R.I.P.: Songwriter-Singer Alan O’Day Was 72

Alan O'Day

Songwriter/Singer Alan O’Day passed away Friday from brain cancer.

He was 72.

O’Day was best known for writing and singing "Undercover Angel," an American #1 hit in 1977.

He has also written songs for several other notable performers, such as 1974's Helen Reddy #1 hit "Angie Baby" and the Righteous Brothers' #3 hit "Rock And Roll Heaven".

O'Day went on to score another winner as a singer, this time in Australia. His "Skinny Girls" rose to number one in 1980. The following year he and Tatsuro Yamashita collaborated on "Your Eyes," which Yamashita released to popular acclaim in Japan. Among the other artists who have recorded his songs are Cher, Three Dog Night, and Mel Carter.

"If there's a Rock n Roll Heven well U know they got one hell of a band". My friend Alan O'Days song. The band just got better my friend.RIP
— Diane Warren (@Diane_Warren) May 18, 2013

In the 1980s he moved from pop music to television, co-writing over 100 songs for the Saturday morning Muppet Babies series, and in the 1990s he wrote and performed music on the National Geographic series Really Wild Animals.

Saturday Aircheck : Hot Hits WCAU-FM Philadelphia 1981

WCAU-FM 98 Philadelphia - Billy Burke - Nov 27 1981. Midnight to 1:10 am.

Detroit Radio: Drew & Mike Sign-Off At WRIF

Drew & Mike: A Final Toast

The “Drew & Mike” show headed into its final hours Friday morning with hugs and shots of Jagermeister as Drew Lane, Mike Clark and crew wound down their 22-year run at WRIF-FM 101.1.

Last week, station owner Greater Media pulled the plug on the show, despite its ratings success. A successor has not been announced yet. (“Shortly,” said Heidi Raphael, Greater Media spokeswoman).

During breaks, the two escaped onto the smoking patio Greater Media built for them in balmier days, reports The Detroit News.

“This is the last time I’ll be out on the smoking patio,” Clark said in his usual scratchy, morose tone. “I’ve spent a lot of time out here, driving rain and snowstorms, because of this stupid habit.”

Lane doesn’t agree with that. Wearing his usual orange Virginia ball cap during a commercial break, Lane said, “FM radio absolutely” will endure.

“With morning radio, talk radio, people really get to know you, or they think they know you. Not to knock what TV anchors or news writers do, but radio has immediacy,” Lane said.

“We’ve had some really sincere, really kind words from a lot of people. The connection really runs deep.”

The show consists of seven people, and Lane concedes that in today’s business climate, it might be tough to keep their unit intact.

DREW & MIKE LOOK FORWARD: Click Here For Earlier Post and Video.

On behalf of the company, Greater Media Detroit market manager Steve Chessare praised Lane and Clark and their crew.

As for the “Drew & Mike” show ending up on another Greater Media station: “We’re not ruling it out,” Chessare said. “This had nothing to do with their abilities.”

Rather, the Greater Media executive said, it had to do with positioning WRIF for a younger audience.

“We found that we were our own competition,” he said, referring to the similarity of WRIF’s format with Greater Media’s classic rocker WCSX-FM 94.7. Greater Media won’t confirm that long-running rumor that Dave and Chuck “The Freak” from 89X will take over the WRIF morning slot.

An announcement will happen by the middle of next week, in the meantime, WRIF’s “Meltdown” will hold down the early morning shift.

Read More Now

Radio’s 1Q Revenue: Sluggish Start, An Uptick In March

The Radio Advertising Bureau today released figures on radio advertising for the first quarter of 2013.

The RAB says radio’s first quarter was flat at $3.5B, aided by an uptick in Spot in March after a sluggish start to the year. Both Digital and Off-Air performed well throughout  the quarter and were up 9% and 5% respectively.

Spot spending by Communication/Cellular advertisers soared by over 1/3 (36%) for this quarter, propelling the category to #1 for the period.

Also up – in rank order based on spending – were Financial Services (+13%), Department/Discount Stores & Shopping Centers (+58%), and Home  Furnishings/Floor Coverings (+6%). While dollar volume was virtually flat for Television/Networks/Cable Providers (-3%) and Restaurants (-2%), these were solid contributors to radio’s bottom line in the #2 and #4 spots; Automotive declined 20% and slipped to the #3 rank.

“Major increases in radio advertising by Communications/Cellular and Financial Services went a long way to offset a drop in Automotive spending,” stated RAB’s President & CEO Erica Farber. “Additionally, spending is up in the Department/Discount Stores category – reflecting  increased confidence among retailers who have experienced radio’s ability to drive traffic and sales.”

“Radio’s digital sector revenue continues to grow as radio stations invest in and promote their digital offerings to listeners, driving increased attention by the ad buying community,” Farber added.

Read More Now.

Pittman: Technology 'An Opportunity, Not A Risk'

• CNN Talks With Bob Pittman, CEO At Clear Channel

Bob Pittman

In the last 30-plus years, Bob Pittman has helped found MTV, became a successful producer, headed Time Warner's Six Flags theme parks division, ran the Century 21 real estate company, took over AOL in its formative years and was chief operating officer of the merged AOL Time Warner.

Three years after making an investment in the sometimes maligned Clear Channel, the largest radio company in the United States, he's the CEO.

