Saturday Aircheck: Top 40 WIXY 12-60 In Cleveland

Although WIXY 1260 AM  was around for only 10 1/2  years, it was a major Top 40 force in the Cleveland, Ohio radio market.  High-energy WIXY pulled in great numbers, had some amazing air personalities, sponsored some wonderful contests and concerts (including bringing the Beatles to Cleveland)!

For more, check out the WIXY Tribute Site: Click Here.

And from 2004, a story on WKYC-TV about WIXY


Today 12-60 AM is WWMK and airing the Disney format.

Report: American Media Is 'Pathetic'

Seymour Hersh

Bin Laden Raid ‘One Big Lie’

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh has got some extreme ideas on how to fix journalism – close down the news bureaus of NBC and ABC, sack 90% of editors in publishing and get back to the fundamental job of journalists which, he says, is to be an outsider.

It doesn't take much to fire up Hersh, according to a story at The Guardian, the investigative journalist who has been the nemesis of US presidents since the 1960s and who was once described by the Republican party as "the closest thing American journalism has to a terrorist".

He is angry about the timidity of journalists in America, their failure to challenge the White House and be an unpopular messenger of truth.

Don't even get him started on the New York Times which, he says, spends "so much more time carrying water for Obama than I ever thought they would" – or the death of Osama bin Laden. "Nothing's been done about that story, it's one big lie, not one word of it is true," he says of the dramatic US Navy Seals raid in 2011.

Hersh is writing a book about national security and has devoted a chapter to the bin Laden killing. He says a recent report put out by an "independent" Pakistani commission about life in the Abottabad compound in which Bin Laden was holed up would not stand up to scrutiny. "The Pakistanis put out a report, don't get me going on it. Let's put it this way, it was done with considerable American input. It's a bullshit report," he says hinting of revelations to come in his book.

The Obama administration lies systematically, he claims, yet none of the leviathans of American media, the TV networks or big print titles, challenge him.

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NextRadio: FM Chip Called Win-Win

On the final day of Advertising Week, David Pogue of The New York Times moderated a talk on the collaboration between the radio industry, Sprint and record labels on NextRadio, an innovative new system with benefits for business and consumer alike, according to allvoices.com.

This NextRadio system is the first of its kind to offer every local FM station to smartphone users for free – without streaming music and without consuming data. As a result, every partner in the venture is happy, as are Sprint customers who can offer feedback in real time to radio stations and buy songs with a single click.

The technology for NextRadio is embedded in every new Sprint smartphone running on Android or Windows OS and launched officially in August. At Times Center Hall Thursday evening, Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan and David Owens of Sprint joined Pogue and record label figures to explore the phenomenon.

The multi-talented Pogue, who writes tech columns for the Times as well as appearing on TV and radio, opened the discussion with a question on the minds of many.

"As soon as I heard about this, I thought, 'Wow, that's the dumbest idea ever!'" he said. "I've got Pandora, I've got iTunes, I've got a thousand Internet radio stations that I can play already on my phone."

This opener led the industry leaders to guide the audience through key differences between NextRadio and other services on the market. The biggest difference is in the fact that there is an antenna receiving the FM signal directly. This solution eliminates the need to stream music, utilizing about one-third of the battery life as Pandora or other services.

The key difference between NextRadio and the FM in a car is the opportunity to give feedback to radio stations, in effect opening up a two-way radio. Finally, the presence of Sprint means customers can buy songs with a single click and have them appear on their phone bills as if they were premium calls.

Read More Now

Radio Show On-Demand: State Of The FM Smartphone

FCC Is Ready for LPFM Filings

The FCC is confident the agency can open the application window for new low-power FM stations on time, according to RadioWorld.

FCC Audio Division Deputy Chief of Engineering Jim Bradshaw said at Thursday’s commission meeting that the division has processed thousands of FM translator filings over the past few months. The end result could be the authorization of some 1,700 new FM translators in 2013, he said, a 33% increase over the current number.

The agency needed to clear the decks of more than 13,000 FM translator applications filed in Auction 83 as part of its focus on preparing to open another application window for low-power FMs.

