

Report: 'Happy Endings' Parties Planned For Neil Boortz

Rodney Ho at ajc.com is reporting a bash for “The Talkmaster” Neil Boortz is set for Jan. 12, about a week before his official departure from four decades of radio shows. It will feature comedian Jeff Foxworthy and guests Herman Cain, who will replace Boortz in January; his buddy and syndicated talk show host Sean Hannity; WSB talk show host Erick Erickson, also editor of Redstate.com, and consumer advocate Clark Howard. The band Banks and Shane, one of Boortz’s favorite acts and good friends, will perform.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at ticketalternative.com. Prices range from $35 to $100.

Belinda Skelton, Boortz’s longtime producer, said there will be surprise guests as well. “We were working on this before his retirement announcement was made in June, How many times does a larger-than-life person like Neal retire like this?”

Farewell events also are planned in Tulsa, Okla., Jacksonville, Orlando and Dayton, Ohio, cities where Boortz’s syndicated show has been on the air since the early years of syndication in the 1990s.

Read More Here.

What To Do About Public Radio’s Ratings Slide?

NPR Has PPM Dilemma

From Mike Janssen, from current.org. 

Now that Arbitron’s new ratings methodology is providing consistent and crunchable year-to-year data on radio listening, public radio programmers and producers are getting a clearer picture of listening trends — and it’s not a cheerful one. 

Cume and average–quarter-hour audience for NPR News stations has been falling for a year, according to NPR data. AQH began falling in 2008, after stations in the top 48 markets began the switch from diary to Portable People Meter ratings. Weekly cumes remained relatively consistent through spring 2011, then began a sharp decline. The slides have been driven in part by a fall-off in drivetime listening. 

Strategies to reverse the drop-offs were a focus of discussion during the Public Radio Program Directors conference in Las Vegas Sept. 11–14. 

“Flat seems to be the new up,” said J.J. Yore, g.m. of Marketplace, referring to public radio’s scaled-down ambitions. The comment drew laughter from a gathering of news/talk programmers.

The session was convened by Jeff Hansen, p.d. of KUOW in Seattle, who argued that public radio needs to renew the systemwide discussion about how to draw more listeners on the platform that has traditionally defined it. 

Arbitron’s gradual switch from paper diaries to Portable People Meters, which concluded in 2010, threw off measurements on a national basis and made it difficult for local programmers to analyze their ratings until they had year-to-year PPM data. The numbers are in, and programmers are just beginning to ponder what to do about them. 

“I’m not hearing any ideas within the system about how to grow the radio audience,” Hansen told Current after the conference. “In fact, it almost seems like we’re not interested in growing the audience.” 

At the conference, Hansen argued that public radio stations can make the most headway by fixing a condition that has long persisted, even in times of audience growth: the relative drop in listening between Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Since newsmagazines perform better than anything else on weekdays, the solution may be to fill middays with similar programs, Hansen said. That would constitute a shift from the current strategy of using mostly one-hour talk and interview shows, which are less expensive to produce than newsmagazines.

Read More Here.

Study: Dayparting A Valuable Tool For Most Media

Ad Relevance and Improving ROI

A new study conducted by The Media Audit begins to reveal that dayparting, a practice common among TV and radio broadcasters, can be an effective way for advertisers wanting to reach different demographic segments throughout the day.

For example, findings from The Media Audit's 2011 National Report reveal that as the consumer marketplace is constantly expanding and fragmenting, so too are habits of TV viewers and radio listeners. Analysis conducted among more than 104,000 respondents across 81 U.S. cities reveals that the percent of adults 18+ who are viewing primetime television in a typical day is 62.1%, a figure that is down from 64.2% three years ago.  Primetime is the most coveted of dayparts by advertisers, and represents the 7 or 8pm to 10 or 11pm time period, depending on the network and time zone. The shift in TV viewing has often been associated with consumer multi-tasking and the explosive growth in the Internet and social media.

