Saturday Aircheck: Top 40 WCFL Chicago 1967

WCFL Radio remembered:  Take a trip back with Barney Pip, Joel, King B., and more. Excellent audio quality.

CBS News Confirms Computer Hacking

Sharyl Atkinson

CBS News announced Friday that correspondent Sharyl Attkisson's computer was hacked by "an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions," confirming Attkisson's previous revelation of the hacking.

CBS News spokeswoman Sonya McNair said that a cybersecurity firm hired by CBS News "has determined through forensic analysis" that "Attkisson's computer was accessed by an unauthorized, external, unknown party on multiple occasions in late 2012."

"Evidence suggests this party performed all access remotely using Attkisson's accounts. While no malicious code was found, forensic analysis revealed an intruder had executed commands that appeared to involve search and exfiltration of data. This party also used sophisticated methods to remove all possible indications of unauthorized activity, and alter system times to cause further confusion. CBS News is taking steps to identify the responsible party and their method of access."

CBS Statement: A cyber security firm hired by CBS News has determined through forensic analysis that Sharyl Attkisson’s computer...
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) June 14, 2013

Several months ago, Attkisson had reported suspected intrusions of her computers, including her CBS News work computer, prompting CBS News to hire a firm to look into the hacking.

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PPM Ratings: Country Format Hits New Heights

Arbitron’s Media Insights Manager, Tony Hereau has taken a look at the May PPM headlines and a highlight shows Country posted another all-time high for listening share. Classic Rock also scored big with younger audiences, and Alternative continues adding to its hot spring.

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

Country Hits New Highs (Again): If this headline looks strikingly similar to last month’s, that’s because it is. Country, which has been setting one high-water mark after another in recent years, just topped last month’s all-time high for listening share in PPM markets by doing it again: jumping 3% in the 6+ and 25-54 demos and 9% with 18-34 listeners over its April numbers. It also moved up a spot into third place for national 6+ listening and second place with Adults 25-54, passing AC in both cases.

Classic Rock Picks Up Younger Listeners: Speaking of setting records, Classic Rock has now set its all-time high for PPM in two of the past three months by hitting a 4.3 share (6+) in March and May of this year. But when I dug into the data, I was surprised to see that it has been the 18-34 audience to the format that has really moved the needle. Since last summer, Classic Rock’s 18-34 shares in PPM markets have increased nearly 20%!

Sports’ Batting Average Gets Better: Another full month of Major League Baseball on the airwaves, as well as the run up to the hockey and basketball playoffs, bumped the Sports format’s national batting average another 5% overall as it hit a 4.3 share this May (6+), right on pace with last season’s May results (4.4 share in 2012). Last month, we reported that the format’s 25-54 shares jumped 7% from April to March, and they did so again this month, climbing to a 4.9 share, which is the highest level for sports listening since January’s NFL playoff-driven 5.3.

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John Dickey Named New Music Director At Cumulus

John Dickey

Reports indicate Cumulus Media has reorganized its music decision-making chain of command.

In a move that will mirror the more streamlined process the company has been employing at its Country stations for nearly a year, all potential Top 40, Rhythmic and Hot AC adds will be channeled by local PDs and Format Captains up the chain for EVP/co-COO John Dickey’s final okay.

The chain of commands call for local PDs to pass their proposed music changes to longtime Cumulus VP of Label Relations John Kilgo in the company's Atlanta corporate headquarters. Kilgo, in turn, will pass them John Dickey for final approval.

Those particular format decisions had previously been handled by Cumulus SVP of Corporate Programming Jan Jeffries in Chicago. 

LA Radio: Salem Names Frank Sontag For PM Drive

Frank Sontag

Salem Communications Corporation has announced that following a nationwide search, Frank Sontag has been selected as new afternoon drive talk host for Los Angeles Christian Teaching and Talk station 99.5 KKLA-FM. "The Frank Sontag Show" airs weekdays from 4:00 - 6:30pm.

Frank succeeds long time host Frank Pastore who passed away late last year from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in November 2012.

"We are excited about having Frank Sontag join our line-up in the critical afternoon drive position," says KKLA Program Director Chuck Tyler. "Frank is a true veteran of Los Angeles radio having worked at [former ABC Station] KLOS-FM for 27 years."

Frank worked as news director, disc jockey and was part of the popular Mark and Brian Program.  During this time Frank also hosted his own talk radio show for 21 years The Impact Program on KLOS. This top-rated talk show covered a wide variety of topics including spirituality, philosophy, personal development and current events.

Frank's life took an abrupt change when he was involved in a near fatal motorcycle accident. That began a search for truth that ultimately led to a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Since his conversion he has been diligently studying the Scriptures, law, apologetics and public policy and is currently studying Christian Theology and Apologetics at Biola University.

"Frank believes his calling is to share God's love and truth through media and we believe his coming to KKLA is a perfect fit for the next season of KKLA's ministry in Southern California," says Terry Fahy, KKLA Vice President and General Manager.

"I am both honored and humbled to be named as the new afternoon host on 99.5 KKLA Los Angeles," noted Sontag. "This is a new season for KKLA and for me and it is my hope that together we can make a difference in our community as we proclaim His love and truth."

