Iconic Radio Personality Kidd Kraddick Has Died

Kidd Kraddick

It has been confirmed that Kidd Kraddick passed away Saturday afternoon in New Orleans at a golf tournament organized to raise money for his beloved Kidd’s Kids charity.

He was 53 and a brain aneurysm is believed to have been the cause.

KHKS KISS-FM 1061. FM owner Clear Channel said in a news release.

The statement was attributed to Kelly Kibler, Clear Channel’s Dallas manager.

“He died doing what he loved, and his final day was spent selflessly focused on those special children that meant the world to him,” the statement read.

“Kidd devoted his life to making people smile every morning, and for 21 years, his foundation has been dedicated to bringing joy to thousands of chronically and terminally ill children,” the company said.


106.1 Kissfm LISTEN-LINE:  Click Here

Kraddick has been a staple in the Dallas market since his late-night debut in 1984 on “The Eagle” KEGL-FM (97.1). But his ascension to mainstay status began in 1992, when he moved to Kiss-FM and began broadcasting his morning show. By 2001 the show was syndicated, and, according to his website, is heard in more than 100 cities and originated from his studio in Las Colinas.

The Marconi Award-winner’s brand expanded even further in recent months when he and his morning crew were added to Dish Nation, a syndicated TV show.

The staple of North Texas radio since 1984, he broadcast his nationally syndicated "Kidd Kraddick in the Morning" radio show from a studio at Las Colinas.

The final tweet posted on his official Twitter account was a promotion for his "Kidd's Kids" charity concert at the House of Blues on August 15. The proceeds will be used to send children with chronic or terminal ilnesses to Disney World.

In a twist of irony, Kraddick did a radio segment just last week on "what he would say to each member of the show in his final moments on earth" as a comedy bit.

"Have you ever thought about those last moments of your life?" he asked his radio crew. "Nobody wants a long, lingering illness; nobody wants just that; but it would be nice if you could have a day or two where you know it's coming."

He then spent several minutes saying goodbye to each member of his on-air staff.

"When I die, you have permission to take a bunch of creepy pictures of my body," Kraddick said. "I want to thank all of you guys for being at my deathbed today. I'm going to miss you so much."

In 1991, Kraddick founded the 501(c)3 charity, The Kraddick Foundation, which is dedicated to helping impact the lives of children who have terminal or chronic illnesses or are accident victims. It consists of "Kidd's Kids," which takes a planeload of these children (age 5-11) and their families to Walt Disney World for 5 days every November. In 2010, the charity grew to include "The Glamour Squad" which visits hospitals around the country and provides a day of pampering inside the hospital for teenage girls. Listeners of the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show donate money one day a year on "Kidd's Kids Day" to help fund these projects.

Kraddick was divorced and had one daughter, attended the University of Miami.

ABC News Accused Of Deceptive Editing

'Maddy' Juror B29

Did George Zimmerman get away with murder? That’s what one of his jurors says, according to headlines in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and dozens of other newspapers.  Trayvon Martin’s mother and the Martin family’s attorney are trumpeting this “new information” as proof that “George Zimmerman literally got away with murder.”

The reports are based on an ABC News interview with Juror B29, the sole nonwhite juror. She has identified herself only by her first name, Maddy.

According to an article by William Saletan at slate.com, she’s been framed as the woman who was bullied out of voting to convict Zimmerman. But that’s not true, writes Saletan. She stands by the verdict. She yielded to the evidence and the law, not to bullying. She thinks Zimmerman was morally culpable but not legally guilty.

ABC News hasn’t posted a full unedited video or transcript of the interview. The video has been cut and spliced in different ways, often so artfully that the transitions appear continuous. The video that’s available shows, on closer inspection, that Maddy has been manipulated and misrepresented, according to Saletan.

According to Saletan, here’s one key point: 

The phrase “got away with murder” was put in her mouth. Nightline shows ABC interviewer Robin Roberts asking Maddy: “Some people have said, ‘George Zimmerman got away with murder. How do you respond to those people who say that?’ ” Maddy appears to reply promptly and confidently: “George Zimmerman got away with murder. But you can’t get away from God.” But that’s not quite how the exchange happened. In the unedited video, Roberts’ question is longer, with words that have been trimmed from the Nightline version, and Maddy pauses twice, for several seconds, as she struggles to answer it. “… George Zimmerman … That’s—George Zimmerman got away with murder. But you can’t get away from God.” 

You have to watch her, not just read her words, to pick up her meaning. As she struggles to answer, she looks as though she’s trying to reconcile the sentiment that’s been quoted to her—that Zimmerman “got away with murder”—with her own perspective. So she repeats the quote and adds words of her own, to convey what she thinks: that there’s a justice higher than the law, which Zimmerman will have to face. She thinks he’s morally culpable, not legally guilty.

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Saturday Aircheck: Don Imus at 66WNBC From 1973

Imus plays music!

Report: NPR Almost Ignores Filner Story

NPR in general and their legal affairs/Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg in particular want the public to believe that they view sexual harassment charges against public figures as a very important issue that demands immediate and full coverage.