However, the same study also finds that the percentage of viewers who are watching TV during early morning and late evening have increased over the same time period. Among adults 18+, 25% typically watch TV early morning between 5 and 7am, compared to 23.7% three years ago. The figure represents a 5% jump.  In the late evening slot, the percent of viewers 18+ who are viewing between 10:30 or 11:30 pm to midnight or 1am (depending on time zone) is 19.3%, compared to 18.2% three years ago. The figure represents a growth in viewership by 6% in three years. The growth in early morning TV viewership among the 50+ demographic is even greater. Among those 50+, 29.3% view early morning TV in the typical day, a figure that is up 6.5% in three years, while 20.2% are viewing during late night in a typical day; a figure that is up 6.9% in three years.

FYI reported earlier this year that among radio listeners, the percent who are listening between midnight and 5am had jumped 10% between 2009 and 2010, with nearly half of listeners who are between the ages of 18 and 44. While some may discard the value of overnight radio spots, advertisers targeting to a narrow consumer segment such as young males may find a higher value.

For instance, a radio advertiser targeting upscale consumers who earn greater than $150,000 in household income would potentially find a higher ROI in buying afternoon drive time slots. That's because according to The Media Audit, 54.4% of individuals with a household income of $150,000 or more are tuning into radio between 3pm and 7pm on a typical day. The figure compares to 41.4% for all adults. As a result, those earning $150,000 or more in household income are 31% more likely than the general population to listen to radio during this time frame.

Read More Here.

The Beach Boys’ Bad Vibrations

Wouldn't it be nice...if the Beach Boys could finally all get along?

Alas, as reported by omg.yahoo.com,  it appears that the beloved icons--who have a long history of inter-band ups and downs--are not destined for peace in this lifetime. After delighting fans this year with a 50th anniversary reunion tour and album including revered frontman Brian Wilson, Mike Love has dropped a bomb on three of his surviving bandmates: He's going to continue touring without them. Under the name "The Beach Boys."

Read More Here.

Jim Nantz Visits Don Geronmino On 1140 The Fan

Jim Nantz, who is calling the Oakland/Denver game this weekend with Phil Simms, talks about living in California now, being on Madden 13, getting to call the Super Bowl, Masters, and NCAA Final Four this year, and how ready he thinks the real NFL officials will be this week.

Report: Mimi Griswold To Retire From Galaxy in Syracuse

Cnyradio.com is reporting, Mimi Griswold has announced plans to retire from her duties as Vice President of Programming for Syracuse-based radio operator Galaxy Communications at the end of this year. She cited some recent events in her personal life. Griswold will continue to host Blue Moon Cafe, and she’ll serve as a programming consultant.

Griswold was hired in 1992 to program K-Rock, when it started as WKLL in the Utica-Rome market. When Galaxy expanded into the Syracuse market a year later, she saw the expansion of K-Rock to 100.9 WKRL, and she also oversaw programming for TK99 (WTKW). Griswold was promoted to her current position as VP of Programming in 1998.

Ed Levine, President and CEO of Galaxy, said Griswold “helped lead our growth from one radio station in the back of a diner to fourteen radio stations and a position as one of the nation’s leading independent broadcasters. I’m just thankful that she will continue to be on the air with Blue Moon Cafe as well as having access to her programming knowledge by being a consultant to Galaxy.”

Read More Here.

Why Is Pinterest Poking Around In TV Land?

The battle for the living room is on, with tech giants Apple, Google, and Microsoft, and social kings Facebook and Twitter all jockeying for your attention on the TV screen. But the war for the first-screen (Xbox, Apple TV) and second-screen experiences (on your smartphone or tablet) is only beginning in earnest, with upstarts such as GetGlue and Shazam entering the space everyday. Could Pinterest soon be throwing its hat in the ring too?

Austin Carr at Fast Company has learned that the interest-sharing and soon-to-be e-commerce platform, which enables users to "pin" and share photo-tagged items online, has recently met with various TV networks. So far we've been able to confirm that MTV, VH1, and Bravo are in the mix, though more are likely involved. While it's too early to say what such meetings could yield, they serve as a sign of the two-year-old startup's increasing interest in brands and media. But what would Pinterest TV look like, should such a thing exist?

"We met with Pinterest, and they were asking us where we thought the connection between Pinterest and TV could be," says Lisa Hsia, Bravo’s EVP of digital. "It was interesting. I was like, 'Wow, I never really thought of Pinterest [with TV].' I was just happy to get a meeting with Pinterest."

