Saturday Aircheck: Shotgun Tom Kelly KEARTH 101

From 2008:  Shotgun Tom Kelly hosts "The 70's at 7" on K-EARTH 101 in Los Angeles.

Report: St. Louis Top MLB Baseball Market

A soon-to-be released 2012 National Report from The Media Audit reveals that St. Louis is the top market for regular followers of professional baseball.

According to the study, 77% of the St. Louis metro population regularly follows pro baseball on radio or TV, a figure that is 60% higher when compared to the general population. Among all U.S. adults, 48% regularly follow the sport, a figure that represents more than 71.6 million baseball fans. 

The heightened devotion among fans in this town comes as no surprise, as the St. Louis Cardinals narrowly lost to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Championship Series, in which the winner advanced to the World Series.

Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri ranked second, with 72.1% of the metro area's population regularly following the sport, followed by Cincinnati, Ohio (66.3%), Boston, Massachusetts (65.8%) and Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin (65.5%).

Rounding out the top ten pro baseball markets are Detroit, Michigan (63.3% regularly follow pro baseball), followed by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (62.7%), San Francisco, California (61.7%), Cleveland, Ohio (61.1%), and Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas (60.6%).

Pro baseball fans make excellent prospects for many consumer categories including the automotive, hospitality, alcoholic beverage and sporting goods industries, suggesting the best promotional tie-ins with local sponsors and media.

For more information, contact The Media Audit.

R.I.P.: The Possum, George Jones Was 81

Country music legend George Jones passed away Friday morning at the age of 81 in Nashville.

Jones was known for a long list of country hits including "She Thinks I Still Care," "The Grand Tour," and "Walk Through This World With Me."

The star was also known for his battle with alcoholism and his marriage to country singer Tammy Wynette.

Jones died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after being admitted last Thursday for fever and irregular blood pressure.

At the time of his death, Jones was in the midst of his farewell tour, which was scheduled to continue through the fall.

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Beasley Broadcast Group 1Q Net Revenue Rises 6.5%

Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. today announced operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2013 as summarized below.

The $1.5 million, or 6.5%, rise in net revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2013, compared with the same period in 2012 reflects strength in the Company's Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Fort Myers market clusters including the acquisition of KOAS-FM in Las Vegas in the 2012 third quarter.

The $0.2 million, or 4.0%, year-over-year improvement in 2013 first quarter operating income reflects the quarterly revenue increase which more than offset a 7.2%, or $1.3 million, rise in total operating expenses, which included costs related to operating KOAS-FM in Las Vegas, and higher sales expenses.

First quarter 2013 station operating income (SOI), a non-GAAP financial measure, rose $0.3 million, or 4.1%, to $8.1 million compared with the 2012 first quarter, as the higher quarterly net revenue more than offset a $1.2 million, or 7.7%, increase in station operating expenses.

George Beasley

Commenting on the results, George G. Beasley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The solid first quarter revenue growth led to another period of SOI growth, as consolidated SOI (station operating income) increased 4.1% year-over-year. First quarter SOI margins also remain healthy at 32.7% but declined slightly from last year as station operating expenses rose due to our investments in our local sales teams.

"Beyond our company-wide focus on programming and ratings which serve as the foundation for the success of our on-air and digital advertising platforms, we continue to strengthen our balance sheet. During the first quarter, we made repayments totaling $1.0 million against the credit facility, reducing total bank debt to $115.7 million at March 31, 2013, from $123.4 million at the end of last year's first quarter."

You Won’t See Tom Brokaw At WHCD This Weekend

Last year, Tom Brokaw became one of the biggest critics of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner after he saw Washington buzzing around and about the troubled Hollywood actress, who was a guest of Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren.

“The breaking point for me was Lindsay Lohan,” Brokaw told Politico’s Patrick Gavin during a recent interview in his office in the NBC News Rockefeller Plaza headquarters in New York. “She became a big star at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Give me a break.”

According to Gavin, the veteran TV newsman’s vocal dissent after the dinner in 2012 was notable for a number of reasons.

First, Brokaw’s industry stature made him the most notable media figure to criticize an annual event so precious to many of his colleagues in the press corps. Second, Brokaw has standing beyond his long tenure as the “Nightly News” anchor — he was once a White House correspondent during the Watergate era. And lastly, his critique was purposeful, public and unpredictable; he made a point to, seemingly out of nowhere, bash the WHCD on “Meet the Press” just one week after the soiree, saying it was “time to rethink” the occasion since it, in his words, “separates the press from the people that they’re supposed to serve, symbolically.”

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GOP Consultant: Right-Wing Radio Talk ‘Problematic’

Frank Luntz, the media-friendly Republican consultant and word wiz, told a group of college students this week that Rush Limbaugh and right-wing talk radio are "problematic" for the GOP and partly responsible for the stark polarization within the nation's political discourse.

He only dared to speak so candidly about Limbaugh and other conservative hosts off the record. A secretly recorded video, though, captured Luntz's remark, according to motherjones.com.

On April 22, Luntz was holding a talk at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, and providing his essential take on political communication: "It's not what you say that matters. It's what people hear."

At this event sponsored by College Republicans, Luntz (class of '84) acknowledged his party needs to interact more effectively with a wider swath of Americans: "We can't talk to 51 percent of America. It just doesn't work." And, he emphasized, words matter.

