Saturday, June 1, 2013
TWC Crew Survive Tornado Ride
Tornado Hunt team and @twcmikebettes survived being picked up and thrown by #Tornado in #Oklahoma. wxch.nl/17GnW1N @weatherchannelTweets by @TWCBreaking
— Matt Sampson (@TWCMattSampson) June 1, 2013
OK Tornadoes: KFOR Storm Team Make Escape
In Okladoma City, KFOR 4Warn Storm Team meteorologist Emily Sutton and 4Warn
Storm Team storm chaser Kevin Josefy had a very close call with the El Reno
Saturday Aircheck: Boston's Loren & Wally WVBF-FM
Long-time Boston
morning radio personalities Loren Owens & Wally Brine are now in the midst
of a new multi-year contract with Greater Media’s 105.7 WROR-FM.
ConsideredBoston ’s
longest running morning team, Loren and Wally were first paired together back
in 1981 and have been on the 105.7 frequency ever since. The Loren & Wally
show remains among the top rated morning shows in Boston radio.
Here they are from 1990 on WVBF-FM.
Considered
Friday, May 31, 2013
Second OK Tornado Benefit Concert Planned
 |
| Toby Keith |
Country singer and Moore-raised Toby Keith is moving closer
to a concert date for a blowout show to benefit Oklahoma tornado recovery efforts.
Country singer and former Tulsa resident Ronnie Dunn confirmed to the
Tulsa World on Wednesday that he'll join Keith for the show.
Dunn also confirmed that Garth Brooks is onboard for the
blowout concert, tentatively scheduled sometime during the July Fourth weekend
in Norman . The
exact date and place likely will be announced "within the next 24
hours," Dunn said.
"There are a lot of moving parts to work out,"
Dunn stressed. "But this is what we're aiming for."
He called this concert a "second wave" of support
from the music community for the people of Moore , knowing Blake Shelton's Wednesday show
was the first.
Wednesday night's Healing in the Heartland benefit concert raised
more than $6 million in pledges to aid victims of the state's recent
devastating tornadoes. Proceeds go to the United
Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund.
Read More Now
Read More Now
Music Artists Rock Boston Strong Concert
A succession of all-star bands from Aerosmith to Jimmy
Buffet rocked a packed house at Boston 's
TD Garden on Thursday night in a mostly raucous fund-raiser for the victims of
last month's marathon bombing.
According to Reuters, tickets priced between $35 and $285
sold out fast at the 17,500-seat venue, with net proceeds to be donated to The
One Fund, a reserve established by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Massachusetts
Governor Deval Patrick that has so far received more than $37 million in
donations to compensate victims of the April 15 bombing.
The music kicked off with a Jimi Hendrix-style distortion
guitar version of the U.S.
national anthem by rock band Boston that drew
cheering fans out of their seats before lead singer Tommy DeCarlo told the
crowd "Tonight we are all Boston ."
Another Massachusetts band, Extreme, transformed the energy
with a sing-along version of "More Than Words" - an acoustic love
song - before the homegrown J. Geils Band unleashed a torrent of fast-paced
R&B as lead man Peter Wolf strutted the stage in black leather and shades.
Other acts included country star Jason Aldean, who despite
not being from Massachusetts admitted to being
a fan of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, New Kids on the Block, James Taylor
and Aerosmith - which made a round-the-world detour from Singapore to
make the show.
Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block won the decibel
award when he took the microphone and yelled the word Boston repeatedly, drawing enthusiastic
shrieks from the audience.
Aerosmith closed the show with a bang with lead man Steven
Tyler sporting an ankle-length cape and leopard-pattern shirt dancing with his
microphone stand while singing rousing versions of "Sweet Emotion"
and "Living on the Edge."
Talk Of Format Changes Gets Hosts Pulled Off-Air
Two Gainesville ,
FL
The Gainesville Sun is reporting Jake Fuller and Ward Scott were told not to return for the
second hour of the conservative talk show Talk of the Town on WBXY The Star 99.5 FM
following their comments during the first hour.
Scott said they have had trouble getting information about
the looming changes but finally heard Thursday morning that they might not be
on the air Monday.
"As the show progressed, we got more and more concerned callers," Scott said.
"As the show progressed, we got more and more concerned callers," Scott said.
 |
| Jake Fuller |
Fuller, who also draws editorial cartoons for The Gainesville Sun, said they were told the last straw came when he responded to a
caller who asked if it was a liberal plot by saying, "It's these
out-of-state owners that really don't have a feel for the community, so they're
changing the format."