Of course, before getting too excited about the potential for such a partnership, it's important to note that it's not uncommon for a startup, especially one that's growing at as fast a clip as Pinterest, to take all kinds of meetings, as a spokesperson for Pinterest was quick to point out.

Read More Here.

Can Your Dad Or Gramps Rap?

83-year-old rapper Kwayzar performs his YouTube hit "I Can Still Do It" live at What's Trending studios.

Kwayzar may be old, but he's still got swag. After being popularized by Reddit, his song "I Can Still Do It" has taken the Internet by storm. Now, Kwayzar performs his hit with beat-boxing courtesy of Kevin from the a capella group Pentatonix. Plus he talks about how he got into the rap game (Ice Cube was a big influence) and his reaction to newfound online infamy. You'll never look at an 83-year-old man the same way again.

Kids To Get Mike Wallace’s $21M Fortune

"60 Minutes" legend Mike Wallace left behind an impressive $21 million fortune to his fourth wife when he died in April at the age of 93.

But Businessinsider.com is reporting Wallace's wife, who he had been married to for the last 25 years of his life, died earlier this month before his will was submitted in court. That means the majority of his estate will now be divvied up in trusts between the four adult children, including Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, and their children.

All of Wallace's "notes, scripts, files, journals, logs, manuscripts, video tapes, movies, photographs, honors, diplomas, awards and all intellectual property rights relating to my professional career" were left to his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

The Revolving Door: Two Off Air In Fresno

Two familiar voices have left the airwaves in Fresno, CA -- one voluntary, one not, according to a story by Rick Bentleny at the fresnobee.com.

John Magic decided to end his time at KBOS (FM 94.9), better known as B95, after 10 years. Magic, who had the 2-7 p.m. weekday shift, has been splitting his time between on-air work and being on the road as a DJ with the Jo Koy tour.

"I'm originally from L.A. and I've been his friend for 12 years. I've always been on tour with him but only on selected dates. We have been doing more and more dates lately and so it was hard to balance both. I finally had to decide which one I wanted to focus on," Magic says.

The Los Angeles native has worked in radio for 16 years and came to Fresno when his program director in Palm Springs, Pattie Moreno, took a job in Fresno a decade ago. He says radio is in his blood, but he had to take this opportunity.

He's been working in radio so long that leaving it -- and Fresno -- was not an easy decision. Although Koy's tour is not scheduled to be in Fresno over the next few months -- they're headed to Australia and Hawaii -- Magic knows he will get back here in the future.

Magic's last day was Wednesday. There's no word on his replacement.

The other loss is at KJWL (FM 99.3), where morning personality and political analyst Feleena Sutton was notified Friday that her days with the local radio station were over.

Although she was only on the radio for six years, the Fresno native has been involved in the community most of her life, including working as a political aide to Jim Costa and Sarah Reyes.

"It just came out of the blue. I was told it wasn't for cause but the station was just going in a different direction," Sutton says of her firing. "This is my first radio job so I'm not sure how it works but I'm told this is the way it happens."

She wouldn't hesitate to go back into radio, but for now she says she will focus on her public affairs firm and being a mother to her 12-year-old daughter. The first Monday off the air was the first time in six years Sutton was able to take her daughter to school.

Read More Here.

Other Comings & Goings:

• Clear Channel Philadelphia Director of Urban Programming Ken Johnson had left the after three years overseeing Urban WUSL (Power 99) and Urban AC WDAS. No replacement yet.

• WRMR (Modern Rock 98.7)/Wilmington, NC MD/afternoon personality Fitz is leaving on October 5 and is headed home to NYC.

• Clear Channel Classic Hits WBIG (Big 100.3)/Washington has filled its APD/afternoon slot with Peter Skyy

• John O'Connell exits as OM/PD of Palm Beach Broadcasting-West Palm Beach

• Bryan Thompson is new at HotAC WAVT Pottsville, PA

• Skeeter Nash added to KIXS, Victoria, TX for AM Drive

Astro's Sportscaster Milo Hamilton Retiring

He was a professional to the end, thanking the fans and the sponsors while trying to keep his emotions in check. 

