Saturday Aircheck: Phlash Phelps Mornings At SiriusXM

From 2005, here is some video shot by Art Vuolo, of Phlash Phelps, the Morning Man on the "60's on 6" Channel on X-M. Phlash has a very popular call-in show and knows the U.S.

Part One...

Part Two...

R.I.P. Denver Talker Rick Barber Passes At 67.

Rick Barber

Longtime Denver radio talk show host Rick Barber passed away early this morning in Denver following complications as a result of ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. 

Barber was 67, according to the KOA website.

The U.S. Army veteran began his radio work in the 1960s, fulfilling a long-time passion for radio that began as a teenager in Rhode Island.  Barber first came to Colorado and KWGN in early 1970s with positions to follow at KWBZ and KDEN.  Following stints in Wyoming and New Mexico, Barber came back to Denver in 1982 and took a seat in the overnight chair on KOA.  Rick also did television in the Denver market, as well.

 The Rick Barber Show" aired for an unprecedented thirty years.  Rick's final show on KOA 850 AM was in early 2012.

 "He was a facilitator of topics and education - that's what his show was all about.  He always considered his show a radio magazine, and not just a talk show.  Dad loved his listeners," said son Ian Barber.

 In his final interview, Rick Barber talked about his time on the air.

 "My footprint should be somebody who made you laugh, made you feel comfortable, made you feel good. That's how I want to be remembered.  I want them [the audience] to think of me as the guy who did it my way.  Including going out: my way. "

 Funeral services are pending.

 In lieu of flowers and to show your support, the family asks that contributions be sent in Rick's name and memory to the ALS Association, Rocky Mountain chapter.

Report: iTunes Radio Looks To Build Indie Cred

Apple already hooked the big-three music labels for its new iTunes Radio service, but now it's looking to bolster its indie cred.

According to a story at pcmag.com, the company has reportedly been sharing details with independent record labels about the royalties it will pay to major labels for iTunes Radio, and those rates are more than what rival Pandora pays to stream songs on its service.

During the first year of iTunes Radio, Apple will pay 13 cents each time a song is played, plus 15 percent of net advertising revenue, according to the Journal, which reviewed Cupertino's terms. That amount gets a boost in year two, rising to 14 cents per listen, plus 19 percent of ad revenue.

Pandora, meanwhile, pays out 12 cents per listen on its Internet radio service, which currently boasts more than 70 million listeners, as well as a library of more than 100,000 different artists.

But Apple does not pay for performances of songs already in listeners' iTunes libraries or those on an album the user already owns part of. Those tracks selected for special promotions also come royalty-free, the Journal said, and Cupertino will get away without paying for songs that listeners skip in the first 20 seconds — applicable only to two songs per hour for any given user.

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Charlotte Radio: Phil Harris Lands Mornings At WKQC-FM

Phil Harris

Phil Harris starts Monday as the morning host on CBS Radio's WKQC-FM K-104.7.

Harris, according to Mark Washburn at the Charlotte Observer,  hit Charlotte in 2000 as midday host on the old Lite 102.9 FM a job he held for 12 years until owner Clear Channel turned the station last summer into the expect-to-hear-anything WLKO-FM “Lake” 102.9. Music became the star and the hosts departed.

Harris didn’t want to leave Charlotte, where his wife has a fitness business and where their two boys have grown up. He did some voice work from a home studio, took a course in digital development at UNC Charlotte and did some sales for a station in Raleigh.

“K” and “Lite” battled for more than a decade for the same target audience: women in the 25-54 age demographic that advertisers like. “Lite” was the longtime leader but faded in recent years, using more syndicated shows and losing local connections.

“Over the last year, the audience has shifted, and we picked up a lot of those strays,” says “K” program director John Reynolds. “K” specializes in at-work listening. Middays, hosted by Brenda Matthews, is its strongest block in the ratings.

Harris, 39, says pacing is a key part of a morning show. People are busy getting their kids off to school and getting ready for work. They want their service information – weather, traffic, events of the day – in a speedy fashion. And the music needs to fit the rhythm, too.

“You need to match the pace of the day,” Harris says. “Keep it moving, keep it positive. Music is like a fuel for a lot of people in the mornings.”

He expects many of his old “Lite” listeners to find him on “K,” and he hopes the reunion is good for both parties.

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Denver Radio: Peter Boyles Lands New Gig

Peter Boyles

Peter Boyles will launch a new morning radio show Monday on Salem Communication’s KNUS 710 AM, according to The Denver Post.

The controversial talk-show host, booted from Clear Channel's KHOW after an incident of workplace violence last month, will be on the air 6-9 a.m. with an additional hour online only, 9-10 a.m.

"He's a legend," said KNUS VP and general manager Brian Taylor, who hired Boyles for the morning slot. "He really cares about wanting to speak for his audience."