The reality according to Newsbusters: they behave that way only if the accused has a Republican party identification.

The most recent evidence of that: the reporting on the charges of sexual harassment and sexual assault by San Diego’s current Democratic mayor and former 20-year U.S. Congressman Bob Filner.

Congressman Filner

In the two weeks following the initial disclosure of the accusations July 11, which was followed by named accusers coming forward July 22, 23 and 24, NPR has aired a grand total of two pieces on the matter. The first occurred a full five days after the accusations first came out, on July 16 (even The New York Times reported it July 12). And both pieces were done by a public radio journalist in San Diego who doesn’t even work for NPR.

Compare that with the charges of sexual harassment made against then-Republican primary presidential candidate (and current syndicated radio talker) Herman Cain. In the two weeks following the initial disclosure of the accusations on October 30, 2011, which was also followed by multiple named accusers, NPR aired FORTY pieces by multiple NPR journalists. The first occurred just 8 hours after the accusations came out—on the first available NPR news show. One black reporter insisted Cain wasn't suffering yet because he was "willing to be a minstrel" for white conservatives.

Even NPR’s liberal game show Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me! skewered Cain in three separate segments in the same two weeks (they’ve done nothing on Filner).

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Wheeler Confirmation Could Be Months Away

Tom Wheeler

Senate lawmakers who oversee the Federal Communications Commission plan to vote on the president’s pick to chair the agency as part of a late-summer session that also could advance new cybersecurity legislation.

According to politico.com, that markup before the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to occur as soon as Tuesday, and it’s likely to be the panel’s last order of business before Congress departs for its yearly August recess. Both Tom Wheeler, the president’s nominee to lead the FCC, and the committee’s cybersecurity bill are expected to pass easily with bipartisan support.

Of course, the committee’s vote wouldn’t install Wheeler as the new head of the telecom agency — that only comes after full Senate consideration. And it may be months before that occurs: Republicans aren’t willing to advance Wheeler unless President Barack Obama submits a candidate for the FCC’s open GOP slot, but the White House hasn’t yet put forward a Republican name.

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Congressman Plans Bill on Radio Royalties

Rep. Mel Watt

Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) plans to introduce a bill before the August recess that would make radio broadcasters compensate musicians and recording artists for playing their songs over the air.

"It would recognize a performance right so [broadcasters] would have to sit down with artists and either work out a regime on their own or be subject to litigation about the value of what they're playing," Watt told The Hill.

While an older version of Watt's bill from 2009 made it mandatory for traditional AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties to musicians for the songs that they air, the lawmaker told The Hill that the new bill won’t go that far. The new version of the bill will simply establish that musicians have public performance rights to their work.

Broadcasters in the United States currently pay royalties only to music publishers and songwriters for terrestrial airplay, meaning when songs are played over the air on AM or FM radio. They don’t pay royalties to record companies or performing artists, under the argument that the promotional value those parties receive is sufficient compensation.

Only Internet and satellite radio stations, such as Pandora and SiriusXM, are required to pay royalties to the artists themselves.

Broadcasters are already starting to mobilize opposition to Watt's forthcoming measure. Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), warned in a statement that Watt's proposal would "kill jobs at America's hometown radio stations" and direct money "to offshore record labels."

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NAB: To Fight Performance Fees

In response to Thursday's announcement by Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) that he will introduce legislation that would negatively impact local radio stations across America, NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton issued the following statement: 

"NAB strongly opposes a new performance tax that would kill jobs at America's hometown radio stations while diverting millions of dollars to offshore record labels. We continue to support private, company-by-company negotiations that are driven by the free market, as is reflected by recent deals between broadcast radio stations and independent music labels. We appreciate the support of 154 members of Congress who know that local radio remains the premiere platform for exposing new music and generating sales for record labels." 

"Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings," reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

In recent months broadcasters and music labels have entered private-market agreements, without the need for government intervention, which permit radio stations to pay sound-recording performance royalties in exchange for lowered digital performance fees. Examples of such agreements are those between Clear Channel and RPM Entertainment, Entercom and Glassnote Entertainment Group, and Beasley Broadcasting and Big Machine Label Group.

musicFirst coalition Applauds Watt’s Bill

musicFIRST Executive Director Ted Kalo released the following comments after today's hearing "Innovation in America: The Role of Copyrights" in the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet: 

"We applaud Ranking Member Watt for taking leadership to end the decades long injustice that denies performers' compensation when their work is played on AM/FM radio. AM/FM radio stands alone among all forms of radio in refusing to pay music creators for airing their performances. 

“As we heard at this hearing from Tor Hansen of Yep Rock records and Red Eye distribution, the lack of this right, almost universally recognized in other countries, also robs Americans of the royalties they have earned for the use of their works overseas."

Meanwhile, the NAB is quick to point out that on numerous occasions, both record label executives and artists have recognized the promotional value of free radio airplay.

