Radio Tracking Sandy, Bride of Frankenstorm

CC Taps Kelley As PD For WKSC, WGCI Chicago

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Chicago has named Kris Kelley program director for two of its most popular local radio outlets — Top 40-formatted WKSC-FM (103.5) and urban contemporary-formatted WGCI-FM (107.5), effective immediately.

The Chicago Business Journal is reporting Kelley was promoted to her new job at Clear Channel  from her previous posts as assistant program director at WGCI and midday host at urban adult-formatted WVAZ-FM (102.7). Kelley will now assume programming duties full time and give up her on-air berth at WGCI.

Tony Coles, operations manager for Clear Channel in Chicago, said he tapped Kelley for the top programming job at the two stations because she understands the 18 to 34-year-old demographic the two stations heavily target with their music playlists.

Read More Here.

Chris Duncan, Cards Analyst, Optimistic After Surgery

From Dan Caesar, St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Chris Duncan is in good spirits. He no longer is hospitalized. His speech is coming back strong. And he's optimistic about the future as he battles back from surgery he had recently to remove most of a brain tumor. 

The symptoms, and treatment, came rapidly for Duncan, 31, a former Cardinals outfielder who now is co-host of the afternoon drive-time show on WXOS (101.1 FM) — the top-rated local sports-talk program in St. Louis. 

He has been off the air for nearly a month, other than a cameo appearance early this week to briefly discuss his situation. Then he described his ordeal in-depth Wednesday in a phone conversation with the Post-Dispatch. 

He said his symptoms began with "a metal taste in my mouth,'' over a period of about four to six weeks in late summer. 

"It gradually was more,'' he said. "Once a day, (later) twice.'' 

Then more complications developed. 

"My right arm, my neck would go numb for 30 or 40 seconds,'' he said. "I thought it was from neck surgery I had a couple years ago from playing baseball,'' a condition that contributed to the end of his playing career.
  With no improvement he said his wife, Amy, urged him to seek a medical evaluation and he contacted one of the Cardinals' physicians, Dr. John Ellena. 

"He said, 'You need to get an MRI,''' Duncan said. "He was concerned.'' 

He had that test done on a Sunday, Sept. 30. 

"They saw the tumor in my head,'' he said. "It happened so quick it was crazy.'' 

It was the second time in a relatively short period that a member of his immediate family had been stricken with a brain tumor. His mother, Jeanine Duncan, was diagnosed with one last year. That led to her husband and Chris' dad, Dave Duncan, stepping down as the Cardinals' pitching coach in the offseason. 

Jeanine Duncan has received some of her treatment at Duke University's medical facility, in North Carolina, which specializes in brain tumors and is one of the country's highest-regarded such centers. She has been treated there by Dr. Allan H. Friedman. 

"Right when I found out (about my tumor) I called Dr. Friedman and he said, 'Get down here as quickly as possible,''' Chris Duncan said. 

He said David Pratt, one of the Cardinals' owners, quickly made his private plane available to fly the Duncans to Duke the day after the tumor was detected.

Read More Here.

R.I.P.: Radio Researcher Bob Michaels

Radio veteran Bob Michaels has passed away.  Michaels apparently died of a heart attack vacationing in Key West, FL.  He most recently had been living in the Dallas, Texas area. He was 54.

Michaels (real name Robert Roerigh) was ExecutiveVP for Research at Clear Channel from April 2010 to September 2012. Previously, Bob was at Arbitron for almost 25 years.  He served as Arbitron’s VP for Radio and TV Programming Services before leaving in April 2005.

While at Arbitron, Bob led 34 day-long Arbitron PD Seminars, was Executive Editor of ‘PD News’, co-created the PD Advantage service, and oversaw the redevelopment of the Arbitron Programmer's Package.

Earlier in his career, Michaels served in various roles in local radio stations, including PD of 13Q in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the early ‘80s.  Michaels’ TV sales experience was with WGAL-TV.  He was also closely with non-com WITF in Harrisburg, Pa, where he assisted in many on-air fund-raising projects.

Tom's Take: This is truly sad news at the end of the week. Bob used to attend our PD conferences when I was with Dame Media in Harrisburg, Pa. in the '90s.  He was truly gracious with his time. He will be missed.

B98.5’s Kelly Stevens Injured in Accident, To Marry

Atlanta radio morning show personality Kelly Stevens will get married Saturday, two months after surviving a car crash that killed the other driver.