Boyles cited what he called a Zen expression to express how he hopes the smaller KNUS will compete against his former station, KHOW: "We will be the fish that swallowed the whale."

Current morning host Steve Kelley's show will move to afternoons.

Read More Now.

Boyles who started in Denver as a traffic reporter, and later became a morning disc jockey on KLAK before becoming a talk show host on KWBZ, later moving to KOA. He moved to KHOW in 1993. 

Denver Radio: Will KHOW Tap Pags For AM Drive?

Joe 'Pags'

According to Clear Channel’s Greg Foster, “no decisions have been made regarding mornings on KHOW 630 AM. “

We’re taking a listen to a lot of different hosts, including Joe Pags… and you’ll hear some other voices over the next few weeks.”

Staffers who spoke anonymously to Joanne Ostrow at The Denver Post, said there is a high degree of nervousness within the building regarding Pags as the key to the morning show’s future. .” Many are convinced Joe Pags (Pagliarulo) essentially has the gig. He’s been substituting this week, they say, as a way to get the technical bugs out before he officially assumes the post.

Pags is based at Clear Channel’s flagship station, WOAI in San Antonio, where he does a PM Drive show.

Philly Radio: The Fanatic’s Darren Daulton Needs Surgery

Darren Daulton

Philadelphia radio personality and former All-Star and Phillies catcher Darren Daulton has been diagnosed with two brain tumors and will undergo surgery next week.

An AP report indicated that Daulton, who has hosted ‘Talkin’ Baseball with Dutch’  radio show on WPEN 97.5 FM The Fanatic for the last four years, had not been feeling well the last two weeks before he saw a doctor.

The station posted the following on its website: 

Darren Daulton has not been feeling well over the past two weeks. He went to the doctor who discovered two brain tumors and is scheduled for surgery early next week. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this difficult time. Of course we want to respect his privacy at a time like this, but if you would like to send him get well wishes you may do so at dutch@975thefanatic.com

Daulton, 51, played nearly all of his 14 seasons with the Phillies, and he was on three All-Star teams (1992, '93 and '95).

He was a key part of the Phillies' National League pennant-winning team in 1993 and finished his career with the World Series champion Marlins in 1997.

NRHOF 2013 Inductees Announced

The National Radio Hall of Fame (NRHOF) hasannounced its induction Class of 2013. The black-tie ceremony, hosted by broadcast icon Larry King, will take place on Saturday, November 9 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

Jim Bohannon of Dial Global Networks will be the announcer for the ceremony and broadcast.

The Class of 2013 includes a dynamic and trend setting team that changed the Chicago radio landscape and pushed the medium’s content limits, a Nashville country music veteran with a national following, broadcast legends in Cleveland and Detroit, one of the most respected play-by-play voices in baseball, the most successful Mexican personality in Los Angeles and nationwide, and an innovative genius from Cincinnati who was a pioneer in programing, management and manufacturing.

THE CLASS OF 2013 INCLUDES:

Steve Dahl and Garry Meier Chicago

Chicago Tribune photo

In March 1979, Steve Dahl was doing a morning show at WLUP-FM where he met overnight DJ Garry Meier. The two began a cross talk that eventually led to Meier teaming up with Dahl as both sidekick and reporter. The duo moved to WLS-AM/FM for five years, then returned to the WLUP-AM in 1986, and came full circle September 1993, moving back to WLUP-FM. They became the most talked about radio team in the city’s history, representing a generation and ushering in an era of content envelope pushing that was imitated nationwide. Each continued successful careers when the duo went their separate ways.

Blair Garner Nashville

Blair Garner hosts the highly acclaimed Country radio show “After MidNite,” a six-hour program nationally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks that airs on approximately 230 affiliates. Garner’s recognized as one of the nation’s leading on-air hosts and has received recognition every year from the Academy of Country Music and Country Radio Broadcasters. In 2003, 2005 and 2011Garner won the Academy of Country Music’s “On-Air Personality of the Year” Award in the national category.

John Lanigan Cleveland

John Lanigan came to WGAR 1220 AM to replace Don Imus in the 1970’s and had a very successful run as the morning man until he left for a Florida station in February 1984. In 1985, he returned to Cleveland and went to work at WMJI. John Lanigan began his morning show along with newscaster John Webster on September 17, 1985 with local comedian Jimmy Malone. The highly rated morning show “Lanigan & Malone Show" has remained intact ever since. During this period, WMJI achieved the highest total weekly listenership of any Cleveland radio station in the 1990s.

Paul W. Smith Detroit

Paul W. Smith is the radio news talk show host at WJR-AM and has been with WJR since July 1996. He has been a regular fill-in on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," "The Sean Hannity Show" and even subbed for the legendary Paul Harvey. He has hosted shows on the ABC Radio Network and the former Financial News Network as well as in Philadelphia, New York City and Toledo. A University of Michigan graduate, Smith devotes time to many public service groups, including Think Detroit PAL.

Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo Los Angeles

Eddie Sotelo’s show, "Piolín por la Mañana," runs weekday mornings on KSCA in Southern California. The LA Times once ranked Sotelo among the 100 most powerful people in Southern California. His show, broadcast entirely in Spanish for a Spanish speaking audience, is one of the most popular radio shows in Los Angeles and is nationally syndicated by Univision Radio. Apart from his commitment to his listeners, Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo is also one of the most sought after radio personalities in the nation for personal appearances, making regular appearances on national television.

Charley Steiner Los Angeles

Charley Steiner began his professional broadcasting career in 1969 at WIRL-AM/Peoria, Illinois. Before landing his current play-by-play job with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Steiner broadcast three years for the New York Yankees. 

Prior to his seasons with the Yankees, Steiner spent 14 years at ESPN, where he anchored SportsCenter and did Major League Baseball play-by-play on both ESPN Radio and Television. He was also was the voice for ESPN 2's Saturday Primetime football.

Powel Crosley Jr. (posthumous) Cincinnati & Sarasota

In the 1920’s, Powel Crosley purchased a booklet titled "The A.B.C. of Radio," after his son asked for a radio and he discovered it was $100. Powel and his son eventually built their own radio and soon Crosley was manufacturing radios and its components. By 1924, Crosley Radio Corporation was the largest radio manufacturer in the world—with the slogan "You’re There With A Crosley" used in all advertising.

On March 22, 1922, Crosley Broadcasting Corporation began operating WLW/Cincinnati, a 50-watt radio station. Throughout the 1930s, Cincinnati's WLW was truly "the Nation's Station," producing many hours of network programming every week. Red Skelton, Doris Day, Jane Froman, Fats Waller, Rosemary Clooney, and the Mills Brothers all performed live from the WLW's studios. Crosley also developed radio’s earliest "soap operas" with sponsorship by Procter & Gamble.

Tickets to the black-tie gala are available online at www.radiohof.org – $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 for tables-of-ten. Individual tickets are $350. Call (312) 245-8200 for phone orders.

Gainesville Radio: WSKY Adds, Drop Talk Shows

WSKY 97.3 FM The Sky  has picked up three nationally syndicated conservative talk show hosts recently dropped by FM 99.5 when it switched to electronic dance music.

According to The Gainesville Sun, The Sky now airs the Sean Hannity Show from 3-6 p.m. weekdays, the Laura Ingram show from 10 a.m. to noon weekdays and The Savage Nation with Michael Savage from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays.

The station dropped Jerry Doyle and the Herman Caine show with guest host Neal Boortz to make room for the changes.

Program Director Nick Allen said he does not plan to pick up the local show Talk of the Town, although he said hosts Ward Scott and Jake Fuller "did a great job."

Local host Bob Rose handles the station's morning show.

"He's been on the air longer than those guys and does a fantastic job talking about issues that are important in Gainesville," Allen said. "Bob is also involved in Ocala, so he has the broad region perspective that is very important on The Sky."

WBXY FM 99.5 switched from talk to electronic dance music May 31.

Radio Plays Big Role In Promoting Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Hall

CBS Television Distribution is ramping up promotion for Arsenio Hall’s upcoming latenight talk show.  According to TV NewsCheck, strategy includes radio ads and appearances by Hall on radio shows around the country likely up to Sept. 9, the day Arsenio Hall will premiere on stations owned by Tribune, Sinclair and other groups.

“Radio will play a very big role in this,” says Michael Mischler, executive vice president of marketing at CBS Television Distribution. Mischler, other CBS executives and Hall have been meeting this week with stations at PromaxBDA Station Summit in Las Vegas. “Music was a big part of his last show. We just want to make sure that people are talking about Arsenio.”

Read More Now.

‘Full Metal Jackie' Channel Launches On iHeartRadio

Jackie Kajzer, better known as Full Metal Jackie, has announced the launch of Full Metal Jackie Radio, a new hard rock and heavy metal station on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's industry-leading digital radio platform. The station will feature music from such bands as Slayer, Metallica, Lamb of God, Slipknot, Pantera, Black Sabbath and more.  

"We are excited to expand the Full Metal Jackie brand from a two-hour show to a 24/7 hard rock and heavy metal destination on iHeartRadio," said Tim Herbster, Vice President of Special Programming Projects for Clear Channel Media And Entertainment. "Jackie brings a wealth of experience to this genre and is a format expert — she is the perfect choice to help curate and host our 24/7 iHeartRadio channel featuring exclusive interviews and guest appearances by all your favorite metal stars."

LISTEN-LINE: Click Here.