Recent statements include:

• "Internet, Twitter and everything else put together doesn't equal what country radio does for us as artists and as an industry." -- Country artist Kix Brooks
• "Radio connects the world together. It's my friend and it's everyone's goal to have a big hit song on the radio." -- Lady Gaga producer and songwriter/producer and label executive RedOne, SXSW "Navigating The Waters Of Radio To Your Benefit" panel
• "I want to thank all the people who help us to do what we do, our whole team. I want to thank all of country radio, Southern Ground, all our folks back home." -- Zac Brown Band frontman Zac Brand at the 2013 Grammys
• "I was driving in the car with my mom the first time I heard my song on the radio. It's a pull-over-your-car, get-out-and-jump-around moment, something that you dream of when you're a little girl and you want to be an artist. And that feeling doesn't go away. I'm still excited when I hear myself on the radio." -- Miranda Lambert, iHeartRadio music festival, October 1, 2012
• "To our world, nothing is more important than radio." -- Epic Records COO Mark Shimmel, Advertising Week, October 2012
• "We have a lot of platforms but there is no platform more important than radio."-- Epic Records chairman, songwriter, producer and "The X Factor" judge L.A. Reid, Advertising Week, October 2012

SiriusXM Churn Rate Drops

SiriusXM has continued to add subsribers quickly, sped along by the recovery in car sales.

According to the NY Times, Sirius reported 25.1 million subscribers, up 716,000 from the same period last year, and the company increased its guidance for the full year, saying that it expected to add 1.5 million subscribers and have more than $3.7 billion in revenue. Shares of Sirius were up a little more than 1 percent in the early afternoon on Thursday.

“The wind has certainly been at our backs with increasing auto sales, and we expect that to continue for the rest of the year,” James E. Meyer, the chief executive, said in an conference call with investors and analysts.  Meyer said that there are 54.5 million automobiles in operation with Sirius installed, and that he expected the number to rise to 100 million by the end of 2017.

Sirius also fared well with two particular measurements that investors have paid close attention to. Its “churn” rate, a measurement of customer turnover, has lately hovered around 2 percent, but for the second quarter it dropped to 1.7 percent, meaning that fewer customers were canceling subscriptions.

The number of “self-pay” subscriptions — as opposed to those with trial subscriptions subsidized by automakers — also grew in the second quarter to a high of 20.3 million, up 9 percent from last year. Subscriptions to the satellite radio service start at about $15 a month.

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STL Radio: Why Favazz Says 'AMF'

KSDK TV5 caught-up with KSHE95 (94.7 FM) radio persoanlity Favazz to ask him.

Clear Channel Pulls Abortion Clinic Ads

Clear Channel is under fire after pulling ads for a Wichita, Kansas abortion clinic.

According to the Huffington Post, the South Wind Women's Center recently re-opened, four years after its owner Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed by an anti-abortion activist. On Thursday, Jezebel reported that Clear Channel pulled two of the clinic's ads from the airwaves, citing a violation of "decency standards."

Critics, however, pointed out that there was nothing indecent about the ads, which did not mention abortion or sex. The ads said that the clinic provides "reproductive healthcare," is staffed by "board-certified" physicians and entrusts "women with their own medical decision-making."

The clinic responded to Clear Channel's decision by asking supporters to tweet the company promising to "#changethechannel unless they start running South Wind’s ads."

The South Wind Women's Clinic opened nearly four years after Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few doctors performing late-term abortions, was gunned down in his church by an abortion opponent in May 2009.

The shuttered facility was bought by an abortion-rights group, Trust Women Foundation, which reopened it as a family and women's health center offering abortions and other health care services.

Chicago Radio: Budget Ax Whacks Special K

Scott 'Special K' Corchin

Clear Channel Media + Entertainment has released more than a handful of its employees nationwide this week, including some on-air staffers. Chicago was not spared the budget ax, as popular nighttime personality Scotty Kay, aka Special K, is now gone from WKSC-FM/103.5 Kiss FM. He was released on Wednesday, according to Chicagoland Radio & Media.

In addition to being a highly-rated DJ for 103.5 Kiss FM, Scotty Kay was also the station's Music Director.

Making this move even more of a surprise is the fact that Scotty Kay's ratings were beating those of rival WBBM-FM/B96 in the all ages numbers, the 25-54 demographic, and the stations' target demo of 18-34 year olds.

On top of his two jobs at Chicago's WKSC-FM, Special K voice-tracked shows for Clear Channel radio stations in smaller markets, such as Austin, TX. Those stations now find themselves down one DJ, as well.

Yesterday's surprise release of Scotty Kay, aka Special K, aka Scott Corchin (his true name), creates a pair of vacancies for the Chicago station. A search is now on for a replacement DJ/MD. For now, weekender "ErikZ" is filling in for the vacated weeknight shift.

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Chicago Radio: SBS Appoints Cesar Ruiz PD Of WLEY

Cesar Ruiz

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. has announced the appointment of Cesar Ruiz to Program Director of WLEY-FM "La Ley"107.9FM in Chicago, Illinois effective immediately.