Clear Channel Out To Silence ‘Lame Ads’

Clear Channel is taking on a glaring problem in the industry: second-rate advertising.

“Talking to creative agencies, we all agreed that radio has been put to one side and not given the level of creativity it warrants, given the importance it has,” said Bob Pittman, chairman-CEO at Clear Channel, parent company of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, which houses more than 850 radio stations, and Clear Channel Outdoor.

AdAge reports to try to fight the trend, the company has formed a Creative Advisory Council with senior ad agency executives. The council's first project is a scholarship for a creative industry executive to attend the Berlin School starting next month and work toward an executive MBA.

Radio spending increased overall in 2012, and according to Zenith Optimedia, will increase again in 2013. But up-and-coming creative talent at agencies often gravitates toward TV or social and digital media according to Tim Castelli, president of national sales, marketing and partnerships for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. "We found the best people weren't working on it, or it was an afterthought."

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Little Rock Radio: Arson Suspected In Death Of Donna Creer

Donna Creer

Police say fire department investigators determined an arson has resulted in the deaths of a former Little Rock radio personality.

57-year-old Donna Creer and her husband 50 Donald died in the Wednesday morning fire.

Creer worked at KLRG , KIPR Power 92 FM, KLIH and KHLR, all in Little Rock. During her on air tenure, she assumed the duties of Music Director, Morning News Reporter and Promotions Director. Donna held positions as the President of the Arkansas Gospel Announcers Guild and Second Vice Chair of the Gospel Announcers Guild (GAG) of the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). She was also the editor of the GAG SMART book, a take home educational piece and was one of the producers of the GMWA Excellence Awards.

"Thoughtful, kind, considerate. She was always thinking of others before thinking of herself," said a former on-air partner Clarence Thornton. "She never said bad words about anybody. She was always considerate."

Yankton Radio: Lawn Mower Knocks Station Off Air

A Monday afternoon accident has temporarily knocked the station ESPN Radio 1570 KVTK-AM of Yankton off the air. Engineers and other staffers of Five Star Communications were scrambling Tuesday to find the best way to begin broadcasting again after their radio tower collapsed Monday afternoon.

The tower, which was 309 feet tall, is situated in the middle of a small, grassy field located about five miles west of Vermillion. A man cutting the grass Monday afternoon clipped one of the tower’s guy-wires, causing it to collapse shortly after 4 p.m.

The station website says “ESPN 1570 is back on the air.”

Seven Inducted Into Songwriters HOF

The 44th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony was full of star power that included Alison Krauss, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Nickelback, Petula Clark, Wiz Khalifa, and Jordin Sparks.

Tyler, Perry, Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Holly Knight, JD Souther and Tony Hatch were inducted Thursday into the Songwriters Hall 2013 class in New York City.

New York News | NYC Breaking News

John and writing partner Bernie Taupin received the Johnny Mercer award, and Sting kicked off the night with a performance of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Sting also called John and Taupin "my two heroes."

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Music’s Iconic Brill Building Sold

Allied Partners and Brickman have something to sing about.

The real estate investment company and the private equity firm have completed the acquisition of The Brill Building, the landmark Manhattan tower that has long been synonymous with the music scene, for $185.5 million. Allied and Brickman purchased the 175,000-square-foot office and retail property from Invesco Real Estate and Stonehenge Partners Inc. in a deal that, when anticipated building renovation and leasing costs are incorporated, has a total value of $250 million.

The change of ownership, brokered on the sellers’ behalf by Eastdil Secured, comes approximately six years after the asset last changed hands in a $151 million transaction. Allied and Brickman relied on Starwood Property Trust for a $158.5 million first mortgage loan to acquire the Brill Building, and the team secured $40 million in financing from Square Mile Capital Management L.L.C.

An 11-story structure that has stood at 1619 Broadway since 1931, the Brill Building was designed by Victor Bark Jr. in the Art Deco style that Allied plans to respect in the process of transforming the property into a state-of-the-art destination envisioned as a creative environment for tenants in the fashion, arts, media and entertainment industries.  The Songwriters Hall of Fame will call the building home, and according to Allied, additional office and retail leases are presently in the works.

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Report: LA Dodgers Get To Keep $6B From New TV Deal

Todd Boehly

The Dodgers would retain more than $6 billion from their new television contract under a tentative agreement with Major League Baseball, according to two people familiar with the agreement.

The settlement would avert a showdown between the Dodgers and MLB in U.S. Bankruptcy Court and would effectively end the court's jurisdiction over the Dodgers' affairs. The LA Times reports people providing the information about the settlement spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations have not concluded.

MLB officials declined to comment. Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly said he could not discuss ongoing negotiations but said the team could maintain its record player payroll under the settlement.   Boehly is the president of Guggenheim Partners and a partner in Guggenheim Baseball Management, the entity that owns the Dodgers.

The settlement between the Dodgers and MLB indicates the overall value of the Dodgers' 25-year contract with Time Warner Cable at about $8.5 billion.