Bradshaw described the “clashing” goals of processing those FM translator applications while, at the same time, leaving enough spectrum room for new LPFMs. The division identified 700 “singletons,” meaning FM translator applications where there’s no competing interest, in February. The commission received “dozens” of settlement agreements and dismissal requests. Of the 6, 350 Auction 83 FM translator applications, only eight remain unprocessed, he said.

The FCC’s Parul Desai said the dismissal of some 4,000 Auction 83 FM translator proposals cleared space for new LPFMs and “hundreds” of LPFM applicants have begun the application process. The commission has taken a number of steps to help applicants through the process, she said.

The FCC plans to open an LPFM application window on Oct. 15.

Read More Now.

Reports: Budget Cuts Coming To The Tribune Company

Tribune Co., parent of the Los Angeles Times, is reviewing operations in an effort that will likely result in staff reductions at the company's daily newspapers.

Tribune announced in July that it planned to separate its newspapers from the company's other assets. The new owners of Tribune intend to focus on the more profitable television and Internet properties and spin off its eight daily newspapers into a stand-alone company.

A Tribune spokesman confirmed late Thursday that the company has started a budget review process. Newspaper managers have been asked to look for efficiencies.

"We’re in the process, as we are every year at this time, of looking at the budgets for all of our businesses," Tribune spokesman Gary Weitman said. "Everything is on the table. We’re looking at how to put our publishing businesses on the best possible footing for the long term."

Late Thursday, Chicago business blogger Robert Feder reported that Tribune Chief Executive Peter Liguori had told managers to identify $100 million in cuts to take effect Dec. 1. 

Weitman said the report was not accurate.

Late last month, Tribune reported that earnings tumbled in the second quarter of this year as revenue dropped sharply in its TV broadcast division and advertising continued to decline at its newspapers.

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According to Feder, the publishing side of Tribune had revenue of $2 billion in 2012, exceeding that of the broadcasting side, which reported $1.14 billion.

Boston Radio: Celtics, The Hub Ink Broadcast Deal

The Boston Celtics and WBZ-FM 98.5 the Sports Hub have finalized an agreement on a multi-year partnership for the team's radio broadcasts.

The station said it plans to broadcast select preseason games, along with all regular-season (and future postseason) matchups with extended pre- and postgame shows.

The broadcast tandem of Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell, who previously called the games for WEEI, will remain intact on 98.5 FM.

“We are excited to launch a new era of Celtics basketball with CBS radio Boston, extending our audience reach with Celtics fans throughout New England and providing an enhanced promotional platform for the Celtics, our team sponsors, and advertisers,” Celtics team president Rich Gotham said in an official release from the station.

According to the team's release, additional Celtics daily and weekly programming will be featured on the Sports Hub throughout the season. The Sports Hub also broadcast Bruins games and, during overlaps in coverage, Celtics games will be shifted to WZLX 100.7 FM.

WEEI 93.7 FM announced in late August it would no longer carry the Celtics' radio broadcasts.

SiriusXM Committed to Keeping Howard Stern

Jim Meyer

SiriusXM Radio is "committed to keeping" Howard Stern and NFL content when their current deals with the satellite radio firm expire at the end of 2015, CEO Jim Meyer told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference on Thursday.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said the satellite radio firm would like to continue its relationship with Stern as long as the radio host wants to work. No conversations worth mentioning with Stern and the NFL are currently taking place, "but we're committed to keeping those," Meyer said. "We care very, very much about" the two content partnerships, he added.

Stern earlier this year said that he is planning to leave Sirius XM at the end of his contract that runs through 2015. The comment came after he failed to revive a $300 million lawsuit based on a contract dispute with Sirius.

But asked if he would extend Stern's contract on a non-exclusive basis, Meyer said on Thursday "absolutely not." He explained: "We pay an awful lot of money for Howard. And every penny is worth that...We want to protect that exclusivity."

That said, he said he loves that Stern is doing America's Got Talent as it helps the Stern and Sirius brand.

He also said the firm can afford all content it wants, but wants to pay affordable prices, and has nothing missing.

John Malone's Liberty Media owns a majority stake in Sirius XM.

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SiriusXM To Bundle 10 Spanish Channels

Piolin Sotelo

SiriusXM Radio CEO Jim Meyer explained to the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference on Thursday why the company recently struck a deal with Hispanic radio star Piolin after he abruptly left Univision Radio.