"Apparently that didn't sit well with them,"
Fuller said.
JVC Media of Long Island, N.Y., has an agreement to buy five
FM stations in the Gainesville/Ocala market from Asterisk Communications of
Fort Lauderdale pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission.
CEO John Caracciolo said he made the decision to end the
show immediately after getting a call from station General Manager John Starr
about the comments.
The format changes that take effect at midnight Friday are:
- WBXY The Star 99.5 talk format becomes Party 99.5 FM electronic dance music, which includes artists such as Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake.
- WYGC 105 The Game at 104.9 FM changes from sports and talk to a country music simulcast of Ocala-based WTRS Thunder Country 102.3, which is being rebranded My Country.
Report: Holder To Journalists “I Get It”
 |
| Eric Holder |
Attorney General Eric Holder expressed concern on Thursday
about how the Department of Justice has handled recent media investigations at
an off-the-record meeting with leading representatives of the press, according
to a story by Dylan Byers at Politico.
At the session, Holder and Deputy Attorney General James
Cole expressed a willingness to revise the guidelines for such investigations,
journalists present at the 'off-the-record' get-together.
But Holder stopped short of offering any concrete changes to
the guidelines. Instead, the Attorney General sought to assure the journalists
that he and the DOJ were trying to seek a balance between the demands of
national security and the free flow of information, and sought suggestions from
the journalists on how those changes might be achieved.
Hate Talk: Alex Jones Calls Bill O’Reilly “Bully Punk”
When Bill O’Reilly put Alex Jones‘ face next to the words
“HATE SPEECH” in the opening of his show Wednesday night, he had to be
expecting an impassioned response from the radio host. According to Mediaite, Jones
did not disappoint Thursday, calling O’Reilly a “bully punk” and challenging
him to a pay-per-view boxing match.
“I’d like to get in a boxing ring with Bill O’Reilly,” Jones
said, after accusing him of taking his words out of context on his show
Wednesday night.
“I challenge you to a pay-per-view boxing match. You think
you’re so tough?” Jones accused O’Reilly of trying to intimidate his guests by
turning their microphones off and pointing his finger in their faces. “You big,
fat bully!” he exclaimed.
“You’re scared to have me on your show,” Jones said,
predicting that if he was a guest, O’Reilly would draw 10 million viewers.
“You’re jealous. Your radio show failed, you’re a failure.”
Jones insisted that he represents the “independent” “wave of the future” while
O’Reilly is stuck in the past. Increasing his intensity and volume, Jones
screamed, “you want to start a fight with me, punk? Huh? You think you can
shove me around? You’re a coward, punk, rat bastard!”
Jones mentions Bill O'Reilly about 1:28 into the following video:
Jones mentions Bill O'Reilly about 1:28 into the following video:
Fresno Radio: Inga Barks OUT At KMJ
 |
| Inga Barks |
The 45-year-old Barks had been on KMJ since 2005 when she took over for
evening on-air talk show host Jaz McKay when he resigned.
There's no word on whether Barks' show was canceled or she
resigned because Patty Hixson, vice president and general manager of Peak
Broadcasting, owner of KMJ, had no comment on the matter and the Fresno Bee
reports Barks did not respond to requests for comment.
Barks' KMJ broadcast originated from her hometown of Bakersfield , where she
also had a daily talk program on KERN 1180 AM 1180. She got a new radio home in
Bakersfield a
month ago taking over the 3-5 p.m. time slot at crosstown talk radio station
rival, KNZR AM 1560 / FM 97.7. Barks now follows McKay on KNZR.
KNZR vice president and general manager Mary Lou Gunn said
the change of Bakersfield stations had nothing
to do with Barks leaving the Fresno
airwaves.
It's been a rocky year for Barks. In March, she was off theair at KMJ for more than a week following her arrest in Bakersfield on charges of disorderly conduct.
The case is still pending.
Utica/Rome Radio: WUTI Forced Off-Air By Vandals
Tower site vandalism is to blame for a full week — and
counting — of silence from talk radio station WUTI 1150 AM. The damage was so extensive, officials with
Leatherstocking Media Group say repairs on the Oriskany transmitter site could
take another three weeks.
General Manager Don Wagner tells CNYRadio.com today, the
station was already operating at low power when the vandals struck last
Thursday. ”They took almost all the
transmission line from the phase shack to each of the five towers,” Wagner said.