The Dodgers' current contract with Fox Sports expires after this season. Fox pays the Dodgers $39 million this season, with the team forwarding $13 million to an MLB revenue-sharing pool.

Under the tentative settlement, the league would agree that about $130 million represents fair-market value for the first year of the deal; the Dodgers would pay 34% — about $44 million — into the revenue-sharing pool. Those figures would rise every year.

The Dodgers ultimately would pay close to $2 billion for revenue sharing over the life of the TV contract.

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iHeartRadio Names Co-Hosts for Ultimate Pool Party

iHeartRadio Thursday announced that LL Cool J, Jason Derulo and Miley Cyrus will co-host this year's iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party presented by VISITFLORIDA.com. 

The two-day musical weekend, which takes place June 28-29, is part of the Fontainebleau's BleauLive concert series and will feature main stage performances by superstar recording artists Pitbull, Ke$ha, Afrojack, Icona Pop, Krewella and recently added to the performance lineup Jason Derulo as well as live poolside sets by DJ Prostyle, DJ Skee and DJ Obscene.

The evening performances will stream LIVE at 9 p.m. ET, Saturday June 29 on Yahoo! (iheart.yahoo.com) and more than 120 Clear Channel mainstream and rhythmic contemporary hit radio and electronic dance music stations nationwide will also air the evening performances LIVE and report updates every hour throughout the day. The exclusive television broadcast of the two day event will air nationally on The CW Network on Monday, July 15, 8-10 p.m. ET/PT.

Report: iTunes Radio Could Be The Start of Something Really Big

From Paul Sloan at CNET.com 

For all the attention given to streaming music, which now makes up the fastest-growing segment of the recorded-music industry, much of the world is still listening to AM/FM radio. Which is why radio in the U.S. captured the bulk of the roughly $14.8 billion advertisers spent in 2012. At the same time, though, more and more radio fans are listening online, either by streaming AM/FM stations or by tuning into pure digital radio plays like Pandora. 

While the shift to digital radio -- whether that's delivered up by algorithms or, as is the case with Pandora and Apple, by a mix of human selection and machine -- is growing fast, it's still in the early stages. Pandora, with its huge audience, says it has 7.33 percent of the total U.S. radio listening audience. That means plenty of people have yet to migrate to the Pandora camp -- and those are people Apple is going after as well. 

But here's Pandora's big challenge. It's not a global service. Far from it. It has rights to music in the U.S. and, more recently, Australia and New Zealand. Unlike Apple, which struck deals directly with the labels and publishers, Pandora goes through rights organizations in each country, so adding markets is challenging, time-consuming, and costly. 

"It is our sincere hope to someday be able to offer Pandora globally," says Pandora spokeswoman Amanda Livingood. "Our posture with respect to further international expansion is best described as 'patiently opportunistic.'" 

So while all the talk about how iTunes Radio is so much like Pandora is fair for now, Pandora is also way too U.S.-centric for Apple's global ambitions. When Apple rolls out iTunes Radio this fall, it will be available only in the U.S., but Cue said Apple will add other countries over time. Those, according to music industry insiders, include the U.K, France, Germany, and Japan, but the service could be big very quickly. The agreements Apple has with the music labels and publishers generally give it rights to the countries where iTunes operates, which is now in 119 territories.

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Report: More Deaths Than Births For White Americans

Deaths exceeded births among non-Hispanic white Americans for the first time in at least a century, according to new census data, a benchmark that heralds profound demographic change.

The NYTimes cites the disparity was tiny — only about 12,000 — and was more than made up by a gain of 188,000 as a result of immigration from abroad. But the decrease for the year ending July 1, 2012, coupled with the fact that a majority of births in the United States are now to Hispanic, black and Asian mothers, is further evidence that white Americans will become a minority nationwide within about three decades.

Over all, the number of non-Hispanic white Americans is expected to begin declining by the end of this decade.

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Census Bureau Report Details Rising Internet Use

While disparities in Internet use persist among racial and ethnic groups, smartphones appear to be helping to bridge the digital divide, according to a report issued today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The findings are part of the latest Census Bureau report, Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2011, which provides analysis of computer and Internet use for households and individuals.

"Going online is no longer a simple yes or no proposition," said Thom File, the report's author and a sociologist with the Census Bureau. "Different groups of people are accessing the Internet in very different ways, and these statistics give us a better understanding of how and where those connections are taking place."

According to the report:

• A gap of 27.1 percentage points exists between groups with the highest and lowest reported rates of home Internet use.
• Asians reported the highest use at 78.3 percent and Hispanics the lowest at 51.2 percent. However, the gap narrows to 17.5 percentage points when smartphone use is factored into overall rates of Internet use. With smartphones factored in, 83.0 percent of Asians and 65.5 percent of Hispanics reported going online.
• In terms of smartphone usage on its own, 51.6 percent of Asian respondents reported using a smartphone. About 48.0 percent of both white non-Hispanics and blacks reported smartphone use, and 45.4 percent of Hispanics said they used smartphones. The reported usage rates for blacks and Hispanics were not statistically different from each other.
• 48.2 percent of individuals 15 and older reported using a smartphone.