Voters, Luntz told the students, respond more positively when a politician refers to "hardworking taxpayers" than to "the middle class." He warned that if his party did not resolve its internal divides, it could lose the House of Representatives next year.

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FCC: Foreign Ownsership Comments Due April 30

In August 2012, the Coalition for Broadcast Investment (CBI), a group comprising national broadcast networks, radio and television station licensees, and community and consumer organizations, filed a letter with the FCC requesting clarification of the foreign ownership rules contained in Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act.

Specifically, CBI requested clarification that "the FCC will conduct a substantive, facts, and circumstances evaluation of proposals for foreign investment in excess of 25 percent in the parent company of a broadcast licensee...." If adopted, this approach would represent a marked change of course for the FCC, which has in the past "categorically refused" to consider transactions involving investment in broadcasters above the 25% benchmark, according to CBI.

According to a story at mondaq.com, CBI pointed out that ending the presumption would place broadcasters "on the same footing" as other industry participants, facilitating crucial access to capital in a market where they face increasing competition for consumers.

In February 2013, the FCC responded with a Public Notice (MB Docket No. 13-50) soliciting comments on CBI's request. The first round of comments were due April 15, and a review of those submissions reveals a uniform desire for the FCC to relax the de facto 25% indirect cap applied to foreign ownership in broadcasters.

The question remains whether the FCC will hear the pleas of the broadcasters for regulatory parity. On the one hand, broadcasters may have reason for optimism if the FCC's recent Public Notice (IB Docket No. 11-133) stating that it has streamlined its policies and procedures for reviewing foreign ownership of common carrier wireless licenses and certain aeronautical radio licenses is any indication. On the other hand, the broadcast industry has a long history of special concern in Congress due to its potential to influence the outcome of elections, and the FCC has not yet heard from Congress on these issues.

Final comments on the proposal are due at the FCC on April 30.

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Arbitron: Nearly Half of CHR P1s Listen To Online Radio

Forty-seven percent of CHR format P1s have listened to Online Radio in the last week according to new data from The Infinite Dial 2013: Navigating Digital Platforms from Arbitron Inc. and Edison Research.

The new data released today for Arbitron clients looks at radio format P1s from nine AM/FM Radio formats: Adult Contemporary, CHR, Classic Rock/Classic Hits, Country, News/Talk/Sports, Public Radio, Religious, Rock, and Urban.

Highlights of the study’s many findings include:

• CHR P1s have the highest Online Radio listening levels with 47 percent having listened in the last week. More than four in ten Public Radio, Rock and Urban P1s also listened to Online Radio in the last week.
• One in three Public Radio P1s have listened to audio podcasts in the past month
• CHR (75 percent), Rock (70 percent) and Urban (67 percent) P1s are the format P1s most likely to own a smartphone
• The vast majority of CHR P1s (82 percent) have a profile on any social network, with nearly half (45 percent) of these listeners using social media several times per day.
• Eight percent of the population age 12+, an estimated 20 million, has signed up to receive email from the AM or FM radio station they listen to most; 20 percent of Rock P1s and 18 percent of Religious P1s have done so.

Bill Rose

“This representative and projectable study looks at how various format P1s use digital platforms, revealing that each format has a unique digital profile. Programmers and brand managers should consider these unique differences when formulating their digital strategies,” said Bill Rose, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Arbitron.

“Ninety-two percent of the population has not signed up to receive emails from the broadcast radio station they listen to most. If broadcast radio programmers are making decisions based solely on their email databases alone, this will not give them the complete picture of the digital media usage and behaviors of all of their P1s,” added Tom Webster, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, Edison Research.

This study may be downloaded by Arbitron clients free of charge via the Arbitron client website at my.arbitron.com. Previous studies, including the full Infinite Dial 2013 study (released earlier this month), may be downloaded free of charge via the Arbitron and Edison Research websites at www.arbitron.com and www.edisonresearch.com.

Tweets about "#infinitedial"

Little Rock Radio: KKSP Adds New Morning Show

Little Rock’s KKSP-FM, 93.3 The Source has announced two well-known names in Arkansas sports are teaming up for a morning talk show.

Former basketball standout Pat Bradley, and former football Hog and Dallas Cowboy Clint Stoerner will start their show Monday, May 6th, at 6:00 a.m.

The two has been friends since their college days at the University of Arkansas.

Bradley, the Razorback all time three pointer leader says "This will be where sports and entertainment come crashing together."

Stoerner, one of the all-time greats at quarterback for the Hogs says "I have had the opportunity over the past few years to work with Pat on radio on occasion and I always felt if given the opportunity we would make a great team together on air with something different than anyone else in the state.

Station owner and operator Capital City Broadcasting is converted KKSP from its news and sports format to sports only this past January.

Philly Radio: Daltrey Joins WMGK for Classic Rock Art Show

Classic Rock 102.9 MGK is proud to announce that The Who’s Roger Daltrey is the honorary chairperson for this years’ 13th Annual 102.9 WMGK Classic Rock Art Show and Sale.

A portion of the proceeds from art show sales will go to Daltrey’s Teen Cancer America organization,a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

This year’s exhibit will reside at Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, from Friday May 17, 2013 through Sunday June 2, 2013. Admission to the exhibit is free and all of the art is available for purchase. Items range in price from $5 to $10,000, with plenty of items priced under $200.