MLB.com is reporting Milo Hamilton's last game as the Astros' full-time radio play-by-play announcer resulted in a win, which was the one thing he wanted more than anything else.

Hamilton, who is stepping aside after 28 years calling Astros games and nearly 60 years announcing Major League games, was behind the microphone for all nine innings of the Astros' 2-0 win over the Cardinals at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night, and exhibited the kind of passion fans have come to expect in his swan song.

"Whoa, baby, put a blue star all over that!" Hamilton said when the Astros turned a 6-4-3 double play in the ninth.

And when Allen Craig grounded out to Jose Altuve for the last out of the game -- and the final out of Hamilton's career -- the excitement was still there at age 85.

"Astros win the final game at home!" he said.

As fireworks shot off beyond the outfield and team president and CEO George Postolos popped the cork on a bottle of champagne in the radio booth, an era in Houston baseball came to a close.

"Whether it's next year or five years from now or 10 years, we hope to have you back in this booth because this will always be your booth," broadcast partner Brett Dolan said on-air. "Thanks for the memories, and don't be a stranger."

Hamilton, 85, announced in February that this season would be his last behind the microphone for the Astros. He has been in broadcasting for 67 years, including Major League stops in St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Houston.

Read More Here.

WGST’s Rusty Humphries Looks To Future

Talker Rusty Humphries says he decided weeks ago not to renew his contract at Clear Channel’s WGST.  Rusty airs a live, local show during PM in Atlanta while continuing a nationally-syndicated show for the Talk Radio Network. The national shows clear on over 250 stations. He’s also one of the only radio hosts heard on both Sirius and XM satellite radio.

Wednesday’s surprise announcement that, starting 10/1,  Rush Limbaugh would be moving to Cox Media's WSB from WGST, where he’s been heard for years, is causing speculation on the next format for WGST (Comedy?). 

As for the 44-year-old Humphries, he’s posted a Facebook message to fans:

"I decided about a month ago not to extend my soon to be ending contract at WGST. It is always sad to see a news/talk facility such as WGST change to another format but I am grateful for the time I had there and was able to spend doing local radio in Atlanta. The people at Clear Channel are fine people and I enjoyed working with them. For me, the good news is that I will have a lot more time to devote to my nationally syndicated TRN program which is growing by leaps and bounds. Please LIKE my Facebook page to stay in-touch and for BIG announcements coming soon."

Read More Here. 

Armstrong & Getty "Vacation", Suspension Or Ratings Stunt?

UPDATE 9/27/12 2p: A&G Returned to the KSTE air this morning at 6 am (local time) with a Muslim class to prayer.  Listen to their first hour back!

Armstrong & Getty (heard on 650-AM KSTE, Sacramento, CA.) recently went on vacation after they told their listeners to make anti-Mohammad videos and post them on Al-Jazeera's website. The next day, the duo went on vacation and a "best of" show aired Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a story by Joseph Ulibas, at examiner.com.

No doubt this latest incident involving the morning talk show host has brought a lot of local and some national media attention. The anti-Mohammad videos are obviously a reference to the You Tube trailer of the film "Innocence of Muslims" aka "The Innocence of Bin-Laden". The public outcry over the "film's" depiction of the prophet Muhammad and the Islamic religion in general has caused several violent incidents around the Arab region (including an attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya and a suicide bombing in Afghanistan).

Even though Armstrong & Getty went on vacation for a few days, the whole thing seems like a bad taste publicity stunt to boost Clear Channel's ratings. It's an election year and Clear Channel's flagship KFBK and KSTE ratings are down big time. 

Radio stunts like these are all too common.

A&G were due back on-air today at KSTE.

Read More Here.

Rush Limbaugh To Move To WSB Atlanta

Clear Channel's WGST To Change Format

Cox Media Groups’ News/Talk WSB is making a series of changes to its weekday programming schedule.  Effective Oct. 1, 2012, “The Rush Limbaugh Program,” America’s highest rated national radio talk show, will be heard weekdays from noon until 3 p.m. on CMG’s flagship station, Atlanta’s 95.5FM and 750AM News/Talk WSB.