In a phone interview with CNN, his Mississippi twang contrasting with his rapid-fire delivery, Pittman talked about why he got back into radio, his responses to criticism of Clear Channel and lessons he's learned during his career, which started at a radio station in Brookhaven, Mississippi, when Pittman was 15.

A highlight:  CNN: What are the positives and negatives about being the 800-pound gorilla?

Pittman: We're No. 1 in all media. Just our radio (stations) reach 239 million people a month. But when people call you an evil empire, what they're saying is, you're not doing anything new and exciting. And I think the opposite side of having a big platform to play with is you can do great stuff. We try to be very attuned to what's important to our listeners, and we have an obligation to help our listeners and help our communities. And we view part of our job is to connect the music to the fans. That's what radio does.

Read More Now.

Detroit Radio: Drew & Mike Looking Forward

Radio hosts Drew and Mike have opened up about being let go from Greater Media’s WRIF.  Their last show was today.

In an exclusive interview with Local 4's Devin Scillian in Detroit Drew and Mike said they were shocked by the news.

Mike said, "I was shocked. I didn't expect that and it definitely took my breath away."

Drew said, "Money must be in there somewhere" while Mike added, "But, we're not done yet we've not hung up the whole situation. Obviously we're going to regroup. We'll find something. We'll be back on a frequency. We want to stay together and go forward."

Tweets about "#drewandmike"

St. Louis Anchor Off-Air Following IRS Claim

Larry Connors

Longtime KMOV (Channel 4-St. Louis) anchorman Larry Conners is “off the air” until further notice.

Dan Caesar at stltoday.com reports the station is examining Conners’ recent allegations that he was targeted by the Internal Revenue Service after interviewing President Barack Obama.

“He’s not suspended. We just all thought it made sense (for him) to take a few days off,” news director Sean McLaughlin said Thursday.

“We take this very seriously, and we don’t expect this to drag on. We’re still looking into the situation and weighing our options,” he said.

The situation arose Monday night with a post from Conners on his Facebook page. In that post, Conners said he had been getting “pressure” from the IRS after the Obama interview in April 2012.  (See original posting, Click Here.)

The Facebook post begins: “I don’t accept ‘conspiracy theories,’ but I do know that almost immediately after the interview, the IRS started hammering me.”

In conclusion, Conners wrote: “Can I prove it? At this time, no. But it is a fact that since that April 2012 interview … the IRS has been pressuring me.”

Obama recently booted the acting IRS director because of allegations that the Internal Revenue Service has targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny when applying for nonprofit status.

On Tuesday — in a televised statement near the end of KMOV’s 5 p.m. newscast — Conners backed off that initial claim.

“To be fair, I should disclose that my issues with the IRS preceded that interview (with Obama) by several years,” Conners said Tuesday in the 35-second statement.

Read More Now.

Outgoing FCC Chairman Reflects On Tenure

Julius Genachowski (NPR)

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski stewardship of the agency ends today, and after more than four years dealing with issues such as broadband, wireless and media consolidation Genachowski, 50, is going off the grid for awhile. He and his family are high-tailing it to a western dude ranch, according to a story at USA Today.

When Genachowski announced plans to step down, says Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, "you had all the left-wing public interest advocates complaining about him and then he had libertarian free market groups (saying), 'Oh, he was too interventionist.' In that sense, I think he got it right, because he was able to win his way through that."

Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro dubbed Genachowski "the Spectrum Chairman" for recognizing the need for additional bandwidth to appease the growing mobile connectivity appetite. A challenge for the successor at the FCC will be to execute the auction of spectrum hoped to be regained from the return of some digital TV over-the-air broadcast airwaves.

After hitting the trail, Genachowski plans to remain involved in the technology discussion. He'll become a senior fellow at The Aspen Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based non-partisan think tank.

Much of the outgoing chairman's books and other belongings were already packed when Genachowski took time to talk with USA TODAY.

Q: What achievements are you most proud of?

A: Focusing the FCC on broadband and unleashing the opportunities of high-speed Internet. In terms of broadband speeds, the U.S. has gone from (being ranked) 22nd to 8th (in the world) in the last four years. We have laid more fiber in the last two years than we did in any (single) year since 2000. We continue to have a lot of work to do. We are in a fast-moving sector, a global landscape where our competitors around the world all want to be the center of innovation. The agency will need to continue to focus on driving faster broadband speeds and capacity.

President Obama's appointed successor, Tom Wheeler, awaits Senate confirmation. Meanwhile, current Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as acting chair.

Genachowski's advice for Wheeler: "Learn everything, and do the right thing."

Read More Now.

Radio Ratings: Insights On April PPMs From Arbitron

• Country is Hot
• Top 40 Poised For Hot Summer

Tony Hereau

From Tony Hereau, Arbitron 

The April 2013 PPM monthlies are rolling this week. As Insights Manager for Arbitron, I’m lucky enough to get to play with the data on a multi-market level each month, providing insight into what the very latest trends are by format. Among other things this month, you’re going to see Country hit an all-time high for listening share and baseball’s return impact the ratings. We’ll also check Top 40’s pace against the same period from last year. 