Full Metal Jackie has become known nationally as a metal personality and as the creator/host of the two hour syndicated hard rock and heavy metal show distributed by Envision Radio Networks.

Boston Radio: WEEI, Red Sox Donate Free Tickets

Entercom Boston and WEEI, in partnership with the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball, will donate 1,000 Boston Red Sox tickets for the upcoming  Boston Red Sox versus Blue Jays game, directly to the people and organizations who’ve been affected by the Boston marathon tragedy. 

The groups and individuals will include those who have displayed acts of heroism and valor, and have shown us examples of courage.

Tickets will be distributed to:

• First responders including the Boston Police, Fire and EMS workers
• The Boston Athletic Association
• The communities of Dorchester, Arlington and Medford
• The Massachusetts State Police
• The Massachusetts National Guard
• Boston area hospitals

“On behalf of Entercom and WEEI, we send our deepest appreciation for the bravery and service of these responders during our city’s time of need,” said Jeff Brown, VP and Market Manager for Entercom Boston.  “We are forever grateful for their heroism and hope this small gesture brings a smile to some faces across Boston on Thursday evening.”

Report: Sweden Plans To Shutdown FM Radio

The Swedish government has announced plans for the digitisation of the country's terrestrial radio networks, with the ultimate aim of shutting down FM transmissions by 2022, according to a story at PSN Europe.

Public broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) will move to DAB+, financing the transition with a loan from the National Debt Office.

Sweden was in the vanguard of digital radio when, at the same time as the UK, it adopted DAB during 1995. While Britain pushed on with the implementation of the technology and broadcasters established digital-only stations, Sweden slowed its development of DAB networks, to the point where only 35 percent of the country was covered by SR's digital broadcasts.

With SR's present license expiring on 31 December this year, the proposal is that it will expand its digital coverage to 95 percent over the course of the next licensing period, from 2014 to 2020. Pilot DAB+ transmissions began in 2009; the following year the then new Radio and TV Act allowed commercial radio broadcasters to apply for digital licenses. After this DAB+ coverage rose to 22 percent of the population with 16 services from public service, commercial and local community radio stations.

Read More Now

Deb Slater and Larry Gifford dive into a handful of hot topics in this episode recorded on 06/27/2013. The Government has announced it is shutting down the FM DIAL...in Sweden - and elsewhere. They SKYPE with radio futurologist, Media UK Managing Director and swell guy James Cridland who is in London to find out what the heck is going on the other side of the pond and should the US expect this anytime soon?

James explains DAB+, why it's good and bad, and talks about the differences between radio in U.S. and U.K. He also fills us in on his third annual radio ideas conference "Next Radio" at http://nextrad.io/ PLUS –

When is breaking news NOT breaking news? A look at a big filibuster in Texas that the U.S. news media ignored, but blew up twitter. #standwithwendy Old TV anchormen (Tom Brokaw and Scott Pelley) are cranky, the recipe for a good Paula Deen parody, and Big Jack Armstrong loved radio all his life and now, when he needs it most, Boise's radio community is loving him back.

Plattsburgh, NY Radio: Personality Ducky Drake Retires

Ducky Drake

After 45 years in the radio business, the versatile Drake is hanging up his microphone. Today is his last day at WIRY 1340 radio station.

“I don’t think I will miss the day-to-day stuff, but I will miss the people,” he told the Press-Reublican during a break this week. “The people I work with and the people I see on a daily basis.”

Drake, 64, came to Plattsburgh in 1971 by accident.

The native of Barre, Vt., was on his way back home from an interview at a radio station in Auburn, near Syracuse, when he got lost in downtown Plattsburgh on the way to the ferry.

He noticed WEAV radio station on Margaret Street and decided to stop in to ask for directions and to see what that station was all about.

“A week later, they had an opening, and I got the job,” he said.

He worked at WEAV as the morning disc jockey until 1983, when he joined WIRY, also in the morning slot, awakening at 3:30 a.m. Monday through Friday to report for work.

Read More Now.

Columbus Radio: Former DJ David Rutherford Found Dead

UPDATE 0708/13 12N:   Cody Jamal Mathis, 17, the suspect in the June murder of David Rutherford of Columbus, surrendered to police Sunday afternoon 07/07/2013.  The Columbus teen gave himself up to officers around 4:45 p.m. at the office of his attorney Stacey Jackson.  Mathis was then taken to the Muscogee County Jail.

Earlier Posting....

A former Columbus radio personality was found dead in the parking lot of a church, police in western Georgia said Thursday.

57-year-old David Rutherford was found behind Greater Ward Chapel AME Church Wednesday. WTVM-TV reported that the man’s death has been ruled a homicide.

WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather

Rutherford, originally from New Jersey, became a taxi driver after retiring from Magic 101.3 FM, now WAGH.

Neighbors told the television station they heard Rutherford being robbed outside of his house.