Sarah Palin Returning To FNC

Less than six months after Sarah Palin and Fox News Channel parted ways, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee is returning to the conservative cable news network.

It was announced yesterday (June 13th) that Palin has signed on as a contributor to Fox and the Fox Business Network, with her first appearance set for Monday (June 17th) on the FNC morning show, Fox & Friends. Palin joined Fox in 2010, reportedly signing a $1 million-a-year contract.

However, there were some signs of tension, including Palin's decision to announce that she wouldn't be running for president in 2012 on a conservative radio show instead of on Fox. However, the network said only good things about Palin when they announced in January that she was leaving.

Rupert Murdoch Files For Divorce From Third Wife

The Murdochs

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch filed for divorce Thursday (June 13th) in New York from his third wife, Wendi Deng Murdoch, who he married in 1999, citing a breakdown in the relationship.

The 82-year-old Murdoch and 44-year-old Wendi have two daughters, 11-year-old Grace and 9-year-old Chloe. Murdoch also has four older children from his previous marriages.

 The divorce filing comes just one week before News Corp. began the process of splitting into two companies, one that will contain a publishing division and Australian TV assets, and another for the global TV and movie businesses.

Chinese-born Wendi Deng met Murdoch when she was working as a junior executive at News Corp.'s subsidiary Star TV in Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for former British prime minister Tony Blair flatly denied media rumors that Wendi Murdoch was romantically involved with him.

When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter, the rep said: "If you are asking if they are having an affair, the answer is no."

Backlash: BMI Sues Pandora

Pandora should pay a reasonable, market-rate fee for the right to stream digital music instead of trying to piggyback on a rate cut meant for traditional radio stations, BMI claims in Federal Court.

"Pandora has embarked on a significant campaign to lower its royalty fees," Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) claims in Manhattan Federal Court. "Rather than changing its business model to charge higher ad rates or subscription fees, Pandora has lobbied Congress to change the law in order to reduce its royalty payments to performers and record labels."

According to the Courthouse News Service, BMI says the licensing fees paid by music streaming services like Pandora have been "unreasonably low," despite the exploding popularity of online music streaming.

According to the lawsuit, Pandora has more than 200 million listeners and streams about 1.5 billion hours of music per month. Last year it streamed 14 billion hours of music - including hundreds of thousands of BMI's copyrighted songs - on computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices.

Pandora's total ad revenue is projected to reach $970 million this year and grow to $1.31 billion by 2016, BMI claims.

"The breadth of music played by Pandora is staggering compared to broadcast radio stations, making a blanket license even more valuable," BMI says.

This market trend caused publishers like EMI Music Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing to withdraw their catalogs from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and BMI in order to negotiate higher digital licensing fees, BMI says.

As a result, Sony and EMI can now "collect truly market-driven fees," according to the lawsuit. BMI says it should be able to do the same.

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Study: Media Digital Revenues To Overtake Traditional By 2015

The average revenue of media and entertainment (M&E) companies will shortly cross the 50% mark from majority traditional to majority digital, according to a new report, Digital Agility Now!

Creating a high-velocity media and entertainment organization in the age of transformative technology, released today by  Ernst & Young that surveyed more than 550 senior executives from global M&E companies.

The report concludes with an agility index that ranks the relative organizational agility of different M&E segments as well as enabling technology and digital leaders. The average score of all respondents is indexed to 100. A score of 110 denotes performance 10% above average; 90 is 10% below average.

Today, revenue from digital is 47% and survey respondents say that by 2015 it will account for 57% of revenue – thus making digital the new norm and the primary source of revenue for M&E companies.

• Over 550 senior executives from global media and entertainment companies see 57% of their revenue coming from digital by 2015, up from 47% today
• Organizational agility singled-out as a leading success factor in the digital era
• Study indicates that “digital leaders” have embraced smart mobile-social-cloud and big data analytics technologies to achieve agility

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DC Radio: Jack Diamond Drops Hints Of New Show

Jack Diamond

When Jack Diamond left WRQX Mix  107.3-FM April 26, it was his last day after 24 years, unbeknownst to listeners. Once they figured out what had happened, Diamond's fans took to social media to show their displeasure with the station's decision, posting on 107.3's Facebook page, Diamond's Facebook page and on Twitter.

In the meantime, according to a story at patch.com, fans gather on Diamond's Facebook page, where they can stay in touch with Diamond, and vice versa.

Although Diamond fans are hoping their favorite radio host will return to morning drive soon, there isn't anything concrete to report...yet.  But that's not stopping fans from speculating or Diamond from dropping hints.

Messages by Diamond on his Facebook page Tuesday and Wednesday suggest a new radio show might be in the works sometime soon.   On Wednesday, Diamond said: "Been working hard today on many projects. Including the next incarnation of our Radio Show!!!"

Fans wonder if Diamond was headed to WASH-97. 1 FM, where Diamond Show alumni Chilli Amar is on the air during the morning drive.