"Don't take life for granted because you literally don't know from second-to-second what God has for you," said Stevens from his wheelchair Friday morning.

Stevens was on his way into work at WSB-FM B98.5 on Aug. 24 when a wrong-way car collided head-on with him on Georgia 400. The driver, Carly Royball, 22, died.

"To this day, I still remember that," said Stevens, fighting tears.

According to CBSatlanta.com, Stevens was not wearing his seatbelt and was slung across the seats as his car flipped.

He was left with a shattered leg and arm, along with two fractured ribs and a vertebra. He spent two weeks at Grady Memorial Hospital, some of that time in the ICU. He then transferred to a rehabilitation clinic, spending another eight days there.

Stevens said in the days following the crash, he questioned why God had spared his life, but then it hit him why he was given a second chance. He knew he was supposed to propose to his girlfriend of one year, Katie Buser. And propose he did, straight from his hospital bed.

Read More Here.

Apple To Challenge Pandora in 2013

Apple Inc. and major music labels have intensified negotiations to start an advertising-supported streaming radio service by early next year, according to a story by Andy Fixmer and Adam Satariano at businessweek.com.

Discussions are centered in part around how to share ad revenue and a deal could be reached by mid-November, with Apple starting a service within the first three months of 2013, said the people, who asked not to be named because talks are still in progress. Shares of Internet-radio leader Pandora Media Inc. plunged the most since Sept. 7.

With sales of music downloads slowing, Apple and record companies want to create new ways for customers to discover and buy digital music. To challenge Pandora, Apple is seeking licensing pacts with labels that allow more flexibility about what listeners hear. Pandora relies on a compulsory license that limits how often users can skip tracks and how many times an hour an artist can be played. Apple is also pushing for earlier access to new releases.

“Radio is a natural step for Apple,” Rich Greenfield, an analyst with BTIG LLC in New York, said in an interview. “This helps Apple dominate in cars, where people listen to an average of two hours of radio a day.”

Pandora, based in Oakland, California, declined 12 percent to $8.20 at the close in New York, after Bloomberg News reported on Apple’s progress on talks with the labels. The shares have lost 18 percent this year.

Read More Here.

Study: Cable TV Tops For Candidates' News

With the election less than two weeks away, Americans are following the presidential campaign more closely on nearly every news platform than they were earlier in the year, including print newspapers.

A Pew Research study released Thursday indicates the biggest gains have come on the internet-both to the websites of traditional news sources and those native to the web.

Read More Here

TV Tops For News Junkies In Canada

TV remains the most popular medium in Canada for news junkies and casual news seekers alike. In an October study from Ipsos Reid, which asked respondents to self-identify as “hyper-,” “moderate-,” “casual-” or “non-newsies,” 74% of consumers across all categories named a regular TV newscast as their source for news. Even 46% of non-newsies at least sometimes got news from a regular TV newscast.

By comparison, newspaper websites and TV news websites reached only 41% and 36% of all respondents, respectively. However, among hyper-newsies those figures rose substantially: 71% of hyper-newsies consulted news websites regularly and 60% consulted TV news websites.

 Read More Here.

"I Can't Wait To Come Back"

Robins Roberts to Oprah on GMA:

'You're Making A Fool Of Yourself'

Barbara Walters to The Donald:

President Does It On The Radio

UPDATE 10/26/12 5PM:  Listen to WPHT's Michael Smerconish iinterview President Obama at The White House earlier today.  CLICK HERE.


Earlier Posting...

President Obama is off the campaign trail today, but will try to reach voters through their radios -- and MTV.

Obama has a total of ten interviews today, his campaign said; it did not identify all of them, but said seven would be done with media from battleground states.

The president will speak with Philadelphia radio host Michael Smerconish, as well as April Ryan of Urban Radio Networks.

There's also a 5 p.m., ET, session late this afternoon with Sway Calloway of MTV, the music television network.

ALSO MUST READ:

BUSINESS WEEK/AP:  Campaigns deploy radio ads to gin up base voters, Click Here.

'You're First Time..Should Be With A Great Guy"

President Obama's campaign is out with an eyebrow-raising new ad targeting young voters in which  Lena Dunham, the creator of the HBO hit series 'Girls,' compares her first voting experience to losing her virginity.

'Your first time shouldn’t be with just anybody,' Dunham, 26, says in the ad. 'You want to do it with a great guy.'