“Rush is America’s No. 1 talk show, and it’s fitting that he will be on the No. 1 news/talk station in America,” said Ben Reed, Vice President and Market Manager for CMG Atlanta.  “With Rush moving to News/Talk WSB, the Neal Boortz Show will now air from 8:30 a.m. until noon.”

News/Talk WSB also announced that it and Sean Hannity have entered a long-term agreement keeping WSB as his Atlanta home.  Hannity is one of the most influential political commentators in America and is host of the most watched news and information program on the Fox News Channel.

“Atlanta’s Evening News” returns weekdays 5 – 7 p.m. with traffic every six minutes led by Captain Herb Emory and the WSB Traffic Team, continuous breaking news, Atlanta’s most accurate and dependable weather with Chief Meteorologist Kirk Mellish and fast-paced, urgent commentary from Erick Erickson on the news Atlanta listeners may have missed while they were working.

Additionally, WSB is proud to continue being Clark Howard’s Atlanta home.  The Clark Howard website has exploded online as the premiere consumer information center of choice for most Americans and continues to grow.  Clark’s radio show moves to evenings in Atlanta, 8 p.m. until 10 p.m.  Simultaneously, Clark adds CMG News/Talker WDBO in Orlando as his live flagship station beginning Oct. 1 from 1 to 3 p.m.  The Clark Howard Show also continues in national syndication on CMG stations WHIO in Dayton, Ohio, WOKV in Jacksonville, Fla. and KRMG in Tulsa, Okla., in addition to some 200 additional affiliates.

 “When we discovered Clark Howard’s 600,000 monthly podcast downloads and the millions of page views to www.clarkhoward.com, we knew the Clark Howard brand had grown much larger than his radio show,” Reed said.  “He’s genuinely an ‘on demand’ product, and his audience routinely goes to his website first."

The News/Talk WSB prime-time schedule effective Oct. 1 includes:

4:30 – 8:30 a.m.          Atlanta’s Morning News with Scott Slade

8:30 a.m. – Noon        Neal Boortz

Noon – 3 p.m.             Rush Limbaugh

3 – 5 p.m.                    Sean Hannity

5 – 7 p.m.                    Atlanta’s Evening News with Erick Erickson

Following the Clark Howard Show at 8 p.m. will be Adam Goldfein at 10 p.m.  Finally, the Dave Ramsey Show moves to midnights and weekends on News/Talk WSB.

Study: How Different Communities Get Local News, Information

Suburbanites Tend To Rely More On Radio

From large urban areas to rural communities, Americans often report similarly high levels of interest in news.

Still, a national survey shows that community differences emerge in the number and variety of local news sources people use in different types of communities, as well as their degree of “local news participation” through social media and their mobile news consumption.

A new report from the Pew Research Center shows that many of the differences in local news consumption emerging from these data reflect the varying demographic compositions of different community types in the U.S. Some differences in the platforms people use might also be tied to the lower overall use of the internet and mobile platforms in small towns and rural areas.

“Interest in community news on all kinds of topics is quite high in every type of community,” noted Kristen Purcell of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, a co-author of the report. “Still, people get local information in different ways depending on the type of community in which they live, and they differ in the degree to which digital and mobile platforms factor into their mix of sources."

Download Full Report, Click Here.

R.I.P.: Andy Williams Dead At 84

Andy Williams discusses his new memoir  and Moon River with ABC News Radio correspondent Bill Diehl.

ALSO MUST READ: Andy Williams dead at 84, Click Here.

According to  John Kiesewetter at Cincinnati.com, Andy Williams lived in Cheviot, Ohio as a teenager and graduated from Western Hills High School. He and his three older brothers came to WLW-AM in 1941, after Chicago’s WLS-AM canceled their radio show. They also had worked for Des Moines’ WHO-AM.

The Williams brothers sang on the 15-minute “Time to Shine” show at 8 a.m. before going to school. Sixty years later, Williams sang the opening theme song for Griffin (shoe) Polish for WVXU-FM’s award-winning “Cincinnati Radio: The Nation’s Station (1921-41)” documentary released in 2001.

 Andy Williams (center, holding microphone) sang with his three older brothers on WLW-AM, Chicago’s WLS-AM and Des Moines’ WHO-AM.