Here’s a look at what we’re seeing across 45 PPM markets* in the April data, for all listeners 6+, adults 18-34, and adults 25-54 during the full week daypart: 

• Country Hits New Highs: We’ve been noting one high-water mark after another in recent years for the Country format. Whether setting a new all-time national listening share in the latest Radio Today 2013 study or quickly ascending into second place on the PPM ranker with younger listeners, there is no denying that Country is on a tear. Now it’s time to add another notch to the belt, because Country has hit new highs for listening share in our PPM markets this April. The numbers you’ll see below in the format rankings are the highest we’ve seen for Country since we began tracking all PPM markets several years back.

• Top 40 Looks Poised for Another Big Summer: Both mainstream Top 40 (aka Pop CHR) and its Rhythmic cousin are both tracking ahead of where they were at this time last year, just prior to shooting up the ranker in what some later dubbed “the summer of Top 40” (see our entry on the subject here). During the first four months of this year, Mainstream Top 40 in particular, is nearly a half-share-point ahead of its 2012 pace among adults 18-34 (12.1 vs. 12.4), and more than a half-share-point ahead of pace among adults 25-54 (8.0 vs. 8.6). 

• Baseball’s Return Drives Sports Up 11%: As in previous years, the annual return of Major League Baseball to the field and airwaves coincided with a spike in listening for Sports formats. Total share (6+) across the PPM markets was up 11% in April compared to March and 7% for both the 18-34 and 25-54 demos.

 April 2013 PPM Markets Top 5 Formats by AQH Share (Full Week Daypart)

Read More Now

Click Here for Market-By-Market April PPMs

Report: Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern To Be Neighbors

Not only do they share the same birthdate, they now will be sharing the same ZIP Code.

America’s Got Talent judge and radio talk personality Howard Stern is the likely buyer behind a $52 million private sale recorded Wednesday for an oceanfront house at 601 N. County Road according to the Palm Beach Daily News.  The property was sold by textile and apparel executive Martin Trust and his wife, Diane, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Stern, who hosts The Howard Stern Show on the Sirus Satellite Radio network, has reportedly been looking for a house in South Florida for weeks with his wife, Beth Ostrosky.

Stern, who has a home in New York City, where he produces his radio show, adds his name to the list of media celebrities with homes in Palm Beach. Those include conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, whose home is near the northern tip of the island, and conservative firebrand Ann Coulter.

The sale marks the highest-dollar deal recorded this year in Palm Beach.

The deed listed the buyer as the 601 North County Road Revocable Trust, for which West Palm Beach attorney Ronald S. Kochman served as trustee. Kochman said he had no comment on the transaction. A representative for Stern could not be reached for comment.

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Fort Collins Radio: CCM+E Launches Radio 94.9 FM

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Fort Collins at noon Friday launches Radio 94.9 FM, Colorado’s Finest Rock.

The station will broadcast on a translator at 94.9 FM and at KPAW 107.9 FM-HD2 and feature artists such as Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, Avett Brothers and U2. The station will also focus on Northern Colorado musicians.

The station was stunting with Christmas Music Friday morning.

LISTEN-LINE: Click Here.

“Radio 94.9 will be a perfect fit for the Fort Collins local music scene and lifestyle,” Clear Channel Market Manager Stu Haskell said in a written release. "We’re especially excited to spotlight local artists as part of our regular programming and offer the local community a unique radio station that has been missing from this area for a long time."

K235BT 94.9 FM 60dBU Coverage

The station will have a digital presence at Radio949colorado.com and on Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio service.

Philly Radio: Shooting Victim Can’t Sue Clear Channel

Clear Channel is not liable for a shooting at rapper Beanie Siegel's birthday party, which it was broadcasting live in Philadelphia, a federal judge ruled.

According to Courthouse News Service, Tyheem Baker, a New Jersey resident, said he had been hesitant to go to Solo Nightclub with friends on March 6, 2009, but changed his mind when he heard on the radio that the club would be hosting the birthday party of former Roc-A-Fella artist Beanie Sigel, whose real name is Dwight Grant.

In the previous two years, Club Solo had been the site of several shootings and large fights, according to the ruling. Pennsylvania had even sued the club and one of its owners, Tam Tran, in 2008 to shut it down for a year and take its liquor license.

Though a conditional licensing agreement issued by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board forbade Club Solo from promoting its events, the club used DJ Boo Entertainment to advertise and broadcast Sigel's party live on Clear Channel Communications' radio station, WUSL Power 99.

Close to 600 people came out for the event.  Baker said he entered the club around 11 p.m. after going through a metal detector and pat-down. Though other guests were also searched, Baker allegedly noticed that DJ Khaled and his entourage were not.  At about 1:35 a.m., an unknown guest shot Baker in the chest while he was standing outside the restrooms. The club's video surveillance was not working, the incident was not recorded.

Baker brought a 2008 federal complaint for negligence against Sigel and others associated with the party. Seven of the eight remaining defendants moved for summary judgment, but U.S. District Judge Anita Brody cleared only half of that group last week.

Clear Channel Communications, WUSL Power 99 and Club Solo's landlords, Spring Del Associates and SDAGP Inc., "had no control" over Club Solo or the security provided inside the club, according to the 20-page ruling.

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Study: 70 Percent of Streaming Users Are Inactive

Back in March, respected industry researcher Mark Mulligan unearthed a fairly shocking statistic about Deezer.  That is, nearly three-fourths of all Deezer registered users were completely inactive zombies.  They had all signed up and ditched out completely, even though it was all completely free.