R.I.P.: WOL’s Bernie McCain Dies At 75

Bernie McCain, the WOL talk show host who for three decades was one of Washington’s most popular figures in black radio, died Oct. 13 at Georgetown University Hospital.

Washington Post photo

He was 75 and had renal failure, Emily Langer at the Washington Post quotes his daughter Leslie Charleton. He had gone off the air more than a year ago because of his declining health.

Mr. McCain had worked in radio for more than 15 years when WOL (1450 AM) hired him away from the Washington AM station WRC in 1981. Today, WOL is owned by Radio One, a media company that serves a largely African American and urban market.

He quickly became one of the station’s flagship personalities and a daily presence known to listeners of his call-in show as “Uncle Bernie.” In an interview, Radio One founder Cathy Hughes described him as “a black version of Mister Rogers.”

“It was a learned voice, but he was sort of down-home,” said Denise Rolark Barnes, the publisher of the Washington Informer, an African American, woman-owned newspaper. “He made people comfortable calling and expressing their opinions.”

Mr. McCain was most associated with the afternoon drive-time but had also done morning drive-time and midday shows over the years.

He was, by all accounts, opinionated. But he distinguished himself from many on-air personalities in radio by not being rude to callers, even when conversation touched on such sensitive issues as economic empowerment, education, political engagement and parenting.

Read More Here.

Internet Radio Fairness Coalition Launches

Pandora and Clear Channel are among the founding members of the Internet Radio Fairness Coalition, a collection of companies, trade associations and advocacy groups announced today that are throwing their weight behind bills that aim to lower the rates webcasters pay for the performance of sound recordings.

According to a story at billboard.com, the group's namesake is the Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012, legislation that seeks lower webcaster royalties by changing how the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) sets rates. The proposed legislation would replace the "willing buyer and willing seller" standard with the 801(b) guidelines used by satellite radio and cable. Using the 801(b) guidelines would allow the rates to be set using criteria that take into account the public interest, the return earned by copyright owners, the minimization of risk in the industry, and the interplay between creative contribution and capital investment.

Other founding members of the coalition include Consumer Electronics Association, terrestrial broadcaster Salem Communications, AccuRadio, Small Webcaster Alliance and Computer and Communications Industry Association.

Record labels and webcasters have different definitions of fairness.

Read More Here.

Liz Tops Forbes Top-Earning Dead Celebs List

Michael Jackson #2

When it comes to earnings, it’s hard to beat Michael Jackson. The pop singer, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, raked in more than any living artist in the past 12 months: $145 million.

But this year that wasn’t enough to get him to the top of Forbes list of the Top-Earning Dead Celebrities. Beating him to the No. 1 spot is his old friend Elizabeth Taylor. The estate of the glamorous actress, who was 79 when she passed away last year, earned a staggering $210 million last year.

The residuals will keep Taylor on the Forbes list, but without the money from the one-time auction, it will be tough for her to beat out the King of Pop again: Jackson’s estate has many steady revenue streams. Not only does it earn from sales of his own music, Jackson owned a 50% stake in Sony‘s ATV catalog, which includes artists like The Beatles, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga.

Jackson earned $90 million more than our third-ranked celebrity, Elvis Presley. With $55 million in earnings the king of rock n’ roll pulled in the same amount as he did in 2011.

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz ranks fourth with $37 million. Sixty years after the comic strip debuted, Charlie Brown and the gang are as hot as ever. The Peanuts are the ninth most lucrative entertainment franchise, bringing in $2 billion a year globally at retail. The strip is about to get the big-screen treatment from Fox’s animation division Blue Sky, which produced the Ice Age movies. That could help boost Shulz’ earnings in coming years. The movie is slated for 2015.

Bob Marley rounds out the top five, with $17 million in earnings last year.

Read More Here.

Report: Fresno's KYNO Bringing Back 'The Boss'

Get ready to shake, rattle and roll.

The new '60s rock 'n' roll format for KYNO (AM 1430) scheduled to launch in mid-November is a return to the musical roots of the radio station according to Rick Bentley at The Fresno Bee.

Launching the format will complete the recent moves by Fat Dawgs Broadcasting and JSA Broadcasting that included the shift of the sports programming off of KFIG at AM 1430 to the 50,000-watt 940 AM.

Those of you who have lived in Fresno since the '60s will recognize the KYNO format. The local radio station, which launched in 1957, became the highest-rated station in Fresno with its new Top-40 programming known as "Boss Radio."