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TV Deal: Gannett, Belo To Merge

Gannett Co., Inc. and Belo Corp. jointly announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Gannett will acquire all outstanding shares of Belo for $13.75 per share in cash, or approximately $1.5 billion, plus the assumption of $715 million in existing debt for an enterprise value of approximately $2.2 billion. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, represents a 28.1 percent premium to the closing price of Belo common stock on June 12, 2013.

The combination creates a broadcast “Super Group,” catapulting Gannett into the nation’s fourth-largest owner of major network affiliates reaching nearly a third of all U.S. households.

The acquisition nearly doubles Gannett’s current broadcast portfolio from 23 to 43 stations, including stations to be serviced by Gannett through shared services or similar sharing arrangements.

Upon completion of the transaction, Gannett’s Broadcast segment will have greater geographic and revenue diversity, with 21 stations in the top 25 markets and will become the #1 CBS affiliate group, the #4 ABC affiliate group, and will expand its already #1 NBC affiliate group position.

Following the transaction, Gannett’s Broadcast segment is expected to contribute more than half of the Company’s pro forma total EBITDA, and the Digital and Broadcast segments combined are expected to contribute nearly two-thirds.

The Company anticipates that the transaction will generate approximately $175 million in annual run-rate synergies within three years after closing. The transaction is expected to generate significant free cash flow and be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately $0.50 within the first 12 months. The transaction valuation implies a 9.4x average 2011/2012 EBITDA multiple prior to synergies, and a 5.4x multiple assuming expected synergies. 

Atlanta Radio: Vikki & Kelly Leaving WSB-FM Morning Show

Vikki Locke

WSB-FM B98.5 is seeking a new morning show with the pending departure of Vikki Locke and Kelly Stevens.  The final show will air June 21 for Locke with Stevens going solo until June 28.

Locke, according to Rodney Ho at ajc.com, plans to spend more time with an ailing father in Ohio and start her own media training/consulting/PR company.

“I thank Atlanta for making a Buckeye feel like a Southerner for the last 25 years,” Locke said in the press release. “After years of waking up at 3 a.m., I’m excited about starting this new chapter.”

  

Locke has been with B98.5 the past five years after a 19-year stint with Star 94. She was paired with Steve McCoy as a highly successful duo most of that time until 2010, when B98.5 replaced McCoy with Stevens.

Kelly Stevens

This is Stevens' second stint with B98.5. Stevens was part of a long-time morning team on B98.5 with Alpha Trivette.  Stevens, who was severely injured last year in a wrong-way car accident but survived, couldn't be reached for comment.

The station is ranked No. 4 in the market, tops among pop stations and No. 1 during mid-days. The Vikki and Kelly morning show in May Arbitrons ranked seventh overall.

A nationwide search for a new morning show begins immediately, said Chris Eagan, the program director.

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Tampa Radio: Bubba Speaks-up for His Attorney

Bubba

Tampa radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge Clem has responded to news that federal authorities were investigating his friend and attorney Stephen Diaco in typical form, spending much of his show this morning excoriating Tampa Bay Times writer/columnist Sue Carlton and alleging the coverage was the result of a conspiracy among the city’s power elite.

Carlton co-authored a story on May 23 reporting that FBI agents seized cellphones from Diaco and a Tampa police sergeant in connection with allegations that the lawyer’s firm set-up opposing counsel for a DUI arrest midway through a high profile trial.

Diaco’s firm was defending Clem in a defamation lawsuit brought by rival radio personality Todd “MJ” Schnitt. When opposing lawyer C. Philip Campbell was arrested for DUI after driving the car of a woman who turned out to be a paralegal at Diaco’s firm – Campbell said she lied about where she worked as they drank together that night – allegations flew that the arrest had been arranged. (Schnitt is now suing his attorneys, Click Here.)

But despite lots of bluster, Clem offered no concrete proof this morning of allegations that Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and local attorney John Fitzgibbons, a former federal prosecutor-turned criminal attorney, had used their influence to get a federal investigation started into the case and spark Carlton’s stories.

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Rochester Radio: Craig Schaller OUT At WHAM

Radio personality Craig Schaller worked at WHAM 1180 AM for 16 years, but he came under fire this week after he published a blog on the station's website about the LPGA.

In the post, Schaller says things like “there are too many gosh darn foreigners on the tour and more specifically, I'm talking about Koreans and Asians in general.” He goes on to comment on those Asian player's last names saying, “It's hard to remember specific golfers when half of them seem to have names that sound like the sound you get when you bang pots and pans together.”

Now Schaller is without a job, saying he was fired by WHAM Tuesday. He wrote and posted his blog Sunday, the final day of the Wegmans LPGA in Rochester. Schaller admits he may have failed in his attempts at humor, but he stands behind the general premise of his blog, that being that the growing dominance of Asian players is not good for the LPGA Tour.

 News10NBC's Brett Davidsen said, “Did you think when you wrote this blog that it was controversial?”

Craig Schaller said, “I had an inkling it might be a little controversial. I actually said in the blog, I might offend some people I'm sure, but what I said I didn't think was over the top."

I got fired today for taking advantage of my right to free speech in this country.Hey local media hacks...feel better now?
— Craig Schaller (@craigschaller) June 11, 2013

Schaller's blog was on the radio station's website. Schaller has been writing the blog for about two years and has never been asked to have it checked before posting it. News10NBC spoke with the program manager at WHAM Radio and he declined to comment on the situation.