Report: More Details of Apple, Labels Deal Emerge

The licensing agreement between Apple and indie labels reveals further information about the planned iTunes Radio service.

According to THR, Apple will not have to pay for any content during the beta launch of the service, which can last up to 120 days.

The service will allow listeners up to six song skips per hour, if they do so in the first 20 seconds of the song, and will also allow Apple to forego any payments on song skips. Apple doesn't have to pay for those song skips.

While listeners can't rewind or start songs over, they can pause them and resume play. Also, Apple is allowed to display album artwork to listeners, and they can advertise to listeners what is playing at the moment on other Apple-built stations.

The payment terms to labels, according to the document, calls for Apple to pay labels a royalty of $0.0013 per song plus 15% of net advertising revenue for the first year; while in subsequent years under the contract, the royalty rate would increase to $0.0014 per song play plus 19% of net advertising revenues.

Meanwhile, the minimum royalty rate will consist of 45% of net advertising revenue plus $21.25 for each 1,000 listener hours in the first year and $22.25 for the remainder of the license agreement. The terms are similar to what the majors are getting but not exactly. For example, one major label source has indicated that first-year payment would be $0.001325.

Apple couldn't be reached for comment.

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Detroit Radio: Drew Lane Launches Podcast

Drew Lane

Former “Drew and Mike” morning show host Drew Lane — and longtime “Drew and Mike” producers Mike Wolters and Marc Fellhauer— debuted their new “DM&M” podcast Wednesday morning on Soundcloud.com.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the podcast, which was recorded at Wolters’ home Tuesday evening, had a couple of technical issues, including the very first few minutes of the show not making the final posting. It also didn’t include Lane’s longtime cohost on WRIF-FM (101.1), Mike Clark.

The trio talked about for 72 minutes about current events, sports, the Rolling Stones and more. As far as breaking news about a new “Drew and Mike” morning show?

“This would’ve been a great position to be in 20 years ago,” Lane said when talking about the radio industry, which then would have presented many potential employers. “Now you have four.”

Lane said that they’ve talked with all the different companies that own major Detroit radio stations, including Greater Media Detroit, which let “Drew and Mike” go and manages WRIF, WCSX-FM (94.7) and WMGC (105.1). Former CIMX-FM (88.7) morning show hosts Dave Hunter, Chuck (the Freak) Urquhart and Lisa Way launched their “Dave & Chuck the Freak” morning on WRIF on May 28.

“We’re going to be back on the air. I promise you we will be back on air,” Lane said, just as one of the microphones fizzled out.

On Wednesday afternoon, Fellhauer told the Free Press that the podcast is “a bridge to whatever is next.”

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Oprah #1 On Forbes List of Most Powerful Celebs

Oprah

Everyone should know this by now: Never count Oprah out. 

Despite business stumbles and an $88 million earnings drop since last year, Oprah Winfrey returns to the top of Forbes’ annual Celebrity 100 ranking of the most powerful celebrities after two years in second place. She leads a female-dominated top 10 that includes Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Madonna, Taylor Swift and Ellen DeGeneres.

Even without her eponymous daytime talk show, Winfrey made an estimated $77 million between June 2012 and June 2013, down from last year’s $165 million. While she wasn’t the highest earner on our list, her money, mixed with strong fame scores in metrics like press mentions and social networking power, pushed her to the top.

Winfrey remains a powerful force in Hollywood. Her Oprah Winfrey Network, once a drifting cable outpost that lost an estimated $330 million for parent company Discovery between 2008 and the end of 2012, is now a smoothish-running media machine that could turn a profit by the end of 2013.

Read More Now.

Charlotte Radio: NC Broadcaster’s HOF Honors Bob Lacey

Bob Lacey

WLNK-107.9 FM Morning Show Co-Host Bob Lacey is among the honorees officially inducted into the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) Hall of Fame for their contributions to broadcasting and to the state of North Carolina. The inductees were officially recognized during the NCAB Annual Convention held at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro NC.

The presentation followed the Annual North Carolina Broadcast Awards, which recognizes excellence in broadcasting at member television and radio.

The Bob and Sheri Show is broadcast to more than forty affiliates around the country including four North Carolina markets, as well as over 170 countries worldwide through the Armed Forces Radio Network.

Bob & Sheri

“Bob is very deserving of this recognition by NCAB,” said Greater Media Charlotte Station Manager Trip Savery. “He joins other North Carolina broadcasting legends including Rick Dees, Charles Kuralt, and Ty Boyd who were all inducted at the height of their careers.

Lacey began his career in radio at the young age of 9. At 22, he launched the first-ever evening phone-in show Lacey Listens on powerhouse AM station WBT in Charlotte, NC.

By 25, Lacey moved to morning-drive with his own talk show. During the 1980s, Lacey hosted Charlotte’s award-winning television program PM Magazine where he received an Iris award in 1985 for Best Produced Local Television Feature in the Nation.