"Before 1962, before the British invasion, radio was a sleepy sort of thing playing songs by people like Perry Como. With the introduction of the British invasion, something different needed to be done," says KYNO owner John Ostlund.

Bill Drake, program director at KYNO 50 years ago, and owner Gene Chenault came up with the idea of taking the 40 hottest songs of the day and playing them repeatedly with limited commercials. Fresno was the testing ground for the format that became so successful, it was adopted at radio stations across the country.

Read More Here.

ESPN, Arbitron Look To Turn Up Radio Volume

ESPN and Arbitron plan to work together to build more interest in the radio medium, which Arbitron COO Sean Creamer referred to as a “consciousness raising” effort Wednesday. “It’s in our interest and in radio’s interest for us to validate the medium on par with television, Internet, smartphones and tablets in a highly visible cross-platform effort,” he said on an investor call.

Often forgotten amid its bevy of properties, ESPN runs a national radio network and owns several large-market stations, while radio measurement remains Arbitron’s principal business.

According to a story by David Goetz at mediapost.com, Arbitron and comScore are working with ESPN on a cross-platform measurement project to develop a way to track consumption across four screens plus radio.

“This will be the first time that radio is being placed on equal footing with television, Internet and mobile in such a significant cross-platform initiative,” Creamer said. “This project underscores radio’s importance and relevance in a cross-platform world.”

Read More Here.

TWC’s Cantore: Storm Cuts Vacation Short

East Coast "Doomed"

Jim Cantore, known as the King of Hurricanes on The Weather Channel, reports that his vacation in North Georgia has been interrupted and cut short by Hurricane Sandy, which hit Jamaica  with pounding winds and a deluge of rain. Then, on Wednesday, Cantore revealed his upcoming travel plans to cover the Sandy’s possible impact on the United States.

According to an examiner.com story, On Tuesday, Jim tweeted, “Too much uncertainty surrounding #Sandy impacts to the northeast. The entire east coast will feel at least some impact.” On Wednesday, Cantore posted, “Eventual inland impacts will be defined as confidence grows with east coast landfall area.” He posted three hours later, “Both EURO and GDS models bring sub-960mb Low into the northeast between Atlantic City and southern Maine early next week.”

So, now that Sandy has brought an early and unexpected end to Jim Cantore’s vacation, where is he headed in the US to cover the hurricane’s potential impacts? According to Twitter, Jim and his Weather Channel cohorts are headed to the Carolinas on Saturday, Virginia and Maryland on Sunday, New Jersey/New York or eastern Pennsylvania on Monday, and then on to New England and eastern New York, if the GFS track is correct.

Read More Here.

Obama, Romney Interviews to Air During 'MNF' Halftime

If you've been enjoying an escape to football during the homestretch of the presidential campaign to get away from all the politics saturating the airwaves, don't look now, but your refuge may soon be infiltrated.

The Sports Business Journal reports that, although it's not absolutely certain yet, it looks like separate brief interviews with President Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will air during halftime of Monday Night Football on November 5th, the night before Election Day.

ESPN's Chris Berman would be the one interviewing the candidates, and his questions would likely be softballs or related to sports or both. This actually did happen four years ago, when separate three-minute interviews with then-Senator Obama and his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, aired during halftime of the Monday Night Football game the night before the election. The questions from Berman then included what they'd change about sports if they could and if they could choose one sporting event to attend each year, what would it be.

Ryan Seacrest To Open Dallas Hospital Broadcast Studio

Children's Medical Center at Dallas and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation have partnered to create a state-of-the-art multimedia broadcast studio inside the hospital.

A ribbon-cutting for the studio at 9:30 a.m. a.m. Nov. 14 will feature appearances by Seacrest, singer Selena Gomez, a Dallas native, and musical star Shealeigh, according to a story in the Dallas Business Journal.

The new 600-square-foot broadcast center will be known as Seacrest Studios, the hospital said. It is part of an initiative that Seacrest's foundation developed to help patients explore radio, television and new media, the hospital said in a news release.

Entertainment programming created in the studio will be broadcast throughout the hospital. The studio also will include a performance stage that will serve as a venue for celebrities who visit the hospital.