Ruiz will have overall oversight and responsibility of all on-air & digital aspects of Regional Mexican format station WLEY-FM La Ley 107.9FM. Mr. Ruiz will report to Gerardo Reyes, VP of Sales SBS Chicago and MegaTV 55 KTBU-TV Houston.

"We are proud and thrilled to welcome Cesar back to the SBS family. We are sure that he will do great things here and contribute greatly to bringing La Ley higher ratings.”

"Cesar's broad knowledge and extensive experience in radio programming make him a tremendous addition to our team," said Albert Rodriguez, COO of SBS. "His expertise as the executive-in-charge of many successful programs and understanding of our audience will be a strong asset as we build on the success of our programming in Chicago."

Prior to joining SBS Chicago, he started in the radio business in 1996 as a board operator at Radio Ranchito 900 AM in Los Angeles, California, and then moved on to Ritmo 98.3FM. After a successful show at Romance 97.7FM in Bakersfield, California, he returned to Los Angeles to join the team of La "X" 97.9FM.

 


In 2007, as the first program director, he helped launch WRAZ-FM La Raza 106.3FM in Miami, FL, and eventually became part of WRMA-FM Romance 106.7FM. Recently he worked in La Raza 102.3FM and La Mega 96.5FM in Atlanta from 2009 to 2013.

Tom’s Take: Interesting to read Ruiz reports to a VP for Sales.

Univision Radio Confirms Split With “Tweety Bird”

Eddie Sotelo

Univision Communications Thursday officially confirmed that it has ended its 10-year association with Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, the popular longtime host of Univision Radio's morning show, “Piolin por la Mañana," according to the LA Times.

"After a 10-year run, Sotelo and Univision have agreed to part company," Univision said in a brief statement on Thursday. The company declined to provide a reason for Sotelo's sudden departure.

See Original Posting: Click Here.

Affiliates unexpectedly learned Monday that Univision was no longer distributing Sotelo's Spanish-language radio show. Instead, the company encouraged stations to play music during Sotelo's regular time period.

“It’s been a great run with Univision,” Sotelo said in a statement distributed by Univision. The message noted that the Los Angeles based DJ was recently elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Sotelo, whose nickname means Tweety Bird, is an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, who crossed illegally into the United States from Tijuana in 1986 as a 16-year-old. He rose to become one of this country's top-rated and best-known radio personalities.

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Allaccess.com is speculating Sotelo may be starting his own syndicated morning show.

KCET PBS Los Angles aired this profile during Hispanic Heritage Month in 2010.

Report: Google’s $35 Chromecast Sells Out Online

Google either has an overnight success on its hands with the inexpensive and simple Chromecast — or it grossly underestimated demand for the $35 Internet video device, which plugs into the back of an HDTV to deliver YouTube, Netflix and other content.

According to Variety, the device was listed as out of stock at Amazon.com and BestBuy.com, less than 24 hours after the Internet giant announced it at a press event in San Francisco. On the Google Play store, Chromecast devices are listed as having a wait time of three to four weeks for shipping.

One reason for the apparently strong initial demand: Chromecast buyers are eligible to receive three free months of Netflix’s streaming video service, a promo slated to run until Dec. 31.

Chromecast is skedded to become available in Best Buy stores across the U.S. starting July 28.

Chromecast promises an extremely simple setup process, offering out-of-the-box support for YouTube video; Netflix’s streaming service; and movies, TV shows and music purchased through Google Play. Instead of a dedicated remote control, the Wi-Fi-based device works with smartphones, tablets or computers with a Chrome browser to control browsing and playback.

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Sean Hannity Takes MSM To Task Over Obama, Weiner

Sean Hannity Thursday evening picked apart this week’s news stories with Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center.

Pandora Inks Office Deal In NYC

SL Green Realty Corp has announced that personalized internet music provider Pandora Media, Inc. has signed a 10-year lease covering 52,450 s/f on the entire 19th and 20th floors of 125 Park Avenue, the 26-story, 572,705-square-foot building located directly across from Grand Central Terminal.

“We are delighted to welcome Pandora to the building,” said Steven Durels, Executive Vice President and Director of Leasing and Real Property for SL Green, who added, “Pandora was attracted to the building because of its convenient location with immediate access to Grand Central Terminal and floors that have high slab heights and oversized windows.”

Other tenants in the building include Haworth, Canon Business Solutions, Emerge 212, and Newmark Grubb Knight Frank.

Taylor Swift Leaves Huge Tip At Philly Bistro

23-year-old Taylor Swift left a whopping $500 tip on an $800 bill at Ralph’s Italian Restaurant following a Philadelphia concert stop last week.

According to Business Insider, Swift treated 18 members of her tour crew, including opening singers Austin Mahone and Ed Sheeran, to the Italian meal.

Ralph's restaurant posted the below photo to their Facebookpage following the encounter.