Lacey returned to radio in 1990 as a morning host at WBT’s FM counterpart (now WLNK), where the Bob & Sheri show is still produced today. Lacey and Sheri Lynch met in 1991 while Lacey was searching for a co-host. Lacey spearheaded the hiring of Lynch, pioneering a new format giving women equal power in a male dominated morning radio environment.

Rural Radio To Launch On SiriusXM

Rural Radio To Launch On SiriusXM Radio and Rural Radio LLC have announced the creation of Rural Radio Radio, a 24/7 channel devoted to providing a wide variety of programming for and about rural American life, the western lifestyle and agribusiness interests.

Rural Radio, channel 80, will give SiriusXM listeners all over America, whether driving a tractor cab equipped with satellite radio or driving in city commuter traffic, an unprecedented connection to the rural community. Rural Radio will broadcast original programming for rural audiences exclusively for SiriusXM that spans commodity market reporting, lifestyle programming, original and classic entertainment, and western sports, such as rodeo and bull riding.

Rural Radio launches July 15, and there will be an official launch celebration August 3, with an all-day event to be held at the finish line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which will include an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for a Parade of Pickup Trucks on the historic track, with all their radios tuned to SiriusXM channel 80.

Rural Radio's broadcast operations will be based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Court Testimony: MJ Feared AEG Live Execs

Prince Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson sometimes cried after talking to AEG Live executives as he prepared for his comeback shows, his eldest son has told a court.

According to SkyNews, Prince Michael Jackson I told jurors his father wanted more time to rehearse, and had had several tense phone conversations with the promoters of his This Is It shows.

Those conversations sometimes ended with his father in tears, he said.

"After he got off the phone, he would cry," Prince testified.

"He would say 'They're going to kill me, they're going to kill me'."

The teenager, his sister Paris and brother Blanket are plaintiffs in a case that seeks to hold AEG financially responsible for their father's death.

The lawsuit claims AEG negligently hired Dr Conrad Murray, who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol.

AEG denies any wrongdoing.

Prince, who is 16, is the first member of the family to have testified.

Read More Here.

Phoenix Radio: Monti Carlo 'Cooks'

Monti Carlo

Monti Carlo captured the hearts of viewers who watched her cook her way to the top five.

This single mom of one and morning host at KEXX My103.9 FM in Phoenix, impressed the judges with her rendition of crab scotch eggs, carrot soup with soda bread and her signature "I hope he chokes caramel crunch apple cup -pie"

Monti Carlo competed for the title of "America's Best Home Cook" on the third season of Gordon Ramsay's "Master Chef."  Now the valley resident is a growing success.

Berkeley: Historic Radio Station Building Sold

A proposed sale of two radio stations will most likely leave the California Historical Radio Society looking for a new home for itself and the Bay Area Radio Museum and Radio Hall of Fame.

According to contracostatimes.com, stations KVTO-AM in Berkeley and KVVN-AM in Santa Clara are to be sold by YMF Media Inc. to Pham Radio Communication LLC pending Federal Communications Commission approval of the deal. An application to transfer the licenses was filed on June 6.

Included in the deal are the historic KRE studios near Aquatic Park in Berkeley, which the CHRS uses as the Bay Area Radio Museum. KVTO is the successor to KRE, which was the first 24-hour station in Northern California.

CHRS President Steve Kushman said his organization had its first meeting with representatives of Pham Radio Communication on Monday.

"After a cordial meeting between CHRS and PRC, indications still remain that CHRS is secure at KRE for the near future," Kushman said. "Another meeting will be held between July 10-20."

Earlier, Kushman said, "Nobody's kicking us out of there. We're not going to have to suddenly move thousands of books and thousands of radios."

CHRS had been using the studios on a rent-free license granted by the station's previous owners in exchange for restoring the building. The property was dilapidated and covered with graffiti when CHRS first took it over.

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New Neil Diamond Song To Benefit Boston

Neil Diamond visited Boston in the days following the marathon bombings and left convinced he should do something to help.

"I was moved by the unity and the attitude of the people in Boston," Diamond told Billboard. "And that's really all a songwriter needs, is to be inspired. It doesn't happen very often but when it does you have to follow that muse and I did."

The result is "The Freedom Song (They'll Never Take Us Down)," a new patriotically themed song Diamond will release through iTunes and Amazon on July 2. All proceeds from the song will go to benefit the Boston One Fund and The Wounded Warriors Project.

Diamond watched coverage of the April 15 bombings unfold from afar, then visited the city the following Saturday. The Red Sox, the city's Major League Baseball franchise, adopted the 72-year-old singer's hit "Sweet Caroline" as an eighth-inning anthem some time ago and had invited him to perform it live.