The hospital said that Seacrest Studios already are operating at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa. Others are planned at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Bears, CBS Radio Announce Multi-Year Deal

The Chicago Bears and CBS RADIO Chicago announced an exclusive multi-year agreement to keep the team’s radio broadcast rights on WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9FM while at the same time extending Bears coverage across CBS RADIO’s five other Chicago stations (670 The Score, B96, 104.3 K-Hits, US 99.5 and 93 XRT) through a variety of specialty programming.

Pre-season, regular-season and extensive pre- and post-game shows will continue to be featured on the stations. WBBM has been the radio home of the Bears since 2000 and is responsible for all advertising sales during the broadcasts.

“We are happy to continue our outstanding partnership with WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9FM and excited to create new opportunities with the other stations in the CBS RADIO Chicago family,” Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips said. “We want to continue to add unique content offerings for our diverse fan base, and CBS RADIO Chicago provides an excellent fit to help us achieve this goal.”

“WBBM Newsradio has been the ‘Voice of the Bears’ for the last 13 seasons and we look forward with great excitement to the years ahead,” said Rod Zimmerman, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO Chicago. “The Chicago Bears have long had one of the largest fan bases anywhere in sports, and this partnership offers not only the fans many benefits, but our advertisers who support the broadcasts as well.”

WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9FM Sports Director Jeff Joniak remains the play-by-play voice for games, along with former 1985 Bears Super Bowl guard Tom Thayer handling color commentary. 670 The Score’s Zach Zaidman provides reports from the sideline. The broadcasts are produced by CBS RADIO Chicago.

Elements of the broadcast agreement include:

• All CBS RADIO Chicago stations will feature a segment with a representative from the Bears every Monday morning during football season;

• 670 The Score’s team coverage will extend coverage throughout the day under the banner “Bears Mondays;”

• “Bears Noon Hour Update,” which began this season, will continue to run weekdays on 670 The Score throughout the season;

• Beginning in 2013, a 3-4 minute Bears vignette will be broadcast Saturday evenings on 670 The Score and replayed on WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9FM through Sunday morning;

• Bears All-Access, a one-hour program on 670 The Score, will become a year-round weekly program.

Review: iPAD-Mini Disappoints The Cost Conscious

America's digital goddess and syndicated radio host Kim Komando reviews Apple's new iPad-Mini.


Also Must Read:

Forbes: Five Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy an iPad-Mini.  Click Here.

Scott McCreery Visits WQYK-FM Tampa

Singer Scott McCreery performs during the Dave, Cledus and Veronica morning show on WQYK 99.5 Tampa recently.

Video -

Carrie Tells WPOC Why She Gave up Meat

Michael J, PM drive at Baltimore’s WPOC, said a listener wanted to know why Carri Underwood became a vegetarian.  So Michael asked her…

Get More: Carrie Underwood, Behind The Music, Check Out Carrie Underwood's Behind The Song

R.I.P.: Lester Smith, Seattle Radio Owner

Lester M. Smith, who along with entertainer Danny Kaye and four other investors became the original owners of the Seattle Mariners in 1976, died Wednesday at his home of undisclosed causes. He was 93. Smith, Kaye, Stanley Golub, Walter Schoenfeld, James Stillwell and James A. Walsh owned the Mariners until 1981, when they sold to California real estate developer George Argyros.

Smith came to the expansion Mariners as a businessman who had spent most of his working career in the broadcasting industry. His interest started in 1954 when he acquired KJR. He subsequently became CEO of Kaye-Smith Enterprises, a diversified company in the fields of entertainment and broadcasting.

Born Oct. 20, 1919 in New York City to Sadie and Alexander Smith, Smith graduated from New York University and went to work for NBC as a page, guiding tours of its New York studios. Smith served in the military during WWII, after which he traveled to San Francisco to visit an uncle, and decided to make the West Coast his home.

Smith joined a media brokerage firm in 1951 and became a station owner in 1954 when Seattle’s KJR became available. Smith also acquired radio stations in Portland and Spokane. By the 1960s, Les had become a partner with Kaye in 10 radio stations – each known as a well-run, highly competitive market leader.

Read More Here.

Time Spent With Mobile Surging

Radio Remains #3

The shift to mobile is on.  According to eMarketer estimates, time spent using mobile devices for activities such as internet and app use, gaming, music and others has more than doubled in the past two years.

This year, the amount of time US consumers spent using mobile devices—excluding talk time—will grow 51.9% to an average 82 minutes per day, up from just 34 minutes in 2010, eMarketer estimates.