Wagner says repairs have already been made to the shacks at
the base of each tower, but the work is on hold as Leatherstocking awaits the
arrival of new transmission lines.
Wagner says police told him the vandals were likely looking
to turn a quick buck to buy drugs — and because it’s relatively easy to
sell-off scrap metal, it’s unlikely police will be able to track down the
culprits.
Tom’s Take: The 1150
AM frequency was WRUN when a young Dick Clark worked there in 1945. The station was then owned by Clark's uncle.
Boston Radio: Feds Seize Pirate Station’s Equipment
The FCC issued warnings to the residents of 4258 Washington St.
in Roslindale, but the radio station continued to broadcast, according to an
affidavit filed with the civil complaint. So Federal officials recently seized
radio equipment from the illegal pirate radio station.
A warrant recently unsealed in U.S. District Court details
the May 21, 2013, seizure of radio transmission equipment, according to a press
release from U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz.
The pirate radio station is alleged to have been using frequency
88.5 MHz without a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
and a civil action was brought seeking the radio equipment to be handed over
because it was allegedly used in violation of federal law.
According to Ortiz's office, after an affidavit was filed
with the civil complaint, the FCC issued warnings to the residents of 4258 Washington St. ,
but broadcasts continued. The action to hand over the equipment occurred after
a licensed broadcaster reported interference occuring with its radio signal.
Altanta Radio: All News 106.7 FM Observes First Anniversary
WYAY All News 106.7 is celebrating its one year anniversary
covering metro Atlanta
news 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
FOX 5 and All News 106.7 have a unique partnership by combining resources for an unmatched commitment to news coverage.
Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5
FOX 5 and All News 106.7 have a unique partnership by combining resources for an unmatched commitment to news coverage.
Washington, PA Radio: AM Daytimer Signs-Off
According to the Observer-Reporter, the station sign-off with
no fanfare, the station had been on the air, on and off, since October 1970,
when it signed on as WKEG and played country and polka music.
The station’s fate was sealed by a 45-year-old transmitter that would have cost too much to repair, according to Randy Allum, a disc jockey at the station who hosted a Saturday morning program.
The station’s fate was sealed by a 45-year-old transmitter that would have cost too much to repair, according to Randy Allum, a disc jockey at the station who hosted a Saturday morning program.
A letter submitted to the Federal Communications Commission
May 21 by Robert Olender, a Maryland
attorney representing Helen Supinski, the Canonsburg resident who owned WKZV,
asks that the station’s license be canceled “due to adverse economic conditions
and the health of its principal.”
It goes on to state that the station’s tower would be
maintained until it can be torn down.
WKZV was a rarity in the radio universe – a station that
only broadcast during the day, with no website and no live stream.
Daytime-only stations on the AM dial have been vanishing
with some regularity, according to Ken Hawk, a Pittsburgh-area radio veteran
based in Butler County
Steve Harvey Radio Show Gets Surprise
Music legend Stevie Wonder surprised the Steve Harvey Show this week with a surprise phone interview.
Critique: Surprisingly Good B.K. Commercials
Dan O'Day, radio advertising expert and radio talent coach, critiques new Burger King commercials for the Saudi Arabia
market. His feedback should give radio
food for thought.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
St. Louis Anchor Larry Conners Sues KMOV
 |
| Larry Conners |
The saga of former KMOV-TV (Channel 4) news anchor Larry
Conners just got a whole lot more complicated.
Since his firing, his attorneys have filed a formal
discrimination complaint with the Missouri Human Rights Commission alleging
that his bosses terminated him in retaliation for a dispute he had with the
station in 2010 regarding his salary. In that legal battle, Conners writes in
the complaint, he had alleged that KMOV was unfairly paying him less than his
co-prime anchor, Vickie Newton, "an African-American female; I claimed
that I received less compensation than Newtown because of my race and gender,"
according to riverfronttimes.com.
Since the resulting arbitration against KMOV and parent
company Belo concluded in April 2012, Conners alleges in the new complaint, his
bosses have treated him differently -- eventually leading to his firing this
month.
The accusations in this formal complaint, sent out by his
attorneys this morning, come as quite a surprise just weeks after the Conners
controversy erupted.
Two weeks ago, Conners speculated on his Facebook page
whether the IRS had targeted him in response to an April 2012 interview he did
with President Obama. He later read a statement on-air admitting he had issues
with the IRS several years prior and said that his views were his own.
Soon after, he was taken off the air temporarily -- and then
fired.