"Taylor Swift after her show, along with opening acts Ed Sheeran and Austin Mahone and the late night Ralph's staff. From her graciousness upon arrival for us staying open, to the extremely generous tip before leaving, she was a pleasure to have dine with us! Probably the biggest celebrity to visit Ralph's in recent memory!"

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Study: People Exaggerate Interest In New Music

A new study from Washington University found that consumers claim they want to hear new music but end up choosing songs they already know.

So given the choice, you’re probably skipping over underground Swedish EDM and double-clicking on ”Hey Ya.”

Salon notes familiarity is especially appealing when people are busy or performing cognitively difficult tasks.

Read Study: Click Here.

Acting FCC Chair To Address NAB Show

Mignon Clyburn

Organizers of the Radio Show, jointly produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), HAVE announced that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn will give keynote remarks to Radio Show attendees on Wednesday, September 18.

She will follow opening remarks by NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith and RAB President and CEO Erica Farber.

The Radio Show will be held September 18-20 in Orlando.

Chairwoman Clyburn has served on the Commission since 2009. She became acting chairwoman following her appointment by President Barack Obama on May 20, 2013. In her two terms at the FCC, Clyburn has been a strong advocate for enhanced accessibility in communications for disabled citizens. She has fought to promote strong competition across all communications platforms and media ownership that reflects the demographics of America.

Chairwoman Clyburn has a long history of public service, having served for 11 years on the Public Service Commission (PSC) of South Carolina before joining the FCC.

SiriusXM Sez Adjusted 2Q Earnings Rise

Sirius XM Radio on Thursday reported improved underlying second-quarter financials, including company records for certain metrics.

SiriusXM, led by CEO Jim Meyer, had previously announced that it had added 715,000 subscribers in the second quarter to end June with more than 25 million subscribers. That led it to raise its full-year subscriber growth guidance to 1.5 million from 1.4 million.

Asked during an earnings conference call about the state of discussions with 21st Century Fox's Fox News about an extension of their current carriage deal, which makes the news network's content available to subscribers of the satellite radio firm, Meyer said it is "a valuable part of our content we want our listeners to have," according to THR.

The current deal runs through the end of August, and he hopes to continue the relationship for the long term, but financial terms have to make sense, he said.

Asked if Fox News could go dark on SiriusXM similar to TV networks going dark on pay TV operators amid carriage disputes, Meyer said that ws possible but unlikely.

The satellite radio firm, controlled by John Malone's Liberty Media, said its quarterly earnings of $126 million compared with $3.1 billion in the year-ago period, when a $3 billion one-time tax benefit boosted results. Adjusted for that special item, earnings before income taxes rose 47 percent to $202 million though.

Revenue rose 12 percent to $940 million to set a quarterly record for the company.

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Boston Radio: Ted Nugent Rips Stevie Wonder Over Boycott

Ted Nugent

Add Ted Nugent to the list of musicians who are distancing themselves from Motown great Stevie Wonder’s boycott of Florida.

The Motor City Madman tore into Wonder’s boycott of Florida over that state’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” laws during an interview with  Peter Cyzmbor on WXBR 1460 AM.

Nugent accused Wonder of focusing on the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin while ignoring black-on-black violence.

“So 700 black people, mostly young children and young people were slaughtered in Chicago last year by black people, and not a peep out of Stevie Wonder. Are you kidding me? “How brain-dead do you have to be?

Bay Area TV: Three KTVU Producers Fired Over Namegate

KTVU-TV has dismissed at least three veteran producers over the on-air gaffe involving the fake names of those Asiana airline pilots that became an instant YouTube hit - and a major embarrassment to the station.

According to sftgate.com, investigative producer Roland DeWolk, special projects producer Cristina Gastelu and producer Brad Belstock were all sent packing following an in-house investigation into the July 12 broadcast of four fake names of the pilots involved in the Asiana Flight 214 crash at San Francisco International Airport on July 6.

A fourth told colleagues he was leaving for health reasons.

During its noon newscast on July 12, anchor Tori Campbell announced that "KTVU has just learned the names of the four pilots who were on board" the ill-fated plane - then proceeded to read from a teleprompter while the phony names were displayed on a graphic.

Two days ago, blogs began posting that Cox Communications, KTVU's parent company, had sent copyright infringement notices to YouTube - demanding that the offensive video of Campbell's newscast be removed.

Sources told sfgate.com,  the fake names - which had been posted on the Internet at least two days before - came to the station via e-mail from an expert source who had provided information to the station in the past.

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Houston Radio: Kevin Quinn Gets PM Drive Gig At KRBE

Kevin Quinn

Top40 KRBE 104.1 FN has announced the pending arrival of Kevin Quinn as PM Drive Host, starting August 8.  Quinn will also be Assistant PD for the Cumulus station.

Quinn arrives from Fort Myers, FL where he was APD and morning host at WINK 96.9 MoreFM.  Before that, he spent 11 years at Top 40 WYKS in Gainesville, FL

KRBE PD Leslie Whittle remarked, "KRBE is a heritage brand with an experienced staff who I know are going to love working with Kevin. I'm very impressed with his experience, knowledge, creativity, and passion for great radio.  He'll be a central part of our Houston team."