Mobile growth comes as time spent online, which includes desktop and laptop computers and other nonmobile connected devices such as internet-connected TVs, will continue rising but at a slowed pace from previous years. This year, eMarketer estimates time spent online will grow just 3.6% to an average 173 minutes per day, compared to 7.7% growth in 2011 to 167 minutes per day.

Since online already accounts for an average of nearly 3 hours of time spent with media each day, double-digit growth rates are unlikely even as consumers continue to do more activities and spend more time with their desktop and laptop computers.

Mobile, by contrast, is growing quickly from a small base—and growth in time spent is also being boosted by fast uptake of smartphones and tablets, which have still penetrated only a minority of all consumers. As more US consumers continue to acquire these devices, and current owners shift more of their digital activities to mobile and portable devices, mobile is grabbing an ever-greater share of time with all media—potentially at the expense of faster online growth.

NYT: Weather Channel’s Parent Company Renamed

From Brian Stelter, NYtimes

In a move it compared to Apple Computer’s shedding of the word computer, the Weather Channel Companies has dropped “channel” from its name. 

It’s not ridding itself of the actual Weather Channel, a staple of cable lineups across the country. The channel’s name will remain the same. But the corporate re-branding reflects the fact that most of the Weather Company’s growth is coming from the Web and from specialized products for businesses, not from television. It senses huge opportunities in international markets where it will not have a television channel, but will have apps and Web sites.

“The word ‘channel’ is too limiting. The Weather Company better defines who we are,” said David Kenny, who was named the chairman and chief executive of the company in January. 

The flagship Weather Channel, available in 100 million homes in the United States, still accounts for more than half of the Weather Company’s revenue, thanks in large part to the per-home fee it receives from cable and satellite distributors. But the channel business has been slowing significantly, Mr. Kenny said. Already the company’s advertising revenues are fairly evenly split between television and digital media. He expects digital media (including mobile devices, an area of focus) to overtake television in that category. 

Last week, just before the new name was announced internally, the company laid off about 75 people, 7 percent of its work force. The layoffs were attributed to a reorganization, partly necessitated by the recent acquisitions. Additionally, Mr. Kenny said the television division wasn’t “altogether efficient” in its production, suggesting it was overstaffed.

Read More Here.

John Williams To Leave WGN To Concentrate On WCCO

WGN Radio Tuesday announced that midday host John Williams has made the decision to leave the station at the end of the year. Williams will be moving to Minneapolis where he will continue hosting afternoons at WCCO-AM, a show he has done remotely from WGN since 2010.

"John is a great broadcaster and has been a valued member of the WGN Radio family," said Bill White, WGN Radio’s program director. "While we are sad to see him go, we are happy for John and his family that they are able to return to Minneapolis, where they lived before moving to Chicago. We wish him all the best and know that he will continue to shine in his role at WCCO."

Williams said in a note released to WGN staff this afternoon: "After a great deal of thought, after the 1st of January, Brenda and I have decided to move to Minneapolis and my time here will come to an end. I decided some time ago to do just one show -- as well as I can -- and that one will be at WCCO.  Both stations and staffs deserve as much." Williams continued: "We've had a lot of Bright Sides here. I never got to be King, but you’ve always made me feel like royalty."

Salem Buys WJKR Columbus From Radio One

Radio One, Inc. Tuesday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell the assets of one of its Columbus, Ohio radio stations, WJKR-FM (Jack, 98.9 FM), to Salem Media of Ohio, Inc., a subsidiary of Salem Communications .

 The station is not a core asset for Radio One and Radio One will continue to own and operate two urban format radio stations in the Columbus market: WCKX-FM (107.5 FM), which plays mainstream/urban and WXMG-FM (106.3 FM), which plays R&B and oldies. 

The closing on the sale of WJKR-FM is subject to customary conditions, prorations and adjustments, including approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Radio One expects the transaction to close shortly after final consent from the FCC.

 However, under a local marketing agreement, Salem will be providing programming for the station on November 1, 2012.

TV Personality Starts New Radio Show In Sacramento

People in Sacramento have been able to see media personality Walt Gray for over 20 years, but as of Monday, they’ll only be able to hear him.

Gray is starring in an eponymous show on 96.9, the Eagle Station, after having been at KCRA since 1988.

He’s hosting the show with Eagle personality Kat Maudru.


Read More Here.

Radio Caller Wants Deer Crossings Signs Moved

You know those deer signs you see from time to time? After three accidents involving deer, one North Dakota woman wants them moved.