The 13th Annual 102.9 WMGK Classic Rock Art Show and Sale features the world’s largest collection of photographs, paintings and drawings made by and featuring the biggest names in classic rock. The show’s amazing collection of works includes pieces created by classic rockers such as Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, John Entwistle (The Who), Jimi Hendrix, Ron Wood (Rolling Stones), Robby Krieger (The Doors), Ringo Starr, Carlos Santana and many others. This year’s Classic Rock Art Show will also feature photos of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Van Halen, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, Beatles animation art, gold records, concert tour posters and hand signed artwork.

Some of the highlights at this year’s Classic Rock Art Show include: a series of early photographs of Bruce Springsteen, taken in the 70s when Bruce was still playing the club circuit, an extremely rare hand signed lithograph from Bob Dylan (never released in America), two never before published photographs of Bon Jovi taken at The Warehouse Recording studio in Philadelphia during the recording of 7800 Fahrenheit album in 1985, original Beatles cartoon paintings from Ron Campbell, Director of the Beatles Cartoon Series and Animator for the film, Yellow Submarine and a newly discovered panoramic photo of the Allman Brothers, taken during the first few days of their formation by Rolling Stone Magazine photographer Baron Wolman.

Grand Rapids Radio: WOOD’s Gary Allen To Retire

Gary Allen

Gary Allen, an icon of Grand Rapid radio personality for more than three decades, has announced he will retire this summer.

According to mlive.com, the WOOD-AM 1300 radio personality said on the air this morning that he’ll switch off his microphone on June 21 after 32 years on West Michigan radio.

“Hang it up after 32 plus years here at WOOD radio,” he said on the air today. “It’s been a fast 32 plus years.”

A familiar voice on West Michigan radio, Allen, age 66, joined WOOD Radio in 1981.

“Bruce Grant was doing the morning show, and I was doing his weather,” Allen said.

In 1989, Allen took over the 5-9 a.m. slot, Mondays through Fridays.

“Even though my day starts at 3 a.m.,” he said. “It's still a blast after all these years to come to work.”

Co-host Steve Kelly and producer Lauren Smith are to remain with “West Michigan’s Morning News” at WOOD Radio, a Clear Channel Media-owned station.

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Report: No Arrests Expected In Bieber Bus Bust

TMZ has spoken with a rep for the Stockholm PD:  Around 7:10 PM on Wednesday night, an officer smelled weed coming from Justin's bus, which was parked in front of the Grand Hotel.

Cops say when the bus left the hotel and headed toward the Globe Arena, the officer contacted a special narcotics unit, which issued a warrant to search Bieber's bus.

Cops searched the bus in the parking garage of the Globe Arena -- no one was on the bus at the time.

Cops say they found a small amount of narcotics (they won't say which drug, but local papers say it's weed) -- along with a taser.

TMZ is reporting cops say no one will be charged because they have no idea who was in possession of the drug since the bus was empty. They found the narcotic on the floor of the bus so they have no clue who brought it on.

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Tampa Radio: Cox WHPT Sued Over Website Photo

A Cox Media station promoted news reports on its website with a photo of a young man with Down syndrome, altering it to show him holding a sign saying "Retarded News," his family claims in court.

What's more, the Cox station in Tampa, Fla., WHPT 102.5 FM The Bone, admitted what it did in a letter to a friend of the family who complained about it, according to the federal complaint.

Adam Holland and his parents Bernard and Pamela Holland sued Cox Media Group dba WHPT-FM.

They also sued Russell LaLevee, and Dave Brown dba Gigahertz Inc. aka Sign Generator, claiming they altered and used the photo on their own websites, also with "retarded" slogans.

According to a story by  Iulia Filip for the Courthouse News Service. all the defendants used altered photos of Adam on their websites without authorization, with defamatory and offensive captions, the family says in the complaint.

Adam Holland, then 17, attended an art class at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville in July 2004, where an instructor took a picture of him holding up a drawing he had made, which is included in the complaint.

The color photo shows a smiling Adam holding a sheet of paper with two sticklike figures on it, and the words "Go Titans One." The next page of the complaint shows a nearly identical color photo, altered to eliminate the stick figures and with the sign saying, in bold capital letters, "Retarded News."

The Hollands say they discovered the altered photo in 2012.

They say Cox's Tampa radio station had altered the photo and used it on its website as a logo for funny news, which it called "The Cowhead Show."

Cox Media Group owns and operates 19 TV stations, 87 radio stations, eight daily newspapers, and many other publications and digital services.

On July 22, 2012, plaintiff Pamela Holland received an email from a friend, Dave Davis, attaching a copy of an email that had been posted on the Facebook page for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign," the complaint states. "One of the campaign's supporters, Erin Hinz, had received an email from Michael Sharkey, the Program Director of WHPT-FM in Tampa, Fla.,

He offered the following explanation and motivation for posting the altered photograph of Ms. Holland's son, Adam: 

"'Erin, 

"'My name is Michael Sharkey, I am the Program Director of WHPT-FM in Tampa, Fla. and Cowhead's boss. I received your email from our corporate office and wanted you to be aware of the action steps we have taken. 