Mark Pimentel, KMOV's president and general manager, said
the firing was because Conners had violated the journalistic standards of the
news organization by taking a stance on a national political story.
News Organizations Turn Down Holder Invite
Fox News joined several other major media outlets Thursday
in refusing to send a representative to a meeting with Attorney General Eric
Holder on the department's surveillance of reporters if Holder continues to
insist that the session be off the record.
Michael Clemente, Fox News' executive vice president,
decided that Fox News will not attend the off-record talks. Fox News had been
invited to a Friday session at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington .
With the decision, the two news outlets known to have been
targeted by the Justice Department for surveillance -- the other being the
Associated Press -- are now declining to participate in the first phase of
Holder's internal review over the controversy. Several other outlets are also
refusing to attend.
Holder, who agreed to conduct a review of DOJ guidelines
over investigations that involve journalists, had set up meetings with members
of the media for Thursday and Friday. He ran into immediate resistance, though,
after calling for the meetings to be off the record, meaning the discussions
would not be reportable.
AP media relations manager Erin Madigan White said that if
the session is not on the record, the news cooperative will offer its views in
an open letter on how Justice Department regulations should be updated.
Read More Now
Read More Now
Detroit Radio: WCSX Adds Trudi Daniels To Morning Show
 |
| Trudi Daniels |
She will begin her new role on Monday, June 3, 2013.
Daniel’s unique and flat out funny take on twisted stories
from the shadows of today’s headlines are a perfect match for WCSX mainstay Ken
“K.C.” Calvert, the “Casual One.”
The Sandusky ,
Ohio
Previous to that, she worked as a morning show host at
WZOU-FM in Boston , KSEG-FM in Sacramento ,
WLVQ-FM in Columbus and WIOT-FM in Toledo , Ohio
“The WCSX air staff is a collection of great personalities
from Detroit Rock Radio history, so when Trudi became available, it was a
no-brainer to bring her on board the team,” said Keith Hastings, Program Director
of WCSX-FM. “Her unique perspective on the world around us will be a great
addition to the station.”
“I spent most of my life going to concerts and had to find SOME way to keep getting free tickets,” said Daniels. “I’m also going for the record for shortest radio move–about 40 yards and across the hall!”
“I spent most of my life going to concerts and had to find SOME way to keep getting free tickets,” said Daniels. “I’m also going for the record for shortest radio move–about 40 yards and across the hall!”
Detroit Radio: TV Covers New WRIF Morning Show
The popular Dave & Chuck the Freak morning show made its WRIF 101.1 FM debut Tuesday, and Detroit’s Fox2 (WJBK-TV) was there to cover it.
Fox 2 News Headlines
Fox 2 News Headlines
AEG Exec Grilled At MJ Wrongful Death Trial
CNN is reporting the phrase most spoken by AEG Live's co-CEO
during his testimony in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial was: "I
don't recall."
Paul Gongaware, who was in charge of producing and promoting
Jackson's ill-fated comeback concerts, testified this week that he couldn't
remember sending key e-mails or approving budgets that included $150,000 a
month for Dr. Conrad Murray.
Gongaware also denied thinking that Jackson 's health was frail in the last days
of his life, despite e-mails from others in the production suggesting the
singer needed help.
AEG's lawyers argue it was Jackson who chose, hired and
supervised Murray -- and their company only
dealt with Murray because Jackson demanded they pay for him to be his
"This Is It" tour doctor.
Jeff Zucker Says CNN Is Held To Higher Standard
 |
| Jeff Zucker |
In a wide-ranging conversation at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital Confab guided by
Walt Mossberg, Diller contended that Aereo is not trying to kill the business
of broadcast networks, but rather spur a movement to a more open distribution
of programming. Diller also reiterated that buying Newsweek was a mistake, and
that it belongs in the hands of a company that focuses exclusively on
publishing.
CableTV Ratings: MSNBC Falls Below HLN in May
HLN's wall-to-wall coverage of the Jodi Arias trial has had
substantial ratings legs. Surging around the time of the May 8 verdict, the
network notched an extremely rare monthly victory: It topped MSNBC in total day
and primetime. And, reports THR, with CNN posting its second consecutive month
as a distant primetime runner-up to Fox News Channel, MSNBC is in a very
precarious fourth place.
Averaging 539,000 viewers in primetime and 175,000 viewers
in the adults 25-54 demographic, MSNBC suffered double-digit drops from last
May -- down a respective 20 and 19 percent. Losses were less substantial in
total day, down 10 percent to an average 346,000 viewers and down 7 percent to
115,000 adults 25-54, while all other nets pulled growth in multiple categories.