Under the impression the signs are intended to tell deer where it’s safe to cross, she embarked on a (failed) mission to get the signs moved to lower-traffic areas.

She wrote letters, called television stations, but no one seemed to want to hear what she had to say. Finally, she turned to WDAY-FM Y94 Playhouse Radio in Fargo. They listened (and laughed) and then posted her call on YouTube.

Morning Joe Crowd Boos Little Girl For Supporting Romney

From MSNBC Tuesday Morning....

Mel Karmazin Leaving SiriusXM

SiriusXM Radio today announced that Mel Karmazin informed its Board of Directors that he will be leaving the Company on February 1, 2013, following the expiration of his current employment agreement and after a transition period.  Mr. Karmazin will also leave the Board of Directors at that time.

Karmazin has been Sirius XM's CEO since 2004. There has been speculation Karmazin would leave the company after an expected takeover by Liberty Media Corp., which is seeking a controlling interest in the satellite radio provider.

Liberty has amassed a 47.3 per cent stake in Sirius XM, and the Federal Communications Commission is currently considering Liberty's proposal to take control of the company.

"SiriusXM is an extraordinary company with an incredible team.  It is an honor to come to work here every day where we truly deliver the best radio on radio.  I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished.  Given where we started, it is amazing that SiriusXM has grown to become the largest radio company in the world.  With a deep bench of corporate talent, a roster that includes the most in-demand on-air personalities and a wide-range of exclusive programming, SiriusXM has never been better positioned than it is today.  We continue to grow our subscriber base to record levels and our financial position has never been stronger.  Importantly, the commitment to delivering innovative new products and technologies is very strong.  SiriusXM has a strong foundation to build on for the future and there is a great team in place to keep the company moving forward.  I am confident that SiriusXM's best years are ahead," said Karmazin.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Mel for his significant contributions to the Company," said Eddy Hartenstein, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SiriusXM. "Under his leadership, the Company underwent a transformative merger and a financial restructuring that has enabled SiriusXM to deliver significant value for shareholders.  Our record breaking financial results are a testament to Mel's leadership and strategic planning, and we continue to exceed our expectations with all-time high subscriber numbers.  Thanks to Mel, we are well-positioned for long-term growth and value creation.  We will miss Mel – and the Board wishes him the very best in his future endeavors – SiriusXM has a strong executive team in place and we are very confident in our business and our future prospects."

"We appreciate the tremendous job Mel has done for the Company in overseeing the merger and delivering outstanding operating performance.  While we understand, we regret Mel's decision to pursue other interests and are grateful for his willingness to oversee a smooth and orderly transition," said John Malone, Chairman of Liberty Media Corporation.

The SiriusXM Board of Directors has formed a search committee, chaired by Greg Maffei and including James Mooney and Eddy Hartenstein, to consider both internal and external candidates for the Company's next Chief Executive Officer.

Miami Sports Stations Cover Guillen Firing

The Miami Marlins called at 4:15pm news conference Tuesday to announce the dismissal of Ozzie Guillen as manager.

Here’s how the sports stations covered the news on their respective websites at the same time.

WQAM 560 AM..banner linked to short 3 line mention

Oops!  WQAM also promoted the start of the World Series, between SF and Detroit Tigers.  But, they had the wrong night.  WS starts Wednesday, not Tuesday as "tonight" would indicate.  Apparently, no one at the station station caught it all day.

WMEN 640 AM...no mention on homepage.

WAXY 790 AM/104.3 FM..linked To Miami Herald story. WAXY is the English langugage flagship station for the Marlins.  

WINZ 940 AM..banner linked to one sentence mention of breaking story.

Tom's Take: Let's assume they had live on-air coverage of announcement.

Fox News Channel Scores Biggest Telecast In History

The third presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney produced very good news for Fox News Channel.

According to Hal Boedeker at the Orlando Sentinel, the cable news channel notched its most-watched telecast ever with the debate, which pulled in 11.5 million viewers, according to early ratings.

The previous high in the channel's 16-year history: 11.1 million viewers. Two telecasts reached that audience: the second presidential debate this year and the 2008 vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

FNC’s 11.5 million was also competitive with its broadcast competition, which was won by NBC with 12.4 million viewers, down from last week’s debate when NBC drew 13.8 million. NBC narrowly edged out ABC’s 11.7 million viewers, followed by CBS in a distant third-place with only 8.4 million.