On its website, Country WGNA in Albany, NY reports Mr. Williams actually has a connection to Country Music by way of Ray Stevens and Marie Osmond. In 1970, Ray Stevens hosted a summer replacement show for The Andy Williams Show.  That stint helped launch the hit ‘Everything Is Beautiful,’ that Ray used as the show’s theme song. The song was released on Andy’s record label, Barnaby Records, in addition to the Ray Steven’s classics ‘Misty’ ‘The Streak’ and ‘Turn Your Radio On.’ Jimmy Buffet and The Osmonds also recorded for Andy Williams’ label.

Marie Osmond, another Country hitmaker, also got her start working with Andy Williams. At the age of 3, she made her debut on the Andy Williams Show alongside her brothers, The Osmonds, who were regulars on the show throughout the ’60s.  Marie would later score a No. 1 Country hit in 1973 at the age of 13 with ‘Paper Roses.’  In the ’80s she would return to the top of the Country Music charts with ‘There’s No Stopping Your Heart’ and ‘Meet Me In Montana’ with Dan Seals.

Also Must Read:  Obit in the New York Times, Click Here.

Analysis: Fox News Coverage of Global Warning ‘Misleading’

Primetime coverage of global warming at Fox News is overwhelmingly misleading, according to a new report that finds the same is true of climate change information in the Wall Street Journal op-ed pages.

According to a story by Stephanie Pappas at livescience.com, both outlets are owned by Rupert Murdoch's media company News Corporation. The analysis by the science-policy nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) finds that 93 percent of primetime program discussions of global warming on Fox News are inaccurate, as are 81 percent of Wall Street Journal editorials on the subject.

The researchers found that Fox News and the Journal were consistently dismissive of the established scientific consensus that climate change is happening and that human activities are the main driver. For example, a statement aired on a primetime Fox News show on April 11 says, "I thought we were getting warmer. But in the '70s, it was, look out, we're all going to freeze."

The statement refers to some research in the 1970s that suggested a cooling trend, exacerbated by pollutants called aerosols (also known as smog). However, a greater number of papers, which represented consensus in the science community, in the 1970s predicted warming, according to Skeptical Science, a climate change communication website maintained by University of Queensland physicist John Cook. Temperature records have since improved, revealing the cooling trend was confined to northern landmasses. [10Climate Myths Busted]

The most common climate mistakes on Fox News involved misleading statements on basic climate science, or simple undermining and disparaging of the field of climate science.

Read More Here.

How the Tampa Bay Times Made A Billion Dollar Mistake

From Kelly McBride, Poynter.org

Tampa Bay was buzzing last Friday about a story that the New York-based Blackstone Group would be investing a whopping $1 billion in the local real estate market, buying up homes and holding them as rental properties. 

The headline shouted from the top of the front page of the Poynter-owned Tampa Bay Times, where reporter Drew Harwell had an exclusive. It was the top emailed story on the Times’ website, which quoted the president of what is currently the largest home rental company in Tampa Bay calling it a “a land grab unlike anything we’ve ever seen.” The local business journal noted the incredible news in a blog post. 

By midday Friday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel had a different story. Blackstone would be buying up homes in many markets, but only spending a tiny piece of that billion dollars in Tampa Bay. 

Back at the Times, reporters and editors were scrambling to figure out what went wrong. It appears the source for the story, a local Blackstone affiliate, may have been misinformed or was speaking without authorization.

Read More Here.

Merlin Media Stations May Be For Sale

UPDATE 8/27:  Merlin CEO Randy Michaels has told Radio Ink simply that "Merlin Media is not for sale."


Original Posting...

The end may be nearer than you think for Merlin Media.

Sccording to Robert Feder at timeoutchicago.com, GTCR, the private equity firm that partnered with CEO Randy Michaels to form the company in July 2011, is actively seeking buyers for all of Merlin Media’s properties in Chicagom NYC and Philly. Moelis & Company, which worked closely with GTCR in acquiring the stations, is handling the sale.

While Michaels is still involved with Merlin Media, day-to-day business is being run by chief financial officer Jerry Kersting. “Everything is in kind of a holding pattern to try to show cash flow so they can get the most out of it,” one insider tells Feder.