The soft start for All In With Chris Hayes has not helped.
Hayes, down 32 percent in total viewers from The Ed Show last May, has offered
a poor lead-in for MSNBC's primetime flagship, The Rachel Maddow Show, at 9
p.m. The show delivered its lowest-rated month since it debuted in September
2008 (717,000 total viewers) and its second lowest with adults 25-54 (210,000).
Maddow was topped by typical time slot victor Sean Hannity and CNN's Piers
Morgan.
NJ 101.5 Radio Hosts Get Heat For Animal Abuse Comments
 |
| Franco, Malloy (Star-Ledger photo) |
WKXW NJ 101.5 radio hosts Dennis Malloy, Judi Franco and Ray
Rossi are under fire after controversial conversations they had on air last
week about animal abuse.
During a mid-day and overnight radio show on May 21, hosts
brought up the topic of animal abuse and Sammy, the Cocker Spaniel that was
abused and brought to the Associated Humane Society in Tinton Falls
According to a posting on the station website, social media posts
said Malloy and Franco said animal rights activists need to get their
priorities straight, while a statement from 101.5 said “there were spirited
discussions of the relative importance of human rights and animal rights, as
well as the passions of animal rights proponents, which involved calls from
audience members.”
A tweet was also sent by @JLNunyabusiness to Franco stating
"R U not aware that animals feel pain, fear, emotion just like us? Would U
like 2B concreted in your own urine & feces? Starved?" Franco, using
the Twitter handle @judifranco, replied stating, “actually they don't. But
thanks for listening!!"
The tweet and Franco’s account have since been deleted.
 |
| Sammy |
Sammy supporters and loyal listeners who were outraged took
to social media to express their disgust with the comments made on the show.
The Associated Humane Society also discussed the talk show
on their Facebook page.
“Wow.....very disappointed in our New Jersey radio station, NJ 101.5. Their
talk show hosts, Dennis and Judy, have poked fun several times over the years
at ‘animal rights activists’.....which are merely people that care about
animals and take an interest in their well-being,” the post said. “We would
like to invite those at this radio station to come and visit our facility, or
any of our three facilities, and see for themselves that animals DO in fact
feel pain and have emotions. And that the people that work with them and care
for them do NOT have their priorities mixed up.”
According to the Sammy the Cocker Spaniel Facebook page,
Rossi also allegedly said 'untrue, hurtful' statements on air about Martin
Mondoker, one of the pages administrators. Rossi posted an apology on the
Facebook page.
“I would like to take this time to apologize for some things
that were said about Martin that had nothing to do with his position on seeking
justice for Sammy the cocker spaniel,” Rossi posted without elaborating on what
was said.
People also called on the station on social media to release
full transcripts or recordings of the show. The 101.5 statement released
Tuesday included a partial transcript of the show with the hosts stating they
do not support animal cruelty.
Facebook user Dawn Witzel Lowery wrote on the 101.5 page,
"If you have nothing to hide, release the FULL Sammy transcript. People
who think animal abuse is funny are no better than the actual abusers
themselves. These 3 people should not work in public media. Get them out of
there!!!”
 |
| Franco, Malloy |
A petition on change.org calling for Rossi, Franco and
Malloy to be fired has also reached more than 6,000 signatures, and several
Facebook pages were created on Sunday asking people to boycott the station and
fire the hosts.
The 101.5 statement also talked about the show and social
media conversation surrounding animal abuse.
“Unfortunately, some of the online commentary regarding the
discussions which transpired on these programs has become dislocated from the
facts,” the statement said. “New
Jersey 101.5 and its employees do not condone or make
light of animal abuse. Animal abuse is a vile phenomenon and perpetrators
should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There is no place for
animal abuse in civilized society.”
Click here to read the full statement released by 101.5
“Judi and I were simply attempting to have a discussion
about changing opinions on animal cruelty in the last few years,” Malloy said
in the statement. “We referenced a recent criminal case related to animal
cruelty in New Jersey
Tweets about "#nj1015"
AP Style Book turns 60
The AP Stylebook is marking its 60th anniversary with the
2013 print edition, which includes more than 90 new or updated entries and broadens the guidelines on social media.
At about 500 pages, the AP Stylebook is widely used in
newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. More than a dozen of the
new entries are in the sections on food (such as Benedictine and Grand Marnier,
madeleine and upside-down cake) and
fashion (chichi and froufrou).