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Apple Unveils iPad Mini, New Macs

Apple CEO Tim Cook and vice president of marketing Phil Schiller took to the stage in California at a media event to finally unveil the company's long-awaited iPad mini -- something Jobs once declared the company would never do. According to Fox News, the new $329 product is meant to compete with smaller, 7-inch tablets from companies like Google and Amazon that are nipping at the tech giant's heals.

"You knew there'd be something called Mini in this presentation," Schiller joked with the crowd before revealing the hotly anticipated gadget. Apple has sold 84 million iPads since their debut in April 2010, he said.

"So this iPad mini is just 7.2 mm thick. That's about a quarter thinner than the fourth-generation iPad. Thinner than a pencil," Cook told the crowd. The new product has the same resolution as the larger display 1,024 × 768, but it should look sharper thanks to the smaller screen.

"You can hold it in one hand," he said. It's not just a shrunken down iPad. It's an entirely new design." Yet the new mini will run all of the software designed for the full-size siblings, he said. The mini will start with 16GB of storage at $329; a 4G model will cost an additional $129.

Cook announced an update to the iPad prior to that that he labeled a "fourth-generation" model with updated specifications.

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Shocker: Tom Langmyer Out As GM At WGN Chicago

Tribune Broadcasting pushed out longtime WGN Radio Vice President & General Manager Tom Langmyer Monday, according tochicagoradioandmedia.com.

Publicly, it was made to look as though Langmyer simply chose to leave the station, effective immediately. Privately, Langmyer and his Tribune Broadcasting bosses disagreed about upcoming changes to the radio station. Both parties felt it was just best to part ways. The move had been coming for some time, but it was Tribune Broadcasting that chose the time of this exit to be today.

Tribune Company is looking to exit bankruptcy at some point this year and turn over ownership of the media giant to a handful of creditors, who are expected to begin to sell off portions of the company. The most valuable asset Tribune Company has is its radio and TV division, Tribune Broadcasting. Nils Larsen, President and CEO of Tribune Broadcasting and Sean Compton, President of Programming and Entertainment for Tribune Broadcasting, wish to make changes right away to make the division look leaner and more valuable on the books. That means major cutbacks will soon be happening. Rather than fighting against the changes, something he has done to some success for the last few years, Langmyer chose to step aside.

Tom Langmyer came to WGN Radio in 2005, after a highly regarded 13 year run as an executive for CBS Radio. During his time in Chicago, the radio station experienced record revenue and profits.

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Study: Streaming Advertising Response Up Sharply

Internet Radio has grown exponentially and so has its audience. More than 42% of the population is listening to Internet Radio, which is up 8% from 2011.

According a a White Paper created by Targetspot, this audience has numerous significant traits:  many are married and have kids, they own their own homes, have high levels of disposable income and they are also highly engaged with Digital Audio content.  In fact, 75% change stations at least one time daily and 64% change websites multiple times a day in order to remain connected with their listening experience.

 Another key indication of engagement is that these listeners regularly interact with the player – 61% don’t keep the player minimized and 67% often check the player to see the name of a song or artist.

 With key metrics such as these, it’s not surprising that this audience’s engagement with content translates to their interaction with Digital Audio advertising.  Given the importance of this major media segment, there is a growing need to understand Digital Audio listeners’ viewpoints on advertising and to leverage these findings to best communicate with them.

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Baltimore’s Stash Gets Jail Time

Stephen G. Smith, who was known as "Stash" on 98 Rock, pleaded guilty Monday morning to drunk driving charges and was sentenced to six months in the Harford County Detention Center, according to a story atbaltimoresun.com.

District Court Judge Susan Hazlett reduced the original one-year sentence after Smith's lawyer said Smith immediately took part in a 28-day alcohol treatment program and admits he has a drinking problem.

She also placed him on supervised probation and required him to abstain from alcohol.

Smith, a Bel Air resident, was involved in a three-car crash at Route 24 near the I-95 intersection July 22 that sent five people to the hospital with minor injuries.

As a result of the charges, he was fired from 98 Rock after more than 20 years working in radio.

Hazlett called his record "lousy," noting 32 prior convictions for traffic offenses.

Smith's lawyer, Leonard Shapiro, said his client had done a lot of good in the community, including charity through the radio station, and is committed to turning his life around.

Shapiro said Smith, who has five children with his wife, relapsed into drinking from the stress of dealing with his severely autistic son.

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