"We're underrepresented in the Hispanic demo" and saw an opportunity to further expand content for the demo, the CEO said. According to THR, Meyer said the deal was struck within a week.

In mid-October, Sirius is launching a channel update that will ensure that the vast majority of subscribers can get Hispanic content.

The company will then offer a bundle of about 10 Spanish-language channels, including Piolin's new one and some other stations for $5.99 per month instead of its regular $14.49 monthly package.

Meyer reiterated Thursday that this pricing should allow the company to avoid cannibalizing its overall user base.

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Ramsey Says Radio Listening Decline Is 13.3 Percent

Veteran Media Strategist Mark Ramsey has updated his summer statement during his hivio: sharing ideas confab, that radio listening by the total population had declined by 9% in three years.

Ramsey says the more accurate figure is a 13.3% decline from 1010 to 2013. 

He cites new data just published by the RRC and provided by Arbitron:

According to Ramsey, the chart depicts the percentage of the total population using measured media (PPM) across the 30 markets measured by PPM since 2010 – the 30 markets important enough to be measured by PPM.

He says the graph indicates a steady decline in Persons Using Measured Media since 2010. This is listening to all radio, not just public radio.

He adds that if you believe in the veracity of PPM – especially when aggregated across many markets and numerous time periods – the conclusion is unavoidable: Overall usage to radio is declining.

In his hivio presentation Ramsey compared these declines across media and explained them as utterly predictable. Indeed, such a decline is neither good nor bad, it simply is. The real issue is: What do you do now?

To watch hivio presentation: Click Here.

Report: Houston Police Probe Misuse of Funds At KCOH

Michael Harris

Longtime radio personality Michael Harris has removed himself from the airwaves indefinitely after accusing his boss of financial fraud at KCOH 1230 AM, according KHOU11 News.

According to Harris, he took the action after thousands of dollars in loans that he secured for station expenses were misused by KCOH owner Jesse Dunn.

"He cheated. He connived. He stole," Harris said.

Harris claims Dunn took a debit card addressed to Harris and spent money on gambling and other personal expenses.

Dunn admits going gambling but claims that the money belongs to him because he owns the company.

Harris filed a criminal complaint with HPD, and police sources say officers with the financial crimes unit are investigating.

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Kanye West Is Not Happy With Jimmy Kimmel

The Grammy-winning rapper took to Twitter on Thursday to blast the latenight host for his recent parody of West, which featured two children reenacting an interview Kanye did with BBC1. (See original posting, Click Here.)

JIMMY KIMMEL IS OUT OF LINE TO TRY AND SPOOF IN ANY WAY THE FIRST PIECE OF HONEST MEDIA IN YEARS
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) September 27, 2013

West was referring to Kimmel’s recent parody clip dubbed “Kanye Kid (re)Kreation,” which recently played on Tuesday night’s “Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel.”



UPDATE Friday 11am:  Last night,  Kimmel refused to apologize on the air; and, of course, resulted in even more broadcast mockery.

Art Vuolo Radio Party To Be Streamed

Shotgun Tom Kelly, Art Vuolo

Radio’s Best Friend, Art Vuolo is hosting another birthday party Saturday evening at his home in Novi, MI and you can be there!

You’ll be able to listen to the festivities starting at 6pm Eastern Saturday.  The birthday bash is actually an excuse to have a mini-DJ reunion of radio greats. Scheduled to be there Dick Purtan, "Shotgun Tom" Kelly, John Records Landecker, Phlash Phelps and others.

Audio will be streamed at wixy1260online.com. WIXY personalities Ray King, Lisa Jordan and Majic Mike will be on-air from 6pm to 10pm Saturday.

Glenn Beck Broadcasts Using Tokyo Rose’s Mic

Last week, Radio/TV personality Glenn Beck purchased the microphone of Iva Toguri – aka Tokyo Rose – used during her World War II radio broadcasts. And this week on radio, Glenn decided to broadcast with the mic, which had not been used in nearly 70 years.

Beck explains that in the aftermath of the war, Toguri was labeled a traitor and went to prison. It was not until Glenn began working on new book that he realized who she really was and the profound impact her career had on the soldiers stationed in the South Pacific during World War II.