"'The segment "Retarded News" is designed to highlight odd stories that are seemingly always in the news. Stories such as botched bank robberies and failed crimes. These stories are NOT about disabled individuals. However, in our investigation, we noted the picture that he was using did denote a person with Down syndrome. We have removed that picture from our page and we are removing any reference to handicapped or disabled individuals. 

"'I apologize for any grief this might have caused. Thank you for your well thought out email, insight into Down syndrome and bringing this to our attention. 

"'Best, Michael Sharkey.'" (Email addresses of Pam Holland and her friend deleted.)

The Hollands seek compensatory and punitive damages for invasion of privacy, misappropriation of likeness, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress.

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Investigations Expand in Hacking of AP Twitter Feed

Three federal agencies are now investigating an incident Tuesday in which hackers hijacked the Twitter account for The Associated Press and momentarily erased $136 billion from the stock market after they posted a fake Tweet reporting that there had been explosions at the White House that injured President Obama.

According to a story by Nicole Perlroth for the NYTimes Bits Blog, a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating who was behind the attack, and the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are investigating the impact of the attacks on the market.

The AP’s account was the fourth prominent Twitter account of a media organization to be hacked in recent months — accounts for CBS, NPR and the BBC have all been hijacked by hackers recently — but the AP incident had the most serious impact. Within seconds of the fake AP post, the Dow Jones Industrial Average nosedived, dropping 150 points, before recovering five minutes later. High-frequency trading algorithms that are designed to make trades based on certain headlines served as a catalyst.

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CNN’s Jeff Zucker: "Twitter Is A Frenemy"

Years ago, CNN became a household name with its 24-hour coverage of the war in the Persian Gulf and Operation Desert Storm. Never before had viewers been literally bombarded with nonstop news coverage. The formula glued them to television sets and cemented the Ted Turner-founded company as a media giant.

Fast forward to 2013 and things are less stable, writes Adam Popescu for mashable.com.

Besides plummeting ratings and competition from the MSNBCs and Fox News's of the world, CNN is going toe-to-toe with social media. And "the most trusted name in news" is starting to get cold feet when it stares into the eyes of its young opponent.

"Twitter is a frenemy," Jeff Zucker, CNN's president said last week at a luncheon at the Atlanta Press Club.

Jeff Zucker

Zucker, who joined the network in January, has made a host of changes and shakeups, taking over after some embarrassing moments in 2012, including faulty reporting on a major Supreme Court ruling. But his tenure, which has already featured countless hours of milking the Carnival cruise disaster and errors in last week's Boston tragedy, have brought to the surface some of the problems with the network.

Much of that criticism has been directed at John King, but the main issue is that CNN failed to follow the story as quickly as its new rival: social media, particularly, Twitter.

While errors in journalism are akin to bankers mishandling your money, in this new age of social media-propelled news, this latest mistake underscores the heightened appetite of consumers for immediacy as well as the issue old-fashioned news networks like CNN face. Not too long ago, news addicts turned to CNN for the latest. Those days are gone. Last week, key moments in the Boston saga played out on Twitter, not mainstream television. This shift is causing some to call Twitter the new CNN.

That's why “the network uses, relies on, and is scared by, social media,” Zucker said last week.

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On Monday at the Atlanta Press Club luncheon with Zucker, Rodney Ho of aj.com, had an opportunity asked one single question during the Q&A. He decided to ask him what he thought of critiques of CNN's February Carnival cruise ship coverage, which some perceived to be over the top.

His response: 

"What's interesting now is it gets referred as we received a lot of flak without recognition that it was from our competitors. Just because Jon Stewart makes fun of it doesn't mean it's right. He's a competitor. Others who sought to dismiss it missed the point... It was a human drama." He credited the vice president of newsgathering for CNN domestic Terence Burke to "be able to get us the resources, to be able to cover it ahead of everybody else. They were jealous they weren't able to do it."

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Rush Limbaugh Offers Insights To Show’s Success

On Wednesday, syndicated talk radio personality RushLimbaugh received a call from Michael of Westfield, NY.  Caller Michael was writing a paper for a college coomunications course.  He told El Rushbo, he chose to analyze the reasons why Rush’s show has been successful, how he approaches the show, what makes his show unique, and why it draws such a large audience.

Rush Limbaugh

RUSH:  When I first started using music in a talk show, you shoulda heard the objections from the wizards of smart in the business. And when I told 'em I didn't want to do guests.  "You can't do a talk show without guests."  "Yes, I can."  Why should I have the same roster of guests that's on every other show selling the same book, what do they care about my show's success?  I decided I wanted to be the reason people would listen to radio.  I wanted to find out if I could be the reason, and, if I couldn't, then I'd quit, do something else.  I didn't want to have to invest in a bunch of people who don't care about my success, such as authors and TV stars.  They go from show to show to show.  They don't care which show is popular.  They just wanna be on which one is and get whatever they're doing out there, sell their book or whatever.  And I said, "Why should I depend on those people to be good every day or entertaining in order to attract an audience for me?"

So I just blew up the whole formula for the way a talk show should be done.  But let me give you a scoop, 'cause you wanted to know if there's something you should address specifically.  I'll give you a scoop that even the brightest minds who have tried to analyze this program and figure it out and explain it have never, ever, hit upon, and they've never been curious to look at and they've never understood the importance of, and that is the business model of this program.  Because with all the stuff that you have pointed out, the format stuff, the top 40 energy, the conservative vacuum, all of that's true, but without this program being a commercial financial success, none of that would happen.  And so when we started this program in 1988, we were being penalized by two things.  A, we were new, and nobody ever heard of me.  And so the only advertising we were able to get was what is called -- are you writing this down or recording it?