The new entry on mental illness gives guidelines on when
references are relevant, particularly in stories involving violent crime, and
how they should be reported. The entry
on illegal immigration, widely reported when it was announced in April,
prohibits use of the term illegal immigrant, except in direct quotations
essential to a story. Use of the word illegal is limited to an action, not a person.
The section on social media has been expanded with additional
terms and definitions, including
circles, flash mob and Google Hangout. Also broadened is information on
how to secure, authenticate, attribute and reference user-generated content for
text, photo captions and video scripts.
The weapons section spells out differences between assault
rifle and assault weapon, magazine and clip, and pistol and revolver, and adds
entries on bolt-action and lever-action rifles.
The 2013 edition consolidates a number of changes made since the 2012 volume was published.
Stylebook Online is updated throughout the year, as AP editors make additions
or changes.
TuneIn Snags Funding, Looks To Grow
Online radio powerhouse TuneIn Wednesday announced it has
raised a $25 million round of funding led by Institutional Venture Partners.
IVP invested just under $20 million while existing investors Sequoia Capital,
Google Ventures, and General Catalyst Partners, took the opportunity to put
more skin in the game, according to Forbes.
IVP partner Jules Maltz will be taking a spot on TuneIn’s
board. The company also announced it has hired a new chief financial officer,
Axel Martinez, former assistant treasurer of Google.
The Palo Alto, California-based TuneIn boasts over 40
million monthly active listeners around the world and over 1 billion listening
hours in the first 4 months of 2013. The service also surpassed one billion
listening hours between January and April of this year. With these kinds of
numbers, the digital radio company claims to be second only to Pandora in the
space.
Report: TuneIn Funding a Good Sign for Radio
 |
| Glenn Peoples |
Investors should continue to put money into the Internet
radio space because so much potential exists, according to Glenn Peoples at billboard.com. It may seem like TuneIn,
Pandora and others are faced with stiff competition from established and
growing companies, but the typical digital service offers radio only as a
feature. Spotify, Google Play Music All Access, Rhapsody, Rdio and Deezer don't
focus just on radio. Apple will be unique in that its pending Internet radio
service will be a standalone service.
The radio market has room for Apple. In the U.S. alone
there are 243 million radio listeners aged 12 and that listen for more than two
hours a day, according to Arbitron. And while Pandora has a big lead in the U.S. , the
playing field is much more level in other markets. A huge, global market is
just waiting to be disrupted by companies that focus only on Internet radio.
MC: Katie Tells Stern NBC Wanted Her Back
Katie Couric Tuesday revealed the possibility of reuniting
with Matt Lauer on "Today" was talked about.
Couric, who has her own syndicated talk show,
"Katie," appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show on Tuesday
and talked about the possibility of she and her former co-anchor getting back
together.
Stern told Couric that she should straighten out the
troubles at "Today," which began with the ousting of co-anchor Ann
Curry last summer. Now the once top-rated morning show is trailing ABC's
"Good Morning America."
Report: FOX Mole’s Book Digs Dirt On FNC
Joe Muto, the Fox News Channel producer who was outed in
April 2012 for writing posts and leaking unused Fox News video clips to Gawker,
was uncovered by the network and fired only 36 hours after the first leak.
Now, “An Atheist in the FOXhole: A Liberal’s 8-year Odyssey
Inside the Heart of the Right-Wing Media,” will be released on June 4. In it,
Muto chronicles what really goes on with Fox chief Roger Ailes and Bill
O’Reilly, among others.
“I’m guessing they’re not thrilled with this book,” he told NYDaily News Confidenti@l. “It wasn’t my idea to get fired in a blaze of glory.”
But he did — and he knows all the secrets.
A former producer for “The O’Reilly Factor,” Muto says he
still has nightmares about his old boss.
“Bill does a lot of yelling and ridiculing,” he said. “We’d have pitch
meetings twice a week, he’d stand us up in a row and shoot down our ideas one
by one and laugh at us.”
Sarah Palin: “She is every bit as good-looking, and is also
every bit as dumb, as they say,” he says. “We knew immediately it was not
working out with her.”
Music Artists Support OK at Tornado Benefit Concert
McEntire was just one of many performers at the Healing in
the Heartland concert in Oklahoma City 's
Chesapeake Energy Arena, which benefited those whose lives were impacted by the
tornadoes that ravaged parts of the state on May 20.