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Steve Harvey TV Show Extended Through 2016

Steve Harvey

NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution announced Wednesday it has sold the hit daytime show “Steve Harvey” through 2016 to station groups across the country, including the NBC Owned Television Stations. “Steve Harvey,” which has been a phenomenon in all key ratings benchmarks in its debut season and earned accolades including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Talk Show Host, has already been renewed for three additional seasons in more than 65% of the U.S. to date.

“Steve is one of the best entertainers in the country and his first season has been a tremendous success because of the personal connection he makes with the daytime audience,” said Ted Harbert, Chairman, NBC Broadcasting. “It's so great to see Steve’s very funny and substantive show being rewarded with long-term commitments from our station partners.”

In its premiere season, “Steve Harvey” has become one of the most successful new first-run syndication launches in the past decade. In the May 2013 sweep, “Steve Harvey” was the #1 new first-run show with Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 nationally, and was the only new show to build over its lead-in and improve the year ago time period.

RADAR Report: Listeners Increase Y2Y

Arbitron Inc. announced Wednesday highlights from its June 2013 RADAR® 117 National Radio Listening Report. The report shows radio’s audience increased year over year, adding more than 430,000 weekly listeners. Radio now reaches 242.5 million listeners, or 92 percent of persons, age 12 and older, on an average weekly basis.

Additionally, daily time spent listening to radio among persons age 12 and older held steady versus the June 2012 RADAR report. People aged 12 and older who listen to radio spend approximately 2 hours and 36 minutes a day with the medium.

Arbitron says Radio continues to reach a large, diverse audience. According to the June 2013 RADAR report, radio saw gains in the Hispanic audience across all major demographic groups versus the June 2012 report, while the Black (non-Hispanic) audience remained steady year over year.

• Radio’s Hispanic audience aged 12 and older added 492,000 weekly listeners versus the June 2012 RADAR report. Radio reaches nearly 95 percent of Hispanic listeners aged 12 and older in an average week.
• Hispanic adults aged 18 to 49 showed the largest gains, adding 600,000 weekly listeners versus the year ago report.
• Radio now reaches 30.8 million Black (non-Hispanic) listeners, age 12 and older, in an average week, or 92 percent of this demographic.
• Radio’s Black (non-Hispanic) teen audience aged 12 to 17 remained steady versus the June 2012 report. Radio now reaches 90 percent of Black (non-Hispanic) teens in an average week.

ASCAP, NMPA Respond To Pandora Move

ASCAP and the National Music Publishers' Association have responded harshly to Pandora's purchase of a small-market radio station in an attempt to lower its ASCAP royalties.

Pandora announced Tuesday it has purchased KXMZ-FM in Rapid City, South Dakota, the 255th largest radio market in the country. The company believes it should receive the more favorable ASCAP licensing terms available to companies that own both terrestrial radio and Internet radio operations. The acquisition continues an ongoing scuffle between Pandora and ASCAP that peaked in November when Pandora sued the performing rights organization for lower royalties.

Paul Williams

"Pandora is trying every trick in the book to brazenly and unconscionably underpay and take advantage of the creative labor that produces the core offering of their business -- music written by individual songwriters and composers," said ASCAP president Paul Williams in a statement to Billboard.  "ASCAP has an ethical obligation to serve and protect the hundreds of thousands of small and independent songwriters, composers and music publishers we represent to ensure that they receive fair compensation when their songs are performed on any technology platforms."

The NMPA expressed a similar sentiment.

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Mass. Broadcasters HOF Announce 2013 Inductees

The Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame (MBHOF) has selected its Inductees. They are journalists, entertainers, and pioneers who have made a great impact on the broadcast Industry, young and emerging broadcasters, and communities throughout the State.

The Inductees are:

• Susan Wornick, news anchor and Consumer Reporter for WCVB-TV/Channel 5. A Natick native, she is a recipient of  an Emmy, Associated Press and United Press International Awards;
• Ron Della Chiesa, one of the great voices of WGBH Radio and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, famous for Music America/The American Songbook, Tanglewood's Summer Festival, a true classical and jazz music scholar, and a recipient of multiple awards;
• Loren (Owens) and Wally (Brine), the morning host team for WROR-FM since 1981, 
• David Mugar, former CEO of WHDH-TV, Channel 7 and the creator of the annual 4th of July celebration on the Charles River; 
• Garry Armstrong, WHDH-TV, one of the first African-American reporters in Boston covering the Boston news beat for over thirty years;
• Chet Curtis, former news anchor and reporter, WCVB-TV and New England Cable News;
• Ken (Carter) Carberry, radio personality, pioneer and owner of WROL Boston, WCRN Worcester and WACE Springfield.

This year’s selection will be honored at the 7th annual luncheon event at the Quincy-Boston Marriott on Thursday, September 12, 2013 with host Jordan Rich. For more information and tickets to the event, see the MBHOF website at www.massbroadcastersHOF.org.