The reason I am here is to attract and then hold the largest audience possible so that I can then charge confiscatory advertising rates, period.  This is a business, period.  This is not a political party.  This is not a political think tank.  This is not a part of any conservative cause.  This is a business.  And it has business requirements for success that are unique to it, i.e., radio.  If those aren't met, then all the rest of that content stuff is academic.  By the way, what I just told you is gonna irritate the hell out of 'em because the way they're gonna interpret it: "You mean you're just in it for the money?  You're just in it for the money, why, I knew it, he doesn't believe anything."

No, because the next part of it is, how in the world does results-oriented advertising work?  I come here and I say, "This is the best widget on the face of the earth, folks, you need it, you should have it."  Why does that work?  It is because I have been fortunate enough -- this is why I thank this audience, Michael, as often as I do.  I have built a bond of loyalty that's almost familial with the people in this audience.  They who listen regularly trust what I tell them.  They know that I don't lie to them.  They know that I don't make things up.  They know that when I tell 'em what I believe, that I'm being honest with them.  That I don't say outrageous things just to provoke people.  And so they believe me.

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Boston Radio: Bob Socci New Patriots Radio Voice

Bob Socci

Bob Socci is the choice as the new play-by-play voice for Patriots broadcasts on WBZ-FM 98.5 The Sports Hub, the team’s CBS Radio-owned flagship station.

Socci, a Milton resident, has called Navy football games on the radio for the past 16 years, commuting from this area for the past five, according to boston.com.

He also is the lead voice for Patriot League college basketball broadcasts on the CBS Sports Network and is in his first season as one of the two radio voices of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Socci will be paired with analyst Scott Zolak, who will be entering his third season as part of the Patriots broadcast team.

Socci replaces Gil Santos, who retired following the 2012 season after 36 years as the radio voice of the Patriots.

“It’s a dream come true. It really is, on every level,’’ said Socci, 45. “I’ve been dreaming about something like this for a long time. Now that it’s come to fruition, it’s remarkable. It’s humbling above all things because I have such tremendous admiration and respect for Gil.”

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Jen Royle Lands Show On WEEI in Boston

Jen Royle

Jen Royle, a former WJZ 105.7 The Fan and MASN reporter, has landed a weekend show on WEEI 93.7 FM radio in her hometown of Boston.

"My show is on WEEI, flagship for the Red Sox and Celtics, Saturdays from 1-3pm," Royle wrote in an email to David Zurawik at TheBaltimore Sun.

"It's obviously a sports talk show with guests and various co-hosts each week," she added. "Since it's my show, I can control not only the content but my co-hosts as well. Primarily, my co-hosts will be female, mostly already established Boston sports reporters."

"For me to be given the opportunity to host a sports talk show in my hometown of Boston, especially being a female, is a dream come true. I grew up a Red Sox fan so I grew up listening to WEEI. It's truly an honor to be talking on their airwaves. Boston is the greatest sports city in the country and it's the perfect time to talk sports here. The Red Sox are off to a great start and the Bruins and Celtics are in the playoffs. I'm anxious to get things started."

I always said if I ever hosted a sports radio show I'd have BLANK as my signature tune. Listen to @weei Saturday from 1-3 to hear it
— Jen Royle (@Jen_Royle) April 25, 2013

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Radio Personality Frank Ski Auditions At DC’s WHUR

Frank Ski

If you’re wondering what former popular Atlanta radio personality, Frank Ski, has been up to, since leaving WVEE V-103 (he couldn’t come to an agreement with V-103 last December after 14 years on that station), AJC reports that this week, the Harlem native is trying out to fill an afternoon slot at WHUR 96.3 FM in Washington, DC.

Ski spent years on Baltimore radio before shifting to Atlanta.

Michael Baisden abruptly left the station over a contract dispute with his syndicator (Cumulus) last month.

Instead of filling his space, the Howard University commercial station has chosen to open the slot for different radio pros, by invitation only, calling it ‘Washingtons Next Big Voice‘.

TURN US ON NOW! All Week 3-7pm On WHUR 96.3FM. Outside DC Market I'll Be Streaming WHUR.com Or Download The TuneIn Radio App
— Frank Ski (@FRANKSKI) April 23, 2013

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Atlanta Radio: No More Laughing On Comedy 92.3 FM

CCM+E Atlanta Market President Mark Scarano has solved the mystery of what will happened to the company’s 92.3 translator since it was revealed WGST was returning to a talk format.

W22AFM 92.3 FM 60dBu Coverage

Scarano says the company will drop all comedy to move Hispanic Sports ESPN Desportes to W222AF.  The signal will be fed by WUBL 94.9 FM HD3 signal.

As for WGST,  the the 6/3 debut line-up is shaping up with “Bloomberg: First Word” with Ken Prewitt  at 5am and “Wall Street Journal This Morning” with anchor Gordon Deal at 7am.