Because the American-born Toguri spoke fluent English, she was forced to give broadcast that were transmitted by Radio Tokyo to Allied soldiers stationed in the South Pacific during World War II.

“I think there were five different Tokyo Roses. She was Orphan Annie. And she refused. She said, ‘I’ll play music, but I will not do the demoralizing messages.’

In fact, according to Beck, what didn’t come out until much, much later was that Robert White, one of the aerial gunners, used to listen to Tokyo Rose. “And he would listen to her and she would always start the Zero Hour, that was hers, and she would start and she would say, ‘Hi, boys, this is our old friend, Orphan Annie. I’ve got some swell records just from in the States. You better listen to them while you can because late tonight our flyers are coming over to bomb the 43rd group when you’re all asleep. So listen while you’re still alive,’” Glenn explained. “And the guys in Tokyo couldn’t really understand. And they thought that she was demoralizing. What she was doing was she was telling, ‘Tonight we’re going to go bomb the 43rd group.’ She saved lives!”

Buffalo Radio: WBEN Simulcast Ends, WLKK Flips Alternative

Today at 12 noon, Entercom Buffalo launched the newest member of its family, Alternative Buffalo 107.7 FM. This new station will connect the best of today’s modern alternative music with young, educated, white-collar professionals who are active, mobile, and always online.

LISTEN-LINE:  Click Here

“Our station will reflect the best part of today’s Buffalo. From a revitalized downtown and a growing economy, to a strong sense of environmental protection, to a renewed sense of optimism and community, 107.7 is the New Alternative for a New Buffalo,” said Greg Ried, Vice President and General Manager of Entercom Buffalo.

“We are building Alternative Buffalo 107.7 to compete and win. On Day 1 we will stand alone as the exclusive alternative station in Buffalo. With our unique sound, Alternative Buffalo 107.7 will target an audience in the heaviest acquisition years of their lives. Alternative Buffalo 107.7 will deliver modern consumers who need to buy and buy right now,” Ried added.

Entercom has had tremendous success with alternative stations across the country, including The End in Seattle, The Buzz in Kansas City, and KRNK in Portland. It has drawn on that success to design Alternative Buffalo 107.7.

Mark Hamilton

Renowned alternative program director Mark Hamilton, from KNRK Portland, who is advising 107.7FM on its launch commented, “We conducted extensive local research in Buffalo and listeners were clear … they wanted an alternative, and they wanted modern alternative music,” said Mark Hamilton, the renowned alternative program director of KNRK Portland, who is advising 107.7 FM on its launch. 

Alternative Buffalo 107.7 will play the very best in today’s alternative music from artists including Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, Muse, and FUN.”

Entercom also announced it has launched a national search for a program director for 107.7.

The launch of Alternative Buffalo 107.7 means that WBEN will no longer be simulcast on FM. Entercom’s research showed, and Arbitron has confirmed, that over 90% of WBEN listening continued to occur at 930 AM. Ried commented on the move, “We are supremely confident that nearly all of our listeners will migrate back to AM over the next few days. Rest assured WBEN remains the premier news-talk-weather station in the market, and we will continue delivering on that promise.”

Madison Radio: After 21-Years, Pat Gallagher OUT At WMMM

Pat Gallagher

Longtime WMMM 105.5 FM Triple M radio personality and program director Pat Gallagher will have his last on-air shift on the station between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

According to captimes.com, Gallagher’s last show was kicked it off with R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)."

Gallagher found out from the station’s parent company, Entercom, this week that his position was being eliminated. Gallagher has been with the station since 1992, and his Facebook page and Triple M’s website were flooded with messages from well wishers.

“He is also the kindest guy I know in a tough business,” WMMM morning host Jonathan Suttin wrote on the station’s website. “His only downfall is he does a really crappy job of picking morning DJs.”

In addition to hosting the station’s popular “Radio Deli” lunch hour show, Gallagher was the station’s program director since 1998. An avid cyclist, he’s used his passion for bicycling to raise thousands of dollars for charities, including several AIDS rides.

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NYC Radio: CBS Sports Net Pitches For Boomer&Carton

Boomer & Carton

Another TV player has entered “The Boomer and Carton Show” simulcast sweepstakes, according to Bob Raissman at the NY Daily News.