 

Now, Paul Resnikoff at Digital Music News reports this isn't just a Deezer problem; it's a problem that affects all streaming music services according to Mulligan's calculations. 

Which means, not only are a small percentage of people paying or even sticking around, a large majority simply aren't interested.  "The important point is not whether Deezer has more inactive users than Spotify, but that streaming services as a whole have a problem with churn," Mulligan relayed.

Read More Now.  

St. Louis Radio: Sports WXOS Wins Sports-Talk War

From Media Writer Dan Caesar, Stltoday.com:

It took a lot longer than he had hoped, but John Kijowski now stands alone as the champion of St. Louis sports-talk radio wars. 

It was January 2009 when he converted 101.1 FM from a dance-music station that catered to women, a relatively safe format from a business standpoint, to a much riskier jock-talk outlet that became known as WXOS — for the X’s and O’s in basic sports strategy, keeping with the station’s objective of relatively straightforward sports talk. And 101.1 was bursting into an already-saturated field of athletic chatter. There were four other stations, all on AM, broadcasting in the format. One even had an FM branch to reach some suburbs. 

John Kijowski

But Kijowski was undaunted, saying at the time that his mission was to conquer the sports-talk field within two years by combining a top-notch, no-nonsense lineup with a powerful FM signal and an affiliation with sports media powerhouse ESPN. 

“There’s not room for multiple (sports) stations here,’’ he said. “Our goal is to be the only one.’’ 

It didn’t take long for Kijowski to reach one goal — becoming the ratings leader in sports chat — and another milestone in being the first such local outlet to rank in the top five among all stations, regardless of format, in the key men age 25-54 audience. 

The more obscure AM stations that carried primarily syndicated sports fare (at 1190 and 1490) didn’t last long after WXOS arrived. But the mainstays, KFNS 590 AM and KSLG 1380 AM carried on, although problems grew. KSLG at one time had a powerhouse lineup of well-known local talent but eventually evolved into a second-tier outlet in which hosts were paying for their airtime and the signal often was off the air at non-peak times. KFNS, the longest running station in the sports format, also had major changes and financial problems — including an inoperative website for months. 

But 101.1 might not be the only game in town for long. 

Tim McKernan, whose morning show is being ousted at KFNS when its contract expires in July, is working with others to try to buy a station that could focus at least in part on sports. Dave Greene, who formerly ran KFNS and KSLG and still is a Grand Slam owner, could get back into the business. 

In a broader scope, there have been rumblings that one of the six St. Louis stations owned by Clear Channel Communications — or even KMOX (1120 AM) or one of the two other local CBS Radio outlets — could move to a sports format.

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R.I.P.: Iconic Top 40 Programmer Paul Drew Dies At 78

Paul Drew

The radio industry is mourning the passing of one of the all-time legendary Top 40 programmers.  Paul Drew died of natural causes Thursday in Glendale, CA.

He was 78.  

Drew was one of radio's most colorful programmers perhaps best known as VP of Programming for RKO Radio.  He supervised stations in New, York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Memphis and Fort Lauderdale. 

He was PD and made several station legendary in their markets and beyond. His programming stops included WQXI 790 AM  (“Quixie In Dixie”), CKLW 800 AM in Windsor/Detroit, WIBG 990 AM in Philadelphia. KFRC 610 AM in San Francisco and KHJ 930 AM in LA.  The stations Drew programmed defined Top 40 radio.

Drew not only programmed these stations, he also influenced scores of other programmers and personalities across the country.  He was the epitome of a Top 40 programmer in the 60s and 70s.

Drew was originally from Detroit. While attending Wayne State University, he worked at WHLS in Port Huron, Michigan. In 1957, on the advice from his uncle he went to Atlanta and the day he arrived was hired as an announcer at WGST. Drew moved to WAKE in 1961 where he cultivated a large teen audience by visiting high schools gathering names to use on his nightly show. 

In 1963, Paul moved to WQXI, hosting 7p-12m. He introduced Atlanta to and later toured with the Beatles. He eventually became program director of WQXI a position he held until 1967, when he left to program CKLW in Detroit, KFRC in San Francisco, and  KHJ in Los Angeles.  Paul then became Vice President of Programming for RKO Radio.

FLASHBACK:  In 2001 Drew was interviewed about his association with legendary morning host Dr. Doctor Rose, best known for his work at WFIL 560 AM in Philly and KFRC.  Don Rose was a radio star in the 60s through the 80s and passed away in 2005.

A life-long Democrat, Drew in ’76 was a Brown delegate to the Democratic National Convention in NYC.   President Jimmy Carter appointed Paul to head the White House Youth Energy program, dealing with the  long lines at gas stations.   Governor Jerry  Brown appointed him a  commissioner on the  CA Motion Picture Council; serving for  more than 6 years.

In '83, President Ronald Reagan  appointed Paul the first Director of Radio Marti,  broadcasting to Cuba from U.S. soil.  Drew was the only Democrat President Reagan appointed in his 8 years in the White House.

Media writer Jerry Del Colliano worked for Drew at WIBG in Philadelphia and writes he lived in fear of making a mistake. He also writes that today's PDs live in an alien world compared to the days of Drew. Click Here.