And Quinn adds, "First, my time at Fort Myers Broadcasting has been an amazing opportunity to learn and grow.  I'd like to thank GM Wwayne Simons and especially MoreFM PD Michael Hayes for sharing with me the knowledge and insight that has made this new opportunity possible. While the decision to leave is a difficult one, a chance to join the team at the legendary KRBE is a dream come true.”

Miami Radio: 'The Coast' Snags New Morning Show

The West Palm Beach morning show for Clear Channel  WLDI Wild 95.5 FM "The Kevin, Virginia & Jason show" is leaving after more than a decade. Their last broadcast on Wild 95.5 will be Friday morning. 

The "KVJ" show, which consists of Kevin Rolston, Virginia Sinicki and Jason Pennington, announced the departure Thursday for Miami.

The trio’s new employer will be Cox Radio's WFLC 97.3 FM The Coast in Miami starting August 5.

“We are so excited to bring our brand of fun and topical radio just south down I-95 to the incredible Miami market and the 97-3 The Coast audience”, Rolston said in a statement. “We have been entertaining listeners in South Florida for 15 years, so this is the natural evolution for The Kevin, Virginia & Jason Show."

Miami Radio: Sid Rosenberg Has DUI Court Appearance Friday

Sid Riosenberg

Sports radio host Sid Rosenberg won't be pleading guilty to a DUI charge on Friday, no matter what the online docket on his case claims, his lawyer said Wednesday.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Rosenberg, 46, the morning drive host on WMEN 640 AM, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for Friday morning before Broward County Judge Christopher Pole, but Rosenberg's lawyer said his client will be clinging to his not guilty plea for now.

Rosenberg was arrested on April 5, 2012, by police who allegedly found the radio personality curled up on the ground behind his car in the middle of the road with his finger in his mouth trying to induce vomiting. He told police that he was heading home to Boca Raton from a north Miami strip club.

He was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and obstructing traffic.

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Denver Radio: Mandy Connell Gets Mornings At KHOW

Mandy Connell

WHAS 840 AM talk show host Mandy Connell is leaving Louisville for Denver.

It was announced Wednesday afternoon that Connell will host a new morning show on KHOW 630 AM starting in mid-August. Both stations are owned by Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.

The Florida native has hosted in the 9am to Noon slot on 84WHAS since 2010. Her last midday show on 84WHAS will be August 9.

Sac Radio: Walt Gray, Kat Maudru OUT At KSEG

Walt Gray

Sacramento radio host Walt Gray said he was laid off from KSEG 96.9 FM The Eagle Wednesday after finishing his morning show.

"There were a number of people across the station who were let go today - good people in several departments," he told sacbee.com. "They're cutting costs," Gray said. "They have to do what they feel is right for them going forward. ... I wish it could have gone differently."

He noted that his partner on the radio show, Kat Maudru, was also let go. She had been an Eagle personality for 23 years.

Kevin Geary, a spokesman for The Eagle's parent company, Entercom Communications Corp., declined to specify how many people were let go at the Sacramento station.

Gray joined The Eagle on Oct. 22 to co-host a classic rock show. Previously he worked at KCRA Channel 3 for 25 years as a news anchor.

"I would love to remain in broadcasting, certainly," Gray said Wednesday. "Television has always been a favorite."

Geary said The Eagle will be "music intensive" in the morning while the company looks for Gray's replacement.

Read More Here

Savannah Radio: Lil G Leaves For Corporate Job

Lil G

Lil G is going home. One of Savannah’s favorite radio broadcasters is leaving Hip Hop WEAS E93 FM and Urban contemporary WTYB 103.9 FM Magic for a move to Atlanta to accept a promotion, according to savannahnow.com.

“I’ll be working for the Cumulus Broadcasting corporate headquarters in Atlanta,” says Lil G, whose real name is Gerald Arrington Jr. “I came to Savannah from Atlanta specifically to go to Savannah State.”

After Lil G got involved with the Savannah State University radio station, local gospel singer and broadcaster Lester Leck White introduced him to Cumulus Broadcasting.

“He allowed me to come in and do an internship on his show,” Lil G says.

“That’s how I got started here in Savannah. Who would know 10 to 15 years later, I would be his boss?

“I graduated in 2001 with a degree in mass communications,” he says. “I was working for Cumulus while I was in school, and after I graduated, they sent me to Houston.”

A year later, the station’s format was switched from rhythm and blues and hip hop to oldies.

“From Houston, they allowed me to come to Savannah with a pay raise,” he says. That was 15 years ago.

Read More Now.

B’ham Radio: WAPI-FM Expected To Flip To Sports

Cumulus Media is planning to rebrand Birmingham talk radio station 100 WAPI FM and launch an ESPN Radio sports-talk station on that signal, according to AL.com.

A logo for the new station appears on a college football schedule poster that has been circulating around Birmingham, and a photo of that schedule, with the logo, also has appeared on Twitter.