Starting July 9^, the business shows will be followed by Glenn Beck, TRN’s Andrea Tantaros at noon, Dave Ramsey at 2. Houston-based Michael Berry at 6, Todd Schnitt at 8. Overnight “Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis,” and “Coast to Coast with George Noory.” 

Birmingham Radio: WBPT Promo Person Dies In Wreck

Sam Foster

Alabama State Troopers report a crash that killed a 35-year-old radio station promotions person remains under investigation, but said speed was a factor.

35-year-old Samuel Douglas Foster died at UAB Hospital Tuesday night. The crash happened just before 9 p.m. on I459 one mile north of Hoover, according to al.com.

Foster, a local musician and employee at Cox Media’s WBPT 106.9 The Eagle radio station, was driving a station vehicle. Authorities said Foster lost control of a 2005 Mazda Tribute and struck another vehicle. It left the roadway and overturned.

Foster was pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m. Troopers said he was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the other vehicle wasn't injured.

"We're just trying to work through the shock and work through the sadness and know that he'll be missed because he was a tremendous guy," said David Walls, Director of Sales. "This was a guy you could depend on. This was a guy that would work when he wasn't feeling well. This was a guy that if anybody needed something would call Sam," said Walls.

Foster leaves behind his 10-year-old son, Cameron. Orr says the cluster is creating a Friends of Sam Foster Fund at Cadence Bank. 

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Balt. Radio: Radio Personality Ed Norris In Motorcycle Crash

Ed Norris

WJZ 105.7 FM the Fan radio personality and former high ranking state and Baltimore City police official Ed Norris was injured in a traffic accident Wednesday afternoon.

The Baltimore Sun reports Maryland State Police have confirmed that Norris was driving a motorcycle and was injured when he swerved to avoid colliding with a box truck at an intersection in Darlington, Harford County shortly after 2:30 p.m.

The duty officer at the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack confirmed the identity of Norris, the morning drive host on the highly-rated Norris and Davis Show on 105.7-FM, The Fan, who formerly commanded the State Police and before then was Baltimore City City's Police Commissioner.

Norris was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center by a State Police Medevac.

The state police duty officer said Wednesday afternoon that Norris' injuries were non-life threatening, according to reports from troopers at the scene.

"There were no serious injuries," the duty officer said. "He was alert and talking to everyone. He may have suffered a broken arm."

The driver of the truck now faces charges for failing to yield the right of way.

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Report: 'Idol' Plot to Replace Mariah Carey Fails

Mariah Carey

With ratings in a steep slide, American Idol producers and Fox executives in recent weeks hatched a dramatic plan to jump-start the show: replace judge Mariah Carey with Jennifer Lopez, according to knowledgeable sources.

These sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Carey, who was touted as the big new addition to the judge’s panel this year, responded with a threat of litigation. With that, the plan was dropped, though Idol's producers still are negotiating with Lopez -- who served as a popular judge during the past two seasons -- to appear on the show’s finale in May. And insiders say a search already has begun to replace Carey, most likely Nicki Minaj and possibly the entire judge’s panel for next season.

Jennifer Lopez

"This is just another ridiculous Idol judge rumor, likely started by talks of Jennifer performing on the finale," a Fox spokeswoman tells THR in a statement. Producer Fremantle NorthAmerica declined comment. A rep for Carey denies these allegations. Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe tells THR, "I have not been included in any conversation regarding replacing Mariah with Jen this season."

American Idol kicked off its 12th season on solid enough footing. Earning a 6.0 rating in the key adults 18-to-49 demographic and 17.9 million total viewers in its January return, the 17 percent dip was less precipitous than some of the bigger drops in recent years. But the months since have been less kind. The Wednesday performance show is averaging a 4.3 rating in 18-to-49, its worst performance since its inaugural season in 2001. And it is dropping nearly every week.

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Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, Wife Attend Murder Trial

Dee Snider, wife

A gym owner who moonlighted as the boss of an “ultra-violent robbery crew” on Long Island was sentenced to three life sentences yesterday for launching a coldblooded killing spree to eliminate associates — including the brother-in-law of “Twisted Sister” frontman Dee Snider.

Christian Tarantino, 46, was so successful “making money hand over fist” in a series of daring armed robberies that Gambino crime-family scion John “Junior” Gotti tried to shake him down for a taste of the profits, a source told The New York Post.

But Tarantino’s downfall came after he began to kill off associates who he feared might talk.

One was his longtime friend Vincent Gargiulo, 33, who was gunned down in broad daylight at 30th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.

Justin Bressman, a gym employee whom Tarantino promised $35,000 to carry out the hit, drew a .22-caliber pistol with a silencer and shot Gargiulo point-blank in the face, Long Island federal prosecutors say.

Six weeks after committing the August 2003 murder for Tarantino, Bressman disappeared, officials say. His burned-out car was abandoned in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and he has never been found.

Yesterday, Gargiulo’s sister, Suzette Snider — the wife of the ’80s hair band’s singer — watched the proceedings from the back row of the crowded Central Islip courtroom.

Then Dee Snider joined Suzette at a podium, as she spoke about the loss of her brother.

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Again: Neil Diamond Hits Home Run With “Sweet Caroline”

Neil Diamond

Sales of Neil Diamond's 1969 classic "Sweet Caroline" are up an astounding 597% this week in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, according to Billboard. Diamond was on hand last week for the Red Sox's first game at Fenway since the attack to perform the song during its traditional 8th inning airing for the team.