CCM+E, CW Make Multi-Year Deal

• The CW Network will be the Exclusive Broadcast Home of the iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartRadio's Holiday Jingle Ball and the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party
• The CW Also to Broadcast Album Release Parties and Other Concert Specials
• Partnership Kicks Off with The CW's Broadcast of the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party

The CW Network and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment today announced a multi-year partnership making The CW the exclusive television broadcaster of the two-day, star-studded iHeartRadio Music Festival.

The CW will also be the exclusive broadcast home of iHeartRadio's holiday Jingle Ball concert, the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party, album release parties and other concert specials. 

The agreement also gives the CW exclusive streaming rights to the television specials on CWTV.com following the broadcasts.  The three-year agreement, beginning with

The CW's broadcast of the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party in July, was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW, and John Sykes, President of Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises.

"The CW is synonymous with what's now and what's next, and that includes music," said Pedowitz. "We have always been known for using the hottest, most of-the-moment music, both on our shows and in our marketing campaigns. Partnering with Clear Channel to present the biggest concert events of the year for our viewers is a natural fit for us, and also gives us more original event programming throughout the year."

"This is an ideal opportunity to take the original content that we create at Clear Channel to new platforms and audiences," said Sykes.  "We chose The CW as our partner because we share the same powerful connection to a highly influential young demographic."

DC Radio: Jack Diamond Fans Are Furious, Frustrated

Yanking "The Jack Diamond Morning Show," a beloved 24-year institution on WRQX Mix 107.3 FM in the Washington, D.C. area, off-the-air has unleashed a firestorm of commentary from distraught fans of the program, according to a story at greateralexandriapatch.com.

Jack Diamond

In addition to more than 100 comments on Patch, and more than 1,000 comments in one day on Diamond's Facebook page show listener frustration about the move at the station, owned by Atlanta-based Cumulus.

A sampling of the comments:

• Stephanie wrote: "I was shocked to not hear you on the radio. I have loved your show and looked forward to it each morning. Very sad that you are not on the air anymore. Not so in love with the new show that replaced you."
• Jessica wrote: "I really, really hope your show comes back in the mornings. Whatever station - I will be listening!! My DC commute got very despressing - each morning I get in my car and say "oh right ugh" it's a terrible feeling."

Media Confidential has also heard from many of  Diamond's fans. Among 75+ Comments, here's a sampling of three:

• AnonymousMay 8, 2013  If 107.3 thinks Bert is going to make it in this town now they are crazy. I"ve heard some of the trailers for the show and they talk about making fun of people! Dude, that was 20 years ago and very politically incorrect and just ignorant in this day and age. Jack got screwed. The executives should take a look at how the reinvention of JCPenney is working and how it worked for NetFlix!
• AnonymousMay 9, 2013 I became a loyal listener since the Jack Diamond Show came on the air--I am always running while listening to his show. I loved all the conversation, especially the 5:30 club discussions. I feel that we all grew close to Jack and his teams over the years, and I will truly miss Jack. There are no comparable morning shows. This was a very UNWISE business decision because you cannot just look at the bottom line and cut like the government sequester. You have to have a brain and, in this case, a heart to know what is best for the radio station and its listening public. Jack, be sure to let us know where you will go/what you will do. Best of luck!!
• AnonymousMay 13, 2013I too will miss Jack terribly. I have been one of his 13 listeners since he first came on. He was the one constant in my life and made mornings bearable. I enjoyed hearing about his life, it made him seem genuine and human, and he made an effort to keep the show clean. I'd rather hear that than humor about sex and body functions, which seems to be the norm today. He had a great team with Jimmy and Brooke, what happened to them? He did need freshening up, but they threw out the baby with the bathwater. All he needed to do was stop weaving informercials into the program, which I hated, and get a new sidekick of the caliber of Jimmy. Mix also Mix needed and still needs to stop playing the same 5 songs over and over and get a real mix of music. He was the only reason I stayed with Mix. Couldn't they get a local team instead of a program from Atlanta?

Click Here for original posting and many more comments.

WRQX-FM has been airing excerpts from "The Bert Show," this week, warming up the DC audience for the real thing starting Thursday morning. Host Bert Weiss, a former sidekick of Jack Diamond's, is joined on the program by Jeff Dauler, Kristin Klingshirn and Tracey Kinney, according to the show's Web site.

The outrage in the DC area over pulling "The Jack Diamond Show" has filled Facebook and Twitter this week as MIX 107.3 FM attempts to debut the syndicated replacement program out of Atlanta, which will debut live from DC Thursday and Friday morning.

We're live in DC this morning on @mix1073 - if you want to listen to that show, use this link and listen live! j.mp/YYcDhE
— The Bert Show (@TheBertShow) May 16, 2013

"The Bert Show" hosts will be in DC Thursday morning for the debut of the program, according to a tweet from "The Bert Show" program Wednesday, which says: "We're SO excited to be on @Mix1073 in the mornings! The crew will be live in studio tomorrow & Friday! :)"

Read More Now



Tweets by @TheBertShow

DC Radio: Jack Diamond Bids Farewell

Jack Diamond photo

Jack Diamond Facebook Farewell:

The past 24 years I have gotten up every morning at 3:30AM. I have driven down River Road (yes, from PotomacDarnesBurg : ) and into DC. There is not a single morning I have not looked forward to starting the day with an ever-evolving team of VERY talented team members. There has never been a day when I wasn't thrilled to share a new day with you. I never took your kind listenership for granted or assumed you'd "just listen". I knew we had to be entertaining, interesting, informative, a bit unpredictable, but always a Show that you could listen to with your kids in the car. Or your boss. Great Interviews, Musical Guests and Comedians. Even YOU in studio for FFAF, or on the phone talking with us! The most daring or shocking show? No. That was never our goal. The best show FOR Washington, DC FROM Washington, DC? Yes! I turned down "Syndication" many times. We are Washingtonians! Every city needs local personalities talking 100% about local issues, needs, events, etc. That's not only my opinion, that was our show. 