According to THR, the one-hour show on NBC-TV, was organized
by country artist and Oklahoma
native Blake Shelton, and featured a number of musicians, all of whom urged
viewers to donate to United Way 's
tornado relief fund by texting, calling or visiting the organization's Facebookpage.
Fellow country star Vince Gill served up one of the more
poignant moments of the evening. "It's sure good to be home. I'd like to
do this song for 24 people that didn't make it," Gill said, referencing
the lives lost in the tornado before performing an intimate "Threaten Me
With Heaven."
In addition to the performances, many celebrities appeared
onscreen to express their support for the relief efforts, including country
legend Garth Brooks, NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and NBC late-night hosts
Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno.
Radio Is On The Powerline..Again
Rivers was the original host of Powerline when it was a Sunday
morning “God Squad” staple at Top 40 radio in the 70s, 80s, and 90s and aired
worldwide on over 2,000 stations.
The program returns TKRN’s “24/7 FUN” classic hits network Sunday
mornings and will be made available as a stand-alone show for Adult Contemporary and Classic Hits stations
as weekend Sunday programming.
 |
| Jon Rivers |
Brother Jon Rivbers stated “When my dear friend Tom Kent
offered me a chance to help bring back the show it was a joyous day! I have
admired Tom for even longer than I hosted Powerline.”
Bismark, ND Radio: 'PMS' Returns To KFYR
 |
| PMS In The Morning |
Mark Armstrong returned to his radio personality roots this
week for what appears to be a permanent basis. Now a Burleigh County
He told the Bismark Tribune Wednesday that he “will keep the day job” — his
full-time duties as communications liaison at the state Workforce Safety &
Insurance Agency. He will also continue as county commissioner for the next 18
months. Armstrong said he won’t seek re-election to the county commission. “I
don’t believe anybody should serve more than two terms in office,” he said.
As before, Armstrong said his radio duties will include
reading the news every half hour and bantering with Parker on various topics
and trends. He looks at Clear Channel-owned KFYR Radio as a three-hour
part-time morning job..
“I’ve always been kind of a workaholic,” Armstrong said when
he was asked how he balances it all. “We’ve been talking about doing this for a
couple of years now.”
Radio has come naturally since he first started 40 years ago
at age 17, said Armstrong. “People say they like my voice ... I was getting up
at the same time (as the radio show) anyway and not working.” He said he is
wired to be busy.
He doesn’t believe there is any real conflict of interest
being on the air and being a local and state public official. “I’m reading the
news. I’m not creating it. ... There will be some crossover now and then.
Reading the news is fairly neutral,” he explained.
Internet Radio: Most Stations Make Nothing
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| Gerald Gaule |
Gerald Gaule once weighed 540 pounds, but he cut that to 246
with gastric bypass surgery three years ago, and now he's started two Internet
radio stations with plans to add a third.
"I have a face for radio," jokes Gaule, 49 tooregonlive.com, a veteran of little AM radio stations from Colorado to Oregon's
Stayton, Sweet Home, Woodburn, Albany, Eugene and Springfield to Longview and
the old KAAR AM 1480 that operated in Vancouver from 1981 to 1987. Gaule lives in Hazle Dell, OR.
He worked for Omni Media, the digital media agency for a
while, but after a 23-year career, mostly in AM radio, he moved back to Vancouver last July.
He is now the owner-manager-engineer of KAARadio-Oldies
(1954-79) (Listen-Line: Click Here) and Country Lovin Radio Classics (1927-89) (Listen-Line: Click Here). KAAR is "a tribute
station," to the job he loved at KAAR AM 1480, he said, operating in his
closet-sized studio in his apartment in Hazel Dell. His third station will be
adult contemporary, perhaps called "The Breeze," he says.
He plays tunes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, peppering the
offerings with old radio shows, news spots and information. He works from his
personal collection of more than 30,000 classic pop and 20,000 country music
songs, all of which he has digitized for his three computers. He says he has
maybe 10,000 easy listening songs. But he has no way of knowing how many
listeners he has beyond the occasional emails he gets from fans.
Gaule's stations are among hundreds of thousands of Internet
stations operating in the United
States , few of them turning a profit.
Joe Kenney, CEO of the profitable Pandora Internet radio
system, says in a recent videotaped online interview that these stations are
intimate and personalized.
Some make money by selling advertising or soliciting
donations. Most make nothing.
Internet Radio: Dr. Demento Plays On
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| Dr. Demento |
In the song, Drake sings a cheery tune of careless driving,
each verse ending with the sound effect of a car crash and lyrics talking of
receiving a transfusion. Each verse ends with a promise of better driving; each
verse starts with more bad driving.