MJ Trial: King Of Pop Wanted His Own Castle

During testimony at the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial yesterday (June 12th), it was revealed that the pop icon was allegedly so broke that he needed to go on the This Is It tour to buy a home.

According to TMZ, AEG Randy Philips -- the head of AEG said told the jury about a meeting that he had with Michael in 2008. Phillip said that a tearful Michael told him that he and his 3 kids were living "like vagabonds," going from a Las Vegas rental to the Bel Air Hotel in L.A.

Phillips said that Michael wanted a home for his family and that he needed the This Is It tour to make it happen. Phillips said that the next day, Michael told him that the home he wanted to buy was a 40,000 square foot estate that cost $93 million. Phillips said that he told Michael that he thought it was ridiculous to spend that much money on the home.

MJ eventually settled on renting the house where he died.

R.I.P.: Radio Personality Bill Bailey Passes At 66

Bill Bailey

Bill Bailey, a longtime radio disc jockey and executive at stations in Michigan and the rest of the country, died Wednesday morning. 

He was 66, according to WZZM TV13.

Bailey died of an apparent heart attack on the 17th tee at the Meadows golf course in Allendale, according to representatives from WGVU-AM.  Two coworkers gave Bailey CPR, but he was later pronounced dead.  Bailey and others were taking part in a station golf outing at the course.

Bailey had a long career in radio, working as a disk jockey at WLS-AM in Chicago, WDRQ-FM in Detroit, and stations in Washington, D.C., and other cities.  He had served as program director and afternoon personality on WLHT-FM in Grand Rapids before becoming the morning drive host on WGVU Real Oldies 850/1480 AM.

Bailey, a Chicago native, won a Marconi Award from the National Association of Broadcasters in 1998, and was a finalist for the NAB's Crystal Award from 2005 to 2007.

CCM+E Does Direct Deal With Fleetwood Mac

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and Fleetwood Mac today announced a landmark agreement – the first direct performing rights partnership between a radio company and an artist – that will enable the group to receive revenue from airplay on Clear Channel’s digital and broadcast radio platforms. 

The group’s new EP, Extended Play, features the first recording of new Fleetwood Mac music since the release of “Say You Will” over a decade ago.

“Fleetwood Mac has consistently pushed the envelope – creating new sounds, making music that seems designed for radio and looking at the industry in new ways,” said Irving Azoff of Azoff Music Management, a representative of the band.

“It’s fitting that a group that’s played such an integral role in radio and music history would be the first band to take such a major step -- helping the music industry create a sustainable digital marketplace so it can thrive for decades to come. We’re delighted to join Clear Channel in creating a new model for the music industry, one that will be good for performing artists, good for music fans, and good for the people who have invested their talent, time and money.”

“Fleetwood Mac has blown me away from the first time I heard them – they are the perfect group for radio,” said Bob Pittman, CEO of Clear Channel.

“Reaching an agreement with them is the clearest sign yet that this kind of revenue-sharing model represents the industry’s future – it is a win-win-win, for artists, fans and the music business.  We look forward to helping Fleetwood Mac get their hit songs to their fans on whatever platform or device they want to find them.”

The legendary Fleetwood Mac has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, including “Rumours,” one of the best-selling albums of all time, which spawned four top-ten singles, won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1977 and remained No. 1 on the Billboard charts for 31 weeks. The band, which formed in London in 1967, has produced 17 studio albums over its long career.

The groundbreaking agreement with the iconic band follows similar agreements with a number of independent recording labels but it is the first to be negotiated directly with an artist or group, creating a milestone for Clear Channel and the industry.

All of these agreements represent a significant step forward in building a sustainable business model for Internet radio, according to Clear Channel.  

The independent labels who have similar agreements with Clear Channel include Big Machine Label Group, Glassnote Entertainment Group, eOne, DashGo, Robbins Entertainment, Naxos, rpm Entertainment, Wind-up Records, Fearless Records, Zojak Records and Dualtone Records.

CCM+E Appoints Kelly Kibler SVP/Ops In Texas

Kelly Kibler

Clear Channel Media+Entertainment announced today that Kelly Kibler has been named Senior Vice President of Operations, effective immediately.  In her new role with the company, Kibler will oversee the Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio markets and will report to Tom Schurr, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment's President of Operations – Major Markets.

Kibler has been with CCM+E for more than 16 years, holding a variety of leadership and sales positions in the Dallas, San Diego and Las Vegas markets.  Since 2010 she has served as Market President for Clear Channel Dallas, where she was also previously Director of Sales.   Kibler began her radio career in 1991 at Heftel Broadcasting and later joined CBS Radio as an Account Executive in 1995.

"As a native Texan, and a veteran of Clear Channel, I can think of nothing that could be more exciting or a better fit than being able to create additional opportunities for the company in Texas," said Kibler.  "I am really looking forward to working closely with Tom Schurr and the outstanding Texas team to take our business to the next level."

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Dallas will begin an active search for a new Market President.

DC Ratings: WTOP is Tops

In Our Nation’s Capitol, Hubbard’s All-News WTOP is back on top at #1 6+.   Non-com N/T WAMU is just a 0.1 share behind.  In third place, is CC’s rhythmic “Hot 99.5” WIHT, 6.7-6.5-7.0.