During our years together we shared, sadly, life-changing days like 9/11. I was proud to stay on the air many hours after our "show" had ended on 9/11. My mission that day, as well as during the DC Sniped reign, snow storms, tornados, hurricanes, even earthquakes, was to be a calm and calming voice. To share the facts as we got them, and share our emotions as we felt them. A voice of information and normalcy during a time that was anything but normal. I hope we accomplished that for you. Quite honestly, this was your show. About you and for you. 

Now, if you came here expecting me to trash my station or the people who have already told outrageous lies about me, you don't know me. That will not happen. Yes, you will hear more desperate words from even more desperate people in the days ahead. Please consider the source. And also know what a person says about someone else, says far more about them... I do want to say Thank You, but that will have to wait for another post. There is so much I want to thank you for. Here is the final picture of our show. Aly and I call it: "And Then There Were Two". Our last days together. At least in this chapter... To be continued. Thank you. For everything. I truly love YOUR show, babe!! (And miss you more than I can say)

Google Play: $10 Monthly Gets You Music Access

Google has formally announced its new subscription music initiative, Google Play Music All Access.

Rumors first broke that Google was working on the service earlier this year; The Verge reported just yesterday that Mountain View had in fact closed deals with all three of the major record labels, and that the service was ready to be revealed. It essentially works like Spotify and Rdio, letting users stream songs on-demand to their computer or Android device.

The service is built atop Google's already-existing music store for Google Play, and features a recommendation engine that will guide users towards new music they may not have already discovered. As demoed on an Android smartphone, All Access incorporates both local tracks and those available for streaming into one master searchable library, a marked improvement over much of its streaming competition.

However, unlike a lot of Google services, All Access isn't free. It's priced at $9.99 a month, though there is a 30-day free trial. Google is looking to reward early adopters, however: if you start a free trial by June 30th (credit card info must be provided), your monthly fee will run just $7.99.  Google Play also has a 'Standard' option which is free.

Read More Now.

Tweets about "#googleplaymusic"

NYC Radio: SBS Thrilled With WSKQ, WPAT-FM Ratings

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.Wednesday announced that its New York station WSKQ-FM "Mega 97.9FM" and WPAT-FM "93.1FM Amor" achieved significant ratings gains and strengthened its market position in Arbitron's recently-released April 2013 trend report.

• WSKQ-FM Mega 97.9FM has captured the number one position amongst all Hispanic FM stations in the Tri-State New York market, for Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54.
• WSKQ-FM #1 station amongst Hispanic Adults 18-49 with a 5.8 share, Spanish format.
• WSKQ-FM (Mega 97.9FM)- #3 overall station in the total market (m-s), among Adults 18-49 in New York regardless of language with a 5.8 share.
• WSKQ-FM (Mega 97.9FM)- "La Mega Mezcla with Alex Sensation" (10am-3pm)- # 1 show among Hispanic Adults 18-49 with an 8.5 share, Spanish format. # 1 show in the total market, among Adults 18-49 in New York regardless of language.
• WPAT-FM (93.1FM Amor)- continues to strengthen growth with a 150% increase from the December book (December 2012) 1.2 share to (April 2013) with a 3.0 share.

Eric Garcia VP of Sales of WSKQ-FM "Mega 97.9FM" and WPAT-FM "93.1FM Amor" commented, "As WSKQ-FM 'Mega 97.9FM' and WPAT-FM '93.1FM Amor' continue to reach listeners in New York, we are confident that audiences will choose both stations over long time favorites, as demonstrated in the latest New York Arbitron rankings. The Hispanic community is growing rapidly and SBS New York will continue to provide quality, compelling entertainment to satisfy its listeners."

*Source: New York Arbitron , Apr13: Metro: M-S 6am-12m Used/Average Share.

LA Radio: Variety Is Key To KBIG’s Success

For the first time, KBIG-FM 104.3, the rock and pop purveyor nicknamed "MyFM," took sole possession of first place in the local radio ratings in April, edging ahead of sister station KIIS-FM 102.7 — the latest leg in a head-to-head battle that has had the pair jockeying for listeners since the beginning of 2012.

According to Steve Cerney at the LATimes, KBIG features a varied playlist that ranges from pop chanteuses Kelly Clarkson and Pink to alternative bands such as Green Day and Third Eye Blind, to hip-hop acts Outkast and the Black Eyed Peas. The station had previously tied with KIIS for first place last September and then again in February.

But in April, according to the Arbitron ratings service, KBIG claimed 5.5% of the Los Angeles-Orange County audience ages 6 and older, up from 5.4% in March. KIIS dropped from 5.7% in March to 5.4% in the April ratings chart, which was released Monday and chronicled listening habits from March 28 to April 24.

Valentine In The Morning

"Our goal is to have a nice variety on the radio station, to be not just about today and not just about the '80s, either," said Andrew Jeffries, program director of KBIG and vice president of programming in Los Angeles for Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio chain, which owns KBIG, KIIS and six other stations in the market.