Read More Here.

Report: NBC Unpacks Trove of Data From Olympics

For research wonks there’s no event quite like the Olympics. Roughly 217 million people in the United States watched the London Games, making it the most watched television event in history. And unlike other big, live events like the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards, the Olympics offer researchers a prolonged, 17-day period during which to study behavior.

A story by Amy Chozick at nytimes.com reports that eight million people downloaded NBC’s mobile apps for streaming video, and there were two billion page views across all of NBC’s Web sites and apps. Forty-six percent of 18- to 54-year-olds surveyed said they “followed the Olympics during my breaks at work,” and 73 percent said they “stayed up later than normal” to watch, according to a survey of about 800 viewers by the market research firm uSamp.

Forty-six percent said they “delayed doing laundry and other household chores” to catch events like gymnastics, where the United States inched out a win over Russia and Romania for the gold, and swimming, where Michael Phelps narrowly came in second in the men’s 200-yard butterfly.

NBC will work its Olympics lab results into its advertising sales pitch. One study measured viewers’ recollections of 56 brands. The brands advertising during the coverage, especially if the ads were in some way related to the Olympics, registered better recall. Seventy-six percent of respondents said they “enjoyed watching commercials during the Olympics that are tied in some way to the Games.”

The results signaled vast changes from just two years ago in Vancouver, when tablets and mobile video streaming were still in their infancy. The two most streamed events on any device during the London Olympics, the women’s soccer final and women’s gymnastics, surpassed all the videos streamed during the Vancouver Olympics combined.

The growing number of viewers who own tablets will only lead to more streaming.

Read More Here.

DJ Carol Miller Recounts 40-year Career In New Book

From Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News:

Rockin’ female DJs like Carol Miller have always been a rare breed. And almost extinct, some would argue, in today's age of YouTube and Spotify. Yet Miller counters in her breezy new autobiography, Up All Night: My Life and Times in Rock Radio, that broadcast FM is "the medium that just won't quit." 

Over the past four decades, Miller has charmed millions of rock-lovin' radio listeners - and been courted by several highly visible rock stars - thanks to that sultry smoky voice, uncommonly friendly and easygoing demeanor and deep musical knowledge. 

Miller has lots to share, but don't expect a salacious tell-all. Carol's much too discreet. 

Miller got her initial breaks  on the Philadelphia airwaves - first as a University of Pennsylvania coed "heeling" at a student-run WXPN in 1971. She quickly earned her first professional stripes as a part-time air personality on WMMR (93.3 FM), where she stayed through 1976. 

Later, Miller moved back home to 'MMR's New York sister station, WNEW, then shifted to WPLJ and, later, back to 'NEW. In recent years she's occupied the live 7 p.m.-to-midnight slot at Big Apple classic rock outlet Q104.3. But that's hardly enough for this tireless and shockingly resilient (you learn from the book) Miller. 

She also is heard mornings everywhere (prerecorded) on the Sirius/XM "Classic Rewind" channel (25) and with her nationally syndicated "Get the Led Out" daily features and weekly show produced by the Havertown-based Denny Somach Productions.

Read More Here.

Most-Biased MLB Broadcast Teams Unveiled

The Wall Street Journal watched one game for each MLB broadcasting crew—a home win, in each case—and totaled up the number of "biased comments" made. That included referring to the team as "we," "us," or "our," as well homey nicknames for players, and any unrestrained celebrations. The full results are over atWSJ.com. According to deadspin.com, here’s what we learned?

• It should surprise no one that the White Sox crew logged 104 instances of bias, blowing away the second place Indians, who had but 23. (Even that Cleveland number is inflated, since Rick Manning played nine seasons for the Indians, and should probably get a pass on the "we" stuff.)

• Only five teams—the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Mets—recorded zero examples of bias. If you wanted more evidence that the best booths in baseball are Gary, Keith and Ron, and Vin Scully by his lonesome, there you go.

Read More Here.

KSTE Hosts on 'Vacation' After Controversial Comments

One day after a KSTE radio host in Sacramento asked listeners to post negative ads about the Muslim Prophet Muhammad online, listeners tuned in and found he and his co-host are on vacation.