Diamond returned home and began work on "The Freedom Song." He said in a phone interview it took about six weeks to write and record.

He will perform the song live for the first time July 4 in Washington, D.C., at a Washington Nationals-Milwaukee Brewers baseball game and during PBS' "A Capitol Fourth," broadcast from the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

Read More Now.

Pirate Radio Operators Busted In Florida

Juan Nieves

Two men were arrested on Tuesday after Marion County, FL deputies say they were illegally operating a radio station.

According to WKMG Local6, Deputies arrested Juan Nieves and Luis Galindo after discovering a radio tower mounted behind a single-wide mobile home in Summerfield.

Nieves admitted to authorities that he was the owner of the station, which had been in operation for the past year. He also admitted that he had no license but he was aware it was required to run a radio station.   Galindo told authorities he worked as a broadcaster for the station and that he took in the money for advertising.

Luis Galindo

Both men were arrested and placed in jail.

Federal Communication Commission authorities were alerted to the unlicensed station by a Clear Channel Inc. engineer.

According to the report, the station was operating on 97.7 FM with DJs talking, playing Mexican music and advertising Hispanic businesses in the Marion County area.

Read More Now

R.I.P. Devo Drummer Alan Myers Dies

Alan Myers, best known as Devo's drummer of 10 years, died of brain cancer Monday.

According to USAToday, his death was initially reported on Facebook by jazz musician and friend Myers Ralph Carney.

"He was Devo's best drummer and one of the first people to teach me about jazz," Carney wrote late Tuesday.

"An underrated/brilliant drummer," current Devo member Josh Freese tweeted hours later. "Such an honor playing his parts w/ Devo. Godspeed Human Metronome."

Myers joined Devo in 1976 as the band's third drummer and left a decade later because of creative differences. He was featured on the new wave band's hit single Whip It in 1980.

R.I.P.: NC Broadcaster Ed Snow Passes

Ed Snow

Ed Snow, a longtime fixture on Winston-Selam radio died last week.

Snow, 64, died June 21 at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House after a period of declining health. Cherie Snow, his wife of 39 years, was by his side, according to journalnow.com.

Snow was born in Winston-Salem and grew up in Pilot Mountain. He worked for 40 years at various radio stations in the area, including WKTE, WKBX, WSJS and WMQX, where he was news director and morning news anchor. He retired from broadcasting in 2006, around the time WMQX changed its format and switched its call letters to WPAW. Though he was no longer on the air, Snow stayed in touch with fans and friends on Facebook.

“He was a first-rate guy, and we all miss him,” said Ralph Shaw, who worked with Snow at WMQX and filled in for him on some newscasts.

”It’s a shame that the numbers of older broadcasters is dwindling, but that’s just a fact of life. He was a trouper, from everything I’ve heard, and I know all of his friends and acquaintances do miss him.”

“Ed didn’t get in anybody’s way,” said Roger Stockton, who met him when Snow was working at WKBX and Stockton was at WTQR. “He didn’t take an issue anywhere. … We made some trips out to Nashville together for disc jockey conventions and CMA awards. Ed was quite a guy.”

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Revenue Dips

2013 isn’t bringing any respite for traditional media, with radio and newspaper print advertising revenues continuing to drop. There was a wide range of performance among different types of media, with radio and newspaper results coming in worse than average, according to Eris Sass at Media Daily News.

Overall, advertising revenue was basically flat -- with a 0.1% decline from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013, to $30.2 billion, per Kantar Media.

Radio advertising declined 1.7% in the first quarter of the year -- reflecting both the absence of political ad spending and weakness in local advertising, long the medium’s mainstay. Local ad revenues were down 1%, per Kantar, while network radio revenues tumbled 15.2%.

The only bright spot was national spot radio, which increased 5.7% in the first quarter.

Newspaper ad revenues fell 4% in the first quarter, with a 9.2% drop in national newspapers and a 3.3% drop in local newspapers.

The only real bright spot was Hispanic media, which bucked the overall trend.

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Orlando Radio: Buckethead Show OUT At WTKS

UPDATE 07/18/2013 1PM: Jason Bailey, aka Buchethead, has a new gig. He's doing mornings at WZGC Atlanta. Cick Here for story.

UPDATE 6/26/2013 12N:  Clear Channel has put Shawn 'The News Junkie" Wasson into the 11am-3pm timeslot.

earlier posting....

Clear Channel Orlando and The Buckethead Show have parted company.  The end came Tuesday.

No one is saying why.  Maybe ‘budget reasons’.

Soooo...I've waited to see how the posts pan out. Definitely some very interesting ones. Yes, THE BS is done... http://t.co/iVNXFJo1Zf
— THE BS (@BucketheadShow) June 26, 2013

Jason ‘Buckethead’ Bailey posted the news on his Facebook page: 

The Real Radio gig was a dream come true for me. I had always had the utmost respect for the shows (past and present) that were on TKS and still do. I hope that you can understand why I can't get into all of the details on this right now. 