KBIG was stuck in 11th place near the end of 2011, but jumped into the top five by the beginning of 2012, and moved into second place from May through August.

"Variety comes from so many different places," Jeffries said, whether through mixing genres, or eras, or artists. By borrowing from the playlists of several stations throughout the market — pop, alternative, hip-hop, adult-contemporary, etc. — the idea is it can broaden the potential audience.

"We can put a little foot into each of these camps, and be a blend of the best," Jeffries told the LA Times. "Chances are we've got a bit of something to keep you happy."

The plan flies against conventional wisdom in radio, which dictates a tight focus in targeting listeners.

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Charlotte Radio: Commercials Give Dept. Store Headaches

Charlotte-based Belk Inc. found itself in the middle of an online battle between political partisans this week, when an ad featuring the company ran on conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s radio program on WBT 1110AM/99.3 FM.

The fight highlights the fine line companies walk with advertising and social media, according to the Charlotte News-Observer.

The ad featuring Belk was apparently first noticed Monday by a group on Facebook that monitors Rush Limbaugh’s advertisers in an effort to pressure the talk show host financially. On Tuesday, the liberal website DailyKos mentioned the ad in a posting.

People started posting messages on Belk’s Facebook page protesting the ad. “I cannot support or recommend your business to my relatives in the South while you sponsor the Rush Limbaugh show,” wrote Heather Santiago, in a comment on the retailer’s page.

Tuesday morning, Belk posted a message on the Facebook page explaining that it doesn’t advertise with Rush Limbaugh, and the ad was run by one of the company’s vendors as part of a new campaign. “We’ve asked the vendor to pull the ads featuring Belk from The Rush Limbaugh Show going forward,” the company wrote.

Belk spokeswoman Jessica Graham told the Observer that the department store company doesn’t advertise on talk radio at all, conservative or liberal, and the company was surprised by the Facebook messages about an ad on Limbaugh’s show.

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CBS Chief Leslie Moonves: 'We'll Try to be Less Smug'

Leslie Moonves

CBS Corp. president and CEO Leslie Moonves once again took issue with Jimmy Kimmel's jabs at CBS as the geriatric network. But he did admit to being “flattered” that the ABC late-night host characterized No. 1 CBS as “smug motherf----rs” at Kimmel's annual upfront routine.

“I guess that means we're winning,” Moonves said during the network's pre-upfront press conference Wednesday morning at CBS headquarters in New York, according to a story at The Hollywood Reporter.

“We'll try to be a little less smug and a little more gracious. But that's hard for me, as you know.”

But Moonves took some shots of his own at the broadcast competition, which touted various multiplatform initiatives, granular demographic data and new measurement schemes.

“Anybody who spends 20 minutes talking about multiplatform at their upfront does not have much else to sell,” said Moonves, adding that CBS beats its broadcast competition by 4 million to 5 million viewers and will finish the season as the No. 1 network among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic for the first time in more than 10 years.

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Seizure Of AP Records Just Part of Leak Probe

The Justice Department's controversial decision to seize phone records of Associated Press journalists was just one element in a sweeping U.S. government investigation into media leaks about a Yemen-based plot to bomb a U.S. airliner, government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

The search for who leaked the information is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington and has involved extensive FBI interviews of personnel at the Justice Department, U.S. intelligence agencies, the White House's National Security staff and the FBI itself.

The interviews have been lengthy and thorough, said people who have been questioned in the investigation, but requested anonymity. Two of those interviewed said leak inquiries were always aggressive and that being questioned is a wearing and unpleasant experience.

The investigation, which a law enforcement official has said was prompted by a May 7, 2012, AP story about the operation to foil the Yemen plot, appears to be ongoing. Some potential witnesses have been advised they are likely to be interviewed in the next two or three weeks.

Attorney General Eric Holder, who recused himself from involvement in the case, largely sidestepped questions from angry lawmakers on Wednesday about his department's secret seizure of AP records, which the news agency revealed on Monday.

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Revival Of Media Shield Bill Met With Skepticism

Jack Mirkinson

From Jack Mirkinson, Huffington Post:

Journalists reacted with some skepticism to the White House's announcement on Wednesday that it was seeking to enact a new federal shield law to boost the legal protections for reporters. 

The move came at a time when the Obama administration is facing unrelenting criticism from the media for the secret Justice Department probe into the Associated Press. When White House spokesman Jay Carney mentioned during a press briefing that President Obama had supported a shield law as a senator, NBC's Chuck Todd pointed out that Obama had helped kill the very measure he was now pushing to have reintroduced when it was proposed early in his first term. 

Obama has also been facing down comparisons to Richard Nixon for his policies towards the media and whistleblowers. 

All of which is to say that the White House's sudden reevaluation of its stance on a shield law was met with a raised eyebrow or two. A headline in the New York Times seemed to sum things up: "Under Fire, White House Pushes To Revive Media Shield Bill." BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski flatly called it "damage control." 

Furthermore, as HuffPost's Ryan Reilly and Sam Stein pointed out, the bill the White House is seeking to revive included a broad national security exemption, raising questions about whether it would even have given the AP more protections.