Cumulus Media also owns Birmingham sports-talk station WJOX 94.5 FM, which will begin carrying Paul Finebaum's new ESPN Radio show when it starts Aug. 12.

WJOX is an affiliate of CBS Sports Radio, and as part of the deal to get Finebaum's show, Cumulus had to find another station to carry ESPN's syndicated programming.

WAPI Radio happy to continue on IHeart radio, http://t.co/dUIy84kdix, and of course on 1070 AM.
— Matt Murphy (@mattmurphyshow) July 24, 2013

According to a tweet Wednesday afternoon by 100 WAPI FM's Matt Murphy, host of "The Matt Murphy Show," all of the station's programming will continue to be available on WAPI-AM 1070, at 100wapi.com and on the audio streaming service iHeartRadio.

Both WJOX 94.5 FM and the new ESPN Radio station are expected to carry Finebaum's show.

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Report: Keith Olbermann Can Talk Politics On ESPN

Keith Olbermann

Contrary to an earlier report that his new nightly ESPN show will be devoid of any talk about politics, anchorman Keith Olbermann said that he’ll be free to range topically when the show makes its debut next month in the 11 p.m. slot, according to The Washington Post.

“There is no such clause [in my contract],” Olbermann said, speaking to the Television Critics Association on Wednesday afternoon in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“I’m not intending to talk about politics – certainly not in the partisan sense … for the simple reason that it is a sports show. There’s nothing preventing me from doing it, other than common sense. I’ve enjoyed the work I’ve done in politics and news, but that’s not what this is.”

The show, called “Olbermann,” will premiere Aug. 26. It marks the 54-year-old broadcaster’s return to ESPN, the network that made him famous two decades ago.

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NBC Sports, NASCAR Announce 10-Year Deal

NASCAR had announced a 10-year deal with NBC for the  broadcasting rights to the final 20 Sprint Cup and final 19 Nationwide races each season starting in 2015.

The deal is worth $4.4 billion, according to a report at Forbes. NBC last aired Nascar races in 2006. Fox already extended its pact with Nascar in the fall for the first half of the Nascar season for $2.4 billion over eight years.

The move ends ESPN’s eight-year run in the sport, as well as that of Turner Sports, which has been a part of NASCAR for three decades.  ESPN and Turner paid $2.7 billion for their rights over eight years. NBC is paying roughly 50% more annually than Turner and ESPN on an apples-to-apples basis by number of races.

NBC’s deal does not cover the first half of the Nationwide schedule (headed to the new Fox Sports 1 launching next month) or three of Turner’s Sprint Cup races (likely headed to Fox).

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Sharpton Panel Slams ‘Right-Wing Radio’

Al Sharpton Wednesday took notice of the increasingly heated rhetoric from Bill O’Reilly on the issue of race this week, as well as comments made by other conservative radio hosts.

According to mediaite.com, Sharpton wondered why they’re so “afraid of” having a real conversation about issues that affect the black community, talking about black families and black-on-black crime instead of racial inequality. Joy Reid said all the hyperbole is about riling up their audiences for ratings, because “all of these people are destroying what they see as their America.”

Radio host Joe Madison told Sharpton conservative radio hosts are clearly afraid of “blacks, Hispanics, and women” because building a coalition of these groups as well as progressive young white men could bring about a change in political culture that terrifies them. Sharpton called it “an insult to their own listeners” by “ducking and avoiding” real issues.

Reid drew a distinction between black talk radio, which she said is like a conversation between the host and the audience, and “right-wing radio world,” where it’s all about a “personality cult” of “white grievance.”

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Chicago Radio: WLS Again Searches For Next Talk Star

For the second summer in a row, WLS-AM/89 WLS is holding a contest entitled "The Next 89 WLS Talk Star." According to Chicagoland Radio & Media, the winner of the contest will gain their very own live two-hour talk show on the radio station, among other prizes.

The station is looking for contestants to give quick auditions, showing they can be the next great talk show host. The one grand prize winner will gain the chance to host his/her own two-hour weekend talk show on WLS-AM (date & time to be determined), studio headphones that they can keep after their show, a limousine ride to and from their home to the WLS-AM downtown studios, and a four-night vacation for two to Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico.

Just as with last year's contest, WLS-AM wants contestants to create an audition that consists of a 10 second introduction and a monologue of no longer than 90 seconds, for a maximum total time length of 100 seconds (one minute, 40 seconds). Contestants must then submit that 100 second MP3 on the WLS-AM website.

They are looking for newcomers only.

All entries will be judged by Cumulus Media Chicago executives. Entries will be judged on voice quality, creativity, and overall style. On August 7th, the judges will select their 10 semi-finalists, whose entries will then be posted up on the WLS-AM website. Station listeners and website visitors will then vote for their favorites. The five semi-finalists with the most votes by August 16th will then move on to the finals.

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Pittsburgh Radio: FCC’s Pai Meets With Radio Execs

KDKA's Mike Pintek, FCC's Pai

Wednesday was a monumental day for the employees of KDKA 1020 AM and other CBS Pittsburgh Radio stations as they hosted Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai, who has a fascination and true love for AM radio.