On a more personal note. The past year has been a rough one for me professionally. I knew that with certain issues in house and in the business in general I couldn't get to where I wanted to here in Orlando. That statement shouldn't be confused with me not wanting to do it here in Orlando. I'm just not a complacent person and I found myself surrounded by that so I made the choice to move on professionally so I could move on personally.

The end of the 11a-3p show leaves a huge hole in the WTKS Real Radio 104.1 FM line-up.

B’ham Radio: Sports To End On WZNN

Birmingham sports-talk radio station WZNN ESPN 97.3 The Zone is going off the air less than two years after the station launched in August 2011, clearing the way for Paul Finebaum's new ESPN radio show to return to WJOX 94.5 FM, AL.com learned Tuesday.

The Zone's last day on the air will be Friday, according to multiple Birmingham radio sources. The station is expected to announce the news it to its staff Wednesday morning.

"We have been evaluating the sports format in light of multiple factors, including Finebaum's placement," David DuBose, the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Summit Media, which owns The Zone, said in an email to AL.com. this afternoon. "After nearly two years, it became clear the market did not support two competing sports stations.

"Therefore, we have determined we should focus on other format opportunities," DuBose added.

Summit, a new media company, recently purchased The Zone and several other stations in Birmingham and other cities  from the Cox Media Group, for whom DuBose previously worked as the Birmingham market manager.

The demise of The Zone all but assures that Finebaum's show will return to WJOX, although ESPN has yet to announce that.

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Chicago Radio: Turi Ryder Leaving WGN

Turi Ryder

WGN 720 AM late night host Turi Ryder, who officially started with the radio station just over six months ago, announced tonight she is leaving the station.

According to Chicagoland Radio & Media, her last night on the air for WGN Radio will be Thursday.

Ryder was informed by station management that they are taking the station in a different direction and will be making changes. One of those changes was the removal of Ryder's show.

However, management gave Ryder the opportunity to do one last week of shows. Ryder called WGN-AM a "classy radio station" ad said the gesture to allow her to remain on the air through Thursday night "so lovely, so gracious."

Oddly enough, the cancellation of her show comes as she in the process of moving her family from San Fransisco, where she has been doing her show remotely, back to the Chicagoland area. That very move is taking place this week. Regardless, she is coming back home to Chicago, where she was born.

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Boston Radio: Jen Brien Gets Overnights At WBZ

UPDATE 10/03/13: Jen Brien

UPDATE 10/03/13: WBZ-AM has parted company with Jenn Brien. Click Here.

Jennifer “Jen” Brien has been named overnight host weeknights 12:00M-5:00AM on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 AM.

Brien’s program is entitled “The Jen Brien Show” and now airs at midnight; it was announced Tuesday by Peter Casey, WBZ NewsRadio News & Programming Director. “The Jen Brien Show” will be a mix of pop culture, current events, politics, and the comings and goings of people in New England.

Brien replaces Steve LeVeille who retired last year.

With over a decade of experience in radio, Brien joined WBZ from WRKO where she was the weekday talk host of “The Jennifer Brien Show.” She has also hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ in Providence, and WCOD and WXTK on Cape Cod.

After LeVeille’s retirement, Brien would often fill in during the time period, and today’s announcement officially makes the “The Jen Brien Show” WBZ NewsRadio’s overnight talk show.

NYC Radio: NashFM Morning Show Is Big On Talk

• WNSH's Blair Garner and country co-hosts are light on music and New York content

Blair Garner

New York's new country-radio morning show is breezy, fast-paced, smooth, upbeat and, by current standards, family-friendly.

What it doesn’t have is a lot of music. Or a lot of New York, write David Hinckley at NY Daily News.

Blair Garner, lead host of the show on WNSH (Nash-FM, 94.7), used to work at WPLJ, so he knows the city and will occasionally refer to a place he likes on, say, 72nd St.

His partners — country singers Terri Clark, Sunny Sweeney and Chuck Wicks, plus Lee Ann Womack on Fridays — are more likely to discuss Canada or Nashville, where the show originates.

ALSO SEE: NashFM Listeners Comment On New Morning Show. Click Here.

New Yorkers will recognize Jeff McKay, who cuts in with regular traffic reports. But it’s clear he’s here and they’re there, just as Robin Meade of HLN reads the headlines from somewhere else.

Garner has tried to bring New York into the conversation during the show’s first week, referring regularly to “the city” and riffing on our heat wave.

But he didn’t walk to work in it. This program is called “America’s Morning Show” for a reason: Cumulus Media, which owns the station, ultimately wants it everywhere, not tied to one city.

That’s not bad, just a different kind of radio.

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