“The Armstrong and Getty Show” was not live Tuesday morning, and was instead a “best of” replay.

During their live show Monday morning, Jack Armstrong said, “Some of you people that are good with the computer--make an anti-Mohammed ad post it to Al Jazeera. We need to swamp them with ads until they grow up.”

The comment frustrated Muslims in the Sacramento area, according to a report by  FOX40.com.

FOX40 contacted Clear Channel, the parent company of KSTE that airs Armstrong and Getty and were told there was a last-minute memo Monday night announcing the co-hosts were on vacation.

Read More Here

CBS Radio Evacuated In LA

LA Times photo

UPDATE 6am 9/26/12:  The package that caused the evacuation  turned out to be a promotional item from cable network BET.

The clocks were designed to publicize a new BET show hosted by former CNN newscaster T.J. Holmes. The name of the show -- the ironically named 'Don't Sleep'.

Original Posting...

Several L.A. radio studios were evacuated Tuesday after a beeping package was dropped off at a second-floor lobby of a Miracle Mile building, but the package was later found to be safe.

LATimes.com is reporting the Wilshire Boulevard building — which houses KNX-AM 1070, KFWB, 94.7 The Wave, K-Earth-FM 101 and other offices — was evacuated after the package was discovered Tuesday morning, authorities said. A Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad was called to the scene as news helicopters circled overhead.

The package was later deemed safe. The building was reopened by authorities about 10:45 a.m.

KNX-AM 1070 radio went off the air temporarily after the package was found.  Amd for a time, KNX switched to their sister-station KCBS in SF.

Receptionist Sasha Elycia said she heard a mysterious beeping about 10 minutes after she arrived at work at 8 a.m. Thinking it was a phone with a battery dying, she began looking around the lobby and found the box, sitting in an area where deliveries are usually kept.

"It was not a familiar sound," she said of the noise, which she described as a "tick-beeping."

Elycia took the package to a sound engineer, who said he didn't recognize the noise either. They called building security, who notified LAPD.

Read More Here.

Sacramento TV Newsman Returning To Radio Roots

Walt Gray, who has reported on and anchored news and sports coverage at Sacramento television station Channel 3 (KCRA) for nearly a quarter century, confirmed Monday that he will leave next month to take a job with Sacramento radio station 96.9 FM (KSEG) – otherwise known as The Eagle, "Sacramento's classic rock" station.

According to Mark Glover at sacbee.com, Gray’s last day with Channel 3 will be Oct. 19. On Oct. 22, he will begin hosting a new morning program at KSEG.

Curtiss Johnson, KSEG station manager and program director, said the new show will be called "The Walt Gray Show," with Kat Maudru, a longtime KSEG morning show host who has been with The Eagle since it launched in 1990.

The new show will air weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

Lori Waldon, KCRA news director, broke the news to the Channel 3 staff "with mixed emotions." Her e-mail announcement said: "Walt has been a tremendous asset to KCRA 3. Now, Walt is taking on a new and exciting challenge in his career. Walt has accepted a new position at Entercom Radio, "The Eagle" 96.9. The station is creating a morning team and they tapped Walt to do it – knowing he'd be the perfect fit."

Read More Here.

Report: Matt Lauer May Have To Take Pay Cut

Matt Lauer will reportedly be asked to take a pay cut if the "Today" show ratings don't improve. A source told RadarOnline.com, "Matt Lauer will be asked to take a significant cut in his $25 million salary if Today doesn't win the key November sweeps."

The insider continued, "The May and November sweeps dictate how much the networks can charge for advertising and they are extremely important to the bottom line. The Today show had always been a cash cow for NBC, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. Comcast, which now owns NBC Universal, is going through the budgets of each show and right now, they are focusing on the news division. Matt's salary is the biggest part of the Today show's budget and with Good Morning America now routinely beating them, it's just hard to justify that salary."

Despite the plan -- executives can't force Matt to slash his paycheck. The source explained, "Matt is under contract so it will have to be a voluntary decision, but the argument will be made that if he doesn't agree to lose some of his salary then people's jobs will have to be cut. Bottom line is money will have to be saved somewhere and he will be asked to do the 'right thing' by his staff."