Nielsen SoundScan posted that Diamond sold 19,000 tracks this week, 2,800 tracks the previous week, with a total of 1.75 million tracks to date. The song, which has been an incredible source of pride and joy for Boston since it became a Fenway tradition a decade ago, was played in honor of Boston at various games since the tragedy -- including the Sox's arch rivals, the New York Yankees.

Neil Diamond explained that having early pop success almost came at the cost of finding his true voice as a singer-songwriter.

In 2011, Neil Diamond revealed that the daughter of President John F. Kennedy -- Caroline Kennedy -- was the inspiration behind the song, telling The Associated Press: "I've never discussed it with anybody before -- intentionally. I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday. I'm happy to have gotten it off my chest and to have expressed it to Caroline. I thought she might be embarrassed, but she seemed to be struck by it and really, really happy. . . It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony. It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there."

"Sweet Caroline" was originally released on May 17th, 1969 on Diamond's Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show album. It was issued as a single a little over a month later and eventually peaked at Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100.

Diamond will donate royalties from "Sweet Caroline," a top-5 hit that has been played at every Boston Red Sox home game for more than a decade, to the charity supporting victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Sweet Caroline at Yankee Stadium 4/16/13 to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Classy gesture by the Yankees and Yankee fans.

Greg Kihn Brings Back The Beatles In A Novel

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Greg Kihn continues to pioneer the Rock and Roll thriller genre with his fifth novel, Rubber Soul, featuring The Beatles themselves. Part murder mystery, part coming-of-age story through Beatlemania, Greg Kihn got the idea for Rubber Soul based on his interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Patti Harrison, Yoko Ono and original Beatles drummer Pete Best.

With historical details said to be 100% accurate, Rubber Soul is a must for every Beatles aficionado. Premier Digital Publishing will release Rubber Soul in both trade paperback and digital formats on September 3, 2013.

Rubber Soul’s protagonist is Bobby Dingle, AKA Dust Bin Bob, who Greg states, was developed when, “I asked where the Beatles got their records, and their answers inspired the central character, Dust Bin Bob, and this novel.”

Dust Bin Bob runs a stall for his father’s second hand shop at Penny Lane Flea Market. He has an extensive collection of American R&B singles that he gets from Merchant Marines returning from America to Albert Dock in Liverpool. The action starts when he befriends four young lads from Liverpool by the names of John, Paul, George, and Ringo and becomes their lifelong friend, sharing the vinyl that will start a revolution. From then on, it’s a rocket ride from The Beatles earliest days in Liverpool to six shows a night in Hamburg to the Cavern Club to The Ed Sullivan Show and full-fledged Beatlemania.

Along the way, Dust Bin Bob thwarts a plot by Ferdinand Marcos loyalists in 1966 to assassinate The Beatles in Manila, Philippines, after they snub the Marcos family, blowing off a reception at the palace and narrowly avoiding an international incident. It could have happened.

Download an excerpt of the first chapter free. Click Here.

Preorder Rubber Soul, Click Here

Kihn’s career stretches from the dawn of punk and Indie Rock to the discos of the 80’s to the glory days of MTV. As a pioneering recording artist with the legendary Beserkley Records of the 1970’s and 1980’s with chart-topping songs and MTV videos for "Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em Like That)," Greg Kihn helped write the book on revolutionary west coast Rock and Roll.

In the 90’s, Greg Kihn turned his attention to writing fiction and FM Radio. He published four novels, a handful of short stories in various anthologies, and edited a compilation of original fiction by famous musicians.

Breaking into FM Radio in 1996, Greg is recognized as the longest reigning #1 Classic Rock Radio morning man in the San Francisco Bay Area, broadcasting on KFOX FM 102.1 San Francisco and 98.5 San Jose, until September 2012 when he was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.

15 Minutes Of Fame Continue For F-Bomb Anchor

Watching his profanity-laced flub for the first time was "gut-wrenching," fired local anchor A.J. Clemente told TODAY Wednesday.

2013’s Worst Jobs: Newspaper Reporter #1

‘Broadcaster’ 16^th Worst...’Broadcast Technician’ 72^nd

Ever-shrinking newsrooms, dwindling budgets and competition from Internet businesses have created very difficult conditions for newspaper reporters, which has been ranked as this year's worst job, according to the CareerCast.com Jobs Rated report.

Consumers can access online news outlets almost anywhere thanks to technological advancements, which are threatening the existence of traditional print newspapers. As a result, the number of reporter jobs is projected to fall 6% by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), while average pay is expected to continue its decline.

The Newspaper Association of America, via the Pew Research Center, estimates that the industry earned approximately $49.2 billion in 2006. By 2011, that total had dropped by well over half to $23.9 billion taking many jobs with it, including thousands of newspaper reporter positions.

Editor & Publisher reports a steady decline in the number of daily newspapers since 1985, when there were 1,730 in circulation. The industry held steady near 1,450 in the mid-2000s, but closures in the latter half of the decade left the nation with a low of 1,382 dailies.