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NFL Jax Jags Unveil New Radio Line-Up

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a new lineup of radio shows this season including new talent, and former offensive tackle Tony Boselli will join the booth for game broadcasts. The additions to the radio team include former quarterback Mark Brunell on Jaguars Thursday, Pete Prisco of cbssports.com on Jaguars Monday, and J.P. Shadrick, Jay Gray and Jeremy Ratliff on Jaguars Game Day. All Jaguars radio programs will air in stereo on the team’s flagship station, WOKV 690 AM/104.5 FM.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Jeff and Brian in the broadcast booth for Jaguars games,” Boselli said. “Although I’ve enjoyed calling NFL games the past several years, I feel like I’m coming back home to be there for every Jaguars game in Jacksonville and on the road. I’m really looking forward to being part of the broadcast team.”

The Jaguars, in addition to the game day broadcasts with play-by-play man Brian Sexton and color analysts Jeff Lageman and Boselli, will air two two-hour shows each week on WOKV. Jaguars Monday – featuring Sexton, Boselli and Prisco – will air from 6-8 pm each week. The trio will discuss the previous day’s Jaguars game as well as action and news from around the NFL, with caller participation.

Jaguars Thursday from 6-8 pm will feature two one-hour segments, the first of which will be the Gus Bradley Show.

Sexton begins his 19th season in the Jaguars radio booth, having called all 372 games the team has played in the preseason, regular season and postseason.

Chicago Radio: Personality Clark Weber Returns

Clark Weber

Chicago’s boomer-age fans of ‘60s rock ‘n roll radio will be transported to another time upon hearing the voice of disc jockey and talk show host Clark Weber back on the air. The 35-year veteran of WLS, WIND, WCFL and WJJD can now be heard every Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. on WIND AM560.

Weber offers a wry “Look at Life” on “Aging Info Radio.” He shares observations about life – how it was, how it’s changed and the ways it’s stayed the same.  At 82, Weber’s voice hasn’t changed a bit.

Weber comes from an era when disc jockeys were as famous as the people who made the music. Having left the airwaves in 1996, retirement has only partially caught up with “Mother Weber’s oldest son.”

Though a new resident at Westminster Place retirement community in Evanston, IL, “Aging Info Radio” is just one of his gigs. Weber travels across the country speaking about aging and retirement living at other senior communities and organizations.

“People fear retirement as an end to their productive lives,” Weber says. “But those fears are unfounded. Our skills are still valuable and needed.” However, he continues “Be informed about all aspects of retirement life and make a plan for yourself.”

Weber talks about the benefits and satisfactions he and his wife have found living at Westminster Place. “Retirement community living meets our needs and has pleasantly surprised us,” says Weber. “We’ve made new friends, increased our entertainment opportunities, have terrific fitness facilities and no more home maintenance. We can even travel for extended periods and not have to worry about the house.”

Weber addresses other options for retirement living including choosing to age in place at home and live with relatives.

Weber and his wife Joan are longtime Evanston, IL, residents and moved to nearby Westminster Place, a Presbyterian Homes community, where they can remain close to their children, church, and first great-grandchild. In addition to the topic of aging,

Weber also speaks about his recent memoir chronicling rock and roll's golden age: “Clark Weber's Rock and Roll Radio: 1955 to 1975 The Fun Years.” The book is filled with photos and “behind the scenes” anecdotes and recollections about time spent with an array of stars to include the Beatles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Barbra Streisand and Janis Joplin.

WIND AM560’s “Aging Info Radio” airs every Saturday at 6:00 a.m. and explores topics on healthy aging, elder care, boomer & senior lifestyles, aging in place, retirement wealth and related topics and guests.

Amazing POV: WTC Final Spire Lift

The New York Port Authority has release a great point of view shot nearly 1700 feet above the Manhattan roads below as the new spire was lifted and place atop the new WTC building.

The GoPro Camera is one of the leading point of view cameras offering a full HD picture in a very small size allowing it to be mounted nearly anywhere.

R.I.P.: Longtime Royals Radio Voice Fred White Dies

Fred White

Fred White, a Royals radio voice for 25 years and associated with the club for 40 years, died on Wednesday due to complications from melanoma.

He was 76. According to the Kansas City Royal.

White's death in hospice care came just one day after the team announced his retirement as director of broadcast services and the Royals Alumni. Funeral arrangements are pending.

"All of us are just shocked," said Royals owner David Glass.

White was best known for the 25 years, 1974-98, that he teamed with Denny Matthews in the Royals' radio booth.

FL Radio: JVC Buys 5 Asterisk Stations

A Long Island-based radio broadcast JVA Media has an agreement to buy five FM radio stations in the Gainesville/Ocala market owned by Asterisk Communications of Fort Lauderdale.

JVC Media of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., is buying all of Asterisk's stations for $3.5 million, according to a story at the Ocala Star-Banner.

The stations are: WTRS 102.3 Thunder Country and WMFQ 92.9 92Q, both based in Ocala; and Gainesville-based WXJZ 100.9 Smooth FM, WBXY 99.5 The Star and WYGC 104.9 105 The Game.

JVC has an agreement to start an LMA June 1 but the deal will not close until it is approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

He said JVC plans to invest in staffing and marketing and will add 15 employees over the next couple months in promotions, programming, DJs, sales and the business office. The five stations currently have 35 full-time and part-time employees.

He said they will also research whether to keep the current station formats or make changes.

Asterisk President Fred Ingham was not available for comment Wednesday.

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