For about six months prior to his being hired by the station
for his own show, Barry Hansen would make weekly guest appearances on KPCC's
"The Obscene," Steven Clean's show to play songs. One day in 1970 he
played "Transfusion;" Clean thought it weird enough to muse that
Hansen had to be demented to play it.
On that day, Dr. Demento was born.
Once he was officially hired, his show was actually a rock
oldies show, but the novelty records he added began to get traction. Soon the
show evolved into an all-novelty song program. Those were the days of creative
programming especially on the freeform FM stations. Nothing like this could
happen today.
The days of KPPC would be numbered, however, with the entire
air staff being fired in October 1971. Hansen took his show to KMET, now KTWV,
94.7 FM, in early 1972, where it ran every Sunday night until that station's
demise on Valentine's Day 1987. Hansen later did live, local shows for KLSX,now
KAMP, 97.1 FM, from 1987 to 1992, and KSCA 101.9 FM from 1994 to 1997. A
syndicated version was heard on stations across the country from 1974 to 2010,
when the program left radio for good, a victim of media consolidation and
changing tastes. The novelty of novelty records had apparently run its course.
So where is he now? Living in Lakewood , still playing novelty records and
producing a new show every week. But like many other DJs who were pushed to the
curb as part of the great media consolidation push, he can be found on the
Internet. So instead of hearing the programs on your FM radio, you just point
your computer browser to drdemento.com.
Nashville Radio: WSM-AM Launches Joey + Rory Show
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| Joey & Rory |
Country duo Joey and Rory have partnered with Crosley Radio,
which is a manufacturer of antique reproductions of consumer electronics with
modern technology. The radio company will be the presenting sponsor of Joey and
Rory's new radio show that debuts on Saturday, July 6 on Nashville 's 650 AM WSM.
The show is aptly titled "Joey + Rory Radio Show,"
and will be the weekly lead in to the live radio broadcast of the world famous
Grand Ole Opry.
According to examiner.com, the show will feature old radio clips from the Opry's 80
year history, including performances from the television show, live acoustic
performances, recipe tips, inspirational stories, and some of the duo's
favorite country music today and yesterday.
The show is centered around their daily routine from their
farmhouse in Pottsville , Tennessee
With their partnership, Crosley Radio will also be their
sponsor for the third season of the couple's popular weekly television program,
"The Joey+Rory Show," which airs on RFD-TV. The new season airs on
Friday, July 5. Crosley Radio is also a proud sponsor of Joey+Rory's almost
sold out "5th Annual Bib & Buckle Fest," that takes place on June
1.
States Bo LeMastus, CEO of Crosley Radio, "We are
tickled to death to be part of Joey+Rory's radio show and tv show. Everything
they do is just so sincere and genuine, and their music is so inspiring. Their
brand and what they represent is exactly what our brand is all about. The
minute they brought up the idea of Crosley being a sponsor we said 'YES!"
“We’re thrilled, and honored, to have the chance to partner
with Crosley Radio and 650 AM WSM for this new radio show,” Rory says.
R.I.P.: Clarence Burke Jr. Five Stairsteps Lead
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| Clarence Burke Jr. |
He was 62, according to VVN Music.
The original Five Stairsteps were made up of five of the
children of Betty and Clarence Burke, Sr., Clarence, Jr., James, Dennis,
Kenneth and daughter Alohe. They started
in 1958 with their father as their manager and playing bass in their band and
played around their hometown of Chicago
until winning a talent contest at the Regal Theater.
Record companies came forward with the winner being Curtis Mayfield and his
When Windy
City
In the spring of 1970, the group released their biggest hit
O-o-h Child, which only made it to number 8 on the Pop chart and 14 on R&B
but has gone on to become one of the most loved R&B singles from the 70's.
R.I.P. Marvin Junior Lead For The Dells
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| Marvin Junior |
Junior died from kidney failure and had a weak heart, his
son Marvin Junior Jr. told ABC7.
He says he died surrounded by family in his home inHarvey
around 3:15 pm on Wednesday afternoon.
He was 77.
He says he died surrounded by family in his home in
He was 77.
He grew up in suburban Harvey
and began singing together with the other members of the group while attending Thornton Township High School
The Dells formed in 1952 under the name The El-Rays. In
1956, they recorded their first hit, "Oh What a Night." In 1969, The Dells released a smooth verision of the original hit.