“AM radio is one of the areas where the FCC, to be honest, hasn’t concentrated a lot in recent years,” said Pai. “In fact, it’s been 22 years since we’ve looked at updating our rules.”

Pai continues that AM radio has been a strong influence in his life from the beginning of his childhood. He wants the public to know that there is someone in the FCC that supports and strives for the success of AM radio.

Often times the AM band will cut out during programs or emit a loud static noise and listeners tend to change the station. Last September, Pai sparked an initiative to revitalize the AM radio.

Regarding his call for the FCC to revitalize AM, RadioWorld reports Pai said he’s received great ideas from broadcasters over 10 months “and now is the time to take action.” Pai said he’s had “very productive discussions” with Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn about AM and is “hopeful we’ll see progress in the coming months.”

KDKA’s Mike Pintek talked on-air with Commissioner Pai. Click Here for Audio.

CCM+E Ups the Streaming Ante With iHeartRadio Talk

Brian LaKamp

Clear Channel, the country's largest broadcast radio company, has told anyone who will listen from the tech sector its traditional radio is not intimidated by streaming music services such as Spotify, iTunes radio, or even Pandora.

"The internet is proving to be an opportunity for us," said Brian Lakamp, president of Clear Channel Digital and the man running iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's web radio service.

The company has big plans to expand its online offering, and Wednesday announced it is launching a test version of a new platform called iHeartRadio talk. 

According to The Verge, One feature enables users to record and post their own talk shows to the website and potentially be promoted alongside the company's top-rated shows from Jimmy Kimmel, Rush Limbaugh and CollegeHumor. The Daily Pulse is another feature that enables users to aggregate and customize their favorite talk shows.

iHeartRadio is a Pandora rival that has been largely ignored by the tech press. The prevailing wisdom is that Spotify, Pandora, and the growing number of music streaming services are siphoning off listeners from broadcast radio.

"That's a misconception that is simply not true," Lakamp told The Verge last week. Lakamp said that traditional radio listening is as high as ever. The secret, he says, is that people just want a good listening experience, and his company has the knowhow to provide that both online and over the airwaves. He said Clear Channel and radio broadcasters have many other advantages over internet-only players.

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iHeartRadio Talk Partners CCM+E And ABC

ABC and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, Wednesday announced a multi-faceted partnership that combines the power of TV and radio to deliver innovative and compelling content to iHeartRadio listeners. 

Under the multi-year deal iHeartRadio will become ABC’s premier digital radio partner for “Good Morning America,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The View” and will be instrumental in identifying  the hottest up-and-coming and established artists for “Good Morning America’s” 2014 Summer Concert Series — as well as providing the iHeartRadio DJ on “Good Morning America” beginning this fall.

“We’re excited to partner with ABC and to offer them the ability to expand their powerful brands and content across new platforms, taking advantage of the incredible reach of our radio and digital assets to generate massive awareness for their consumers,” said John Hogan, Chairman and CEO of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment. “This partnership also emphasizes the value that ABC and Clear Channel place on innovative new relationships that further engage consumers by giving them the content they crave — and the mobility and convenience that they want.”

“We are proud to kick off our partnership with Clear Channel by joining iHeartRadio, and we look forward to delivering unique ABC content to iHeartRadio listeners, anytime, anywhere,” said Ben Sherwood, President of ABC News.

“Our collaboration with Clear Channel will expand ABC’s unmatched content to loyal viewers in the digital audio space while attracting iHeartRadio’s dedicated listeners to ABC’s top programs, including ‘Good Morning America,’ ” said Steve Jones, Vice President and General Manager of ABC Radio.

Highlights Include:

• iHeartRadio Talk is the Exclusive Digital Radio Platform for ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The View:” In addition to ABC News short-form content including U.S., Business, Technology, Political, and International news and audio editions of “Nightline,” “20/20,” “World News with Diane Sawyer” and “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,”  iHeartRadio Talk will be the only digital radio platform on which listeners can hear highlights from “Good Morning America,” “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”  ABC will also create exclusive content for iHeartRadio Talk from “Good Morning America’s” contributors and guests.
• iHeartRadio/ “Good Morning America” (GMA) Integration:  iHeartRadio will provide a weekly iHeartRadio DJ on “Good Morning America” segments beginning this fall.  The weekly segment will feature an iHeartRadio DJ spinning hits in front of a studio audience and live on “Good Morning America.”  ABC and Clear Channel will also work together to book artists for the highly anticipated “Good Morning America” 2014 Summer Concert Series.
• Cross Platform Promotion: Clear Channel Media and Entertainment will feature ABC shows in a nine-week fall promotional campaign and a nine-week spring promotional campaign, including digital, social, mobile and on-air promotion.   ABC will promote “Good Morning America on iHeartRadio Talk” on its Times Square, New York Jumbotron throughout the partnership and via its ABC digital properties.