Best Jobs:

1. Actuary

2. Biomedical Engineer

3. Software Engineer

4. Audiologist

5. Financial Planner

6. Dental Hygienist

7. Occupational Therapist

8. Optometrist

9. Physical Therapist

10. Computer Systems Analyst

Worst Jobs (Going up from worst):

200. Newspaper Reporter

199. Lumberjack

198. Enlisted Military Personnel

197. Actor

196. Oil Rig Worker

195. Dairy Farmer

194. Meter Reader

193. Mail Carrier

192. Roofer

191. Flight Attendant

See Complete Ranking of Top 200 Jobs, Click Here.

The jobs were ranked on five criteria: physical demands; work environment; income; stress; and hiring outlook. For more on Methodology, Click Here.

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Cox Enterprises Makes Upper Management Changes

• Jimmy Hayes to Retire After 33 Years of Service
• John Dyer Appointed COO of Cox Enterprises -- To Succeed Hayes as President and CEO
• Doug Franklin Named Executive Vice President and CFO of Cox Enterprises
• Bill Hoffman Tapped as President of Cox Media Group

Cox Enterprises, Inc. announced Tuesday that after 33 years of dedicated service to the company, Jimmy W. Hayes will retire from Cox in April, 2014 as part of the company's long-term, succession plan.

Jimmy W. Hayes

Hayes has served as president and chief executive officer since 2008, leading the company's four major subsidiaries: Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader Group, as well as corporate headquarters groups including financial operations, human resources and administration.

"Jimmy has led an impressive career at Cox, and I consider it a privilege having worked alongside him for so many years," said Jim Kennedy , chairman of Cox Enterprises. "I thank Jimmy for his loyalty and service to Cox, and am delighted to work with him over the next 12 months to carefully and thoughtfully transition Cox's next senior leadership team."

Hayes will continue serving as a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors.

Effective May 1, John M. Dyer will be named chief operating officer of Cox Enterprises and will succeed Hayes as president and chief executive officer upon Hayes' retirement next year.

John M. Dyer

"John is a seasoned Cox leader with deep and rich experience in both finance and operations," said Kennedy. "His commitment to the Cox culture, coupled with his pursuit of excellence makes him the perfect choice to succeed Jimmy. I look forward to working closely with John as we continue to invest in opportunities to grow our portfolio of businesses."

A 36-year Cox veteran, Dyer currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises, a position he has held since 2008. Dyer began his career at Cox in 1977 as internal auditor and in 1980, joined the company's broadband communications and entertainment subsidiary, Cox Communications, as a financial analyst. He later served as manager of capital asset planning and director of operations before joining Times Mirror Cable, where he was regional vice president of operations and vice president of operations. Dyer returned to Cox Communications as vice president of financial planning and analysis when Cox acquired Times Mirror in 1995.

In 1998, Dyer was named Cox Communications' senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions, where he helped acquire more than two million subscribers. He also served as senior vice president of operations for Cox Communications' Western Division, which includes operations in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. Dyer served as Cox Communications' chief financial officer before assuming the role of Cox Enterprises' executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2008. He is a member of the Cox Enterprises board of directors and serves on the board of trustees for the Marcus Autism Center.

Douglas E. Franklin

Douglas E. Franklin will succeed Dyer to become executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cox Enterprises, effective May 1.  Franklin currently serves as president of Cox Media Group, a position he has held since 2011.

In his new role, Franklin will be responsible for the company's treasury, financial reporting and control, as well as tax and audit functions. He also has responsibility for public policy, supply chain services, information technology, risk management and legal.

"Doug has spent his entire career with Cox and will make a great addition to the Cox Enterprises senior leadership team," continued Kennedy. "His extensive experience in both finance and operations is the ideal background for this role, and the skills he's honed for the past three decades will serve him well as he makes his transition."

As President of Cox Media Group, Franklin is responsible for leading Cox Enterprises' integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary. Cox Media Group operates 19 broadcast television stations; 88 radio stations; eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, more than 100 digital services and Cox Reps. Additionally, Cox Media Group owns and operates Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America.

Previously serving as Executive Vice President of Newspapers for Cox Media Group, Franklin also has served as publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, publisher of The Palm Beach Post, president and chief executive officer of Cox Ohio Publishing, publisher of the Dayton Daily News and executive vice president, general manager and business manager of Dayton Newspapers. Franklin joined the company more than 30 years ago as a door-to-door circulation solicitor.

Succeeding Franklin as president of Cox Media Group will be Bill Hoffman , who currently serves as an executive vice president at Cox Media Group. In this role, Hoffman oversees the majority of the company's radio and television operations, as well as its corporate revenue efforts.

Bill Hoffman

"Bill is a talented, senior executive who will provide strong leadership, continuity and direction at Cox Media Group," Kennedy added. "His innate understanding of the integration of broadcast, print and digital media will help ensure Cox outlets maintain their enviable rankings in a highly-competitive media landscape."

Prior to serving as Executive Vice President, Hoffman was vice president and general manager of the company's WSB-TV in Atlanta. He joined Cox in 1979 as an account representative at TeleRep and has held a number of roles within the company. Those include vice president and general manager of WFTV 9 in Orlando, local sales manager at WSB-TV, office manager at Atlanta's TeleRep office and national sales manager at WPXI in Pittsburgh. He also served as local and national sales manager of WCCO in Minneapolis, Minn.

Hoffman serves on the ABC board of governors as its current chairman, on the board of directors of the Anti-Defamation League, Southeast Region and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.