See More Abitron PPMs: Click Here

Boston Ratings: Hot Getting Hotter

In Boston, Greater Media’s rhythmic AC “Hot 96.9,” the former talk WTKK,  continues an upward trend 2.4 - 2.7 - 3.1 - 3.4. 

See More Arbitron PPMs For May: Click Here

Pandora Buys Terrestrial Radio Station in Rapid City

Internet radio giant Pandora is taking an innovative route to lower ASCAP fees: The purchase of a small-market terrestrial radio station. The company announced Tuesday it has purchased KXMZ-FM in Rapid City, South Dakota. Terms of the deal, which closed last Wednesday, were not disclosed, according to Billboard.biz.

KXMZ gives Pandora few listeners. The station is in the country's 255th largest radio market in the spring, according to Arbitron. Its radio market had a population of 108,000 in the spring. Rapid City itself has a population of roughly 70,000. Over 70 million people listen to Pandora's Internet radio service every month.

But the purchase is a strategic move for the leading Internet radio service in the United States. Pandora acquired the station in an attempt to take advantage of the performance royalty fees available to broadcast radio stations and Internet radio services operated by owners of broadcast radio stations.

In an op-ed published Tuesday and shared with Billboard in advance, Christopher Harrison, assistant general counsel at Pandora, says a motion filed Tuesday provides examples of how ASCAP has violated the terms of its antitrust consent decree. He says the performing rights organization has allowed publishers to withdraw their catalogs from ASCAP's license for Pandora while making them available to other Internet radio services.

Harrison mentions one episode related to EMI Music Publishing's withdrawal of new media rights last year. He claims ASCAP and EMI "increased pressure" during Pandora's direct negotiations with EMI "by refusing to provide Pandora with the list of tracks that were being withdrawn," which exposed Pandora to a huge copyright infringement liability.

Report: Don't Expect Pandora Buying Spree

The leading online radio service took its first step offline Tuesday, but don't expect Pandora to make many more steps in the direction of traditional airwaves.

The company agreed to purchase KXMZ-FM, a Rapid City, S.D., terrestrial radio station. Its first foray into traditional radio broadcasting, the move has little to do with strategic shift and everything to do with royalty costs, according to cnet.com.

Pandora pays two royalty streams, one for actual sound recordings and another to composers for publishing rights. The sound recording fees make up the lion's share of its content costs. But by buying a terrestrial station, Pandora piggybacks onto a settlement that gives better rates on that smaller fee stream.

That's because a settlement last year put to rest a long dispute between radio operators and one of the big entities that represents publishers -- known as ASCAP -- by rolling back rates for terrestrial stations and their digital arms too. It let, for example, radio giant Clear Channel enjoy the lower rates at its iHeartRadio online offering because it had terrestrial stations as well.

By buying a single radio station in South Dakota, Pandora can qualify for the lower rates.

But don't expect Pandora to be snatching up stations en masse. Buying more stations won't bring Pandora any greater cost benefits.

And Pandora's costs savings will be small. The preferential royalty rates are expected to snag savings worth less than 1 percent of its revenue versus the rates it is currently paying. Based on last year's top line, that equates to less than $5 million.

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Rdio Seeks New CEO

Drew Larner

Rdio Inc. Chief Executive Officer Drew Larner is leading a search for a new CEO to expand efforts to sell combined music and video subscriptions to the streaming entertainment service.

After a transition period, Larner, who has been CEO of San Francisco-based Rdio since 2009, will stay on as executive chairman, he told Bloomberg.

Rdio, which offers music subscriptions and started a video service in April, needs a leader with experience expanding startups to a broad base, Larner said. 

Since closely held Rdio began a U.S. advertising campaign at the end of 2012, there has been an eightfold increase in the number of new users of Rdio’s music service, he said, declining to provide specific figures.

“Momentum from last year has been tremendous,” Larner said. “The best person to take this to the next level, it’s probably someone with a different skill set. I’m a business guy and a deal guy. The next stage of the company is about building an enormous user and subscription base, and there are people out there better at that than I am.”

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NYC Radio: Live From Nashville It’s ‘America’s Morning Show’

Blair Garner’s new show, airing live from Nashville, will debut on Nash FM 94.7 in New York City later this month.

“America’s Morning Show” will air 6-10 a.m. weekdays with a format featuring country music, artist interviews and New York City news.

Garner will be joined by co-hosts Terri Clark, Sunny Sweeney, Chuck Wicks and Lee Ann Womack.

Garner tells The Tennessean, the authenticity of the cast’s relationship will stand out to listeners.

“There are no forced marriages involved,” he said. “Just real people living our lives and inviting the millions of New York country music fans along for the ride.”

Nash 94.7 debuted in the New York market in January as the city’s only country music station in 17 years. Garner said he thinks outsiders to country music had a misperception of who the fans were and what the music was about.

“Faith, family and community describes not only who we are but also who the country core is,” Garner said. “Whether you’re in Nashville or New York, it’s the same.”

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