CBS Sports Network has made a serious bid to acquire the TV rights to the WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM morning drive-time show hosted by Norman Julius Esiason and Craig Carton, according to a CBS source. CBS owns CBSSN and WFAN.

CBSSN’s move follows the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network making an offer to acquire simulcast rights to the show. (See original posting, Click Here). The Madison Square Garden Network is the show’s incumbent rights holder and has the contractual right to match any bid.

CBSSN’s interest in “The Boomer and Carton Show” simulcast has everything to do with network suits trying to beef up — and bring some buzz — to the programming lineup of the lightly watched national cable sports network.

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Survey: Radio “Important" To People

Yesterday Mark Kassof & Co. revealed the ‘bad news’ for radio.  

Their recent survey indicated that 53% of their respondents indicated radio was ‘not as good’ as it was. (See original posting, Click Here.)

Today, Kassof provide the ‘good news’:  70 percent indicated radio is ‘important’ to them.

Kassof says one of radio’s problems is that too many in the business don’t recognize the power of their medium. 

The survey was based on 989 online interviews with 18-64 U.S. radio listeners, conducted from September 12-15th. The focus of this research is to explore the role of radio in listeners’ lives from many angles — one of them, radio’s importance.

Bottom line: More than two-thirds agree that radio is an important part of their lives.  And Kassof sees only small differences between demographic groups… 35-44′s and (45-54′s would miss radio most if it was gone.

However, 18-24′s would miss it least.  But even among 18-24′s, the majority (58%) agree that something important would be missing without radio. Among 35-54′s, three-fourths agree.

Official: Michael Savage Moving Into Hannity Slot

Fulfilling a prediction he made last month (See original posting, Click Here), top-rated radio host Michael Savage told his listeners Wednesday night  he will take over the prime afternoon-drive slot on Cumulus Media stations in January.

Opening his show with the announcement, Savage called it “the biggest shake-up in talk radio history.”

The 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern slot on Cumulus N/T stations is currently held by Sean Hannity, who has ended his relationship with the network.

Savage said he expects immediately to have five to six times as many listeners, as he does now.

He asked rhetorically, “Will this change of Michael Savage going to drive time change the course of the next election?”  Savage said that not even tea-party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has a mantra like “borders, language, culture,” and those themes are what he expects to emphasize leading up to the next election and beyond.

“The Savage Nation” is now heard from 9 p.m. to midnight Eastern.

Among the stations that’ll air Savage’s show live are WABC 770 AM New York; WLS 890 AM Chicago; KSFO 560 AM San Francisco; WBAP 820 AM Dallas; WMAL 630 AM Washington; and WJR 760 AM Detroit.

Detroit Radio: Rock HOFer Steve Kostan OUT At WCSX

Steve Kostan

Steve Kostan, longtime Classic Rock WCSX- 94.7 FM on-air personality, says he was told Monday that his contract with the Greater Media-owned station, which expires Oct. 1, would not be renewed.

According to The Detroit News, Kostan’s last show was his usual 7 p.m. to midnight shift last Friday night. He had been at WCSX for 18 years, “almost to the day.”

“This isn’t completely out of the blue,” Kostan said. He’s watched as radio stations have been slicing their staffs down to nothing, particularly at night, and replacing local legends with cheaper, syndicated fare, or in some cases, younger, cheaper talent.

“We have not renewed Steve’s contract,” confirmed Greater Media spokeswoman Heidi Raphael in an email to The Detroit News. “We are going in a different direction. We are very grateful to Steve for the contributions he made to the station over the years. Dave Dahmer will be filling in until a replacement is named.”

The veteran jock doesn’t intend to retire. Although the conventional radio landscape has changed, he said he believes there’s still room for a Steve Kostan in some form of radio.

Kostan started out at the legendary WABX-FM, where he was dubbed “the Kid.” A musician himself, he has long-championed local Detroit music and played it more often than most Detroit radio hosts, including on several Sunday night local music shows over the years. Most recently, Kostan was able to stretch out and play more local Detroit music on WCSX’s HD radio channel.

Alone among his peers, Kostan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

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Portland Radio: The Bull Surprises Shoppers With $100 Bills

The culprit behind the mysterious $100 bills appearing in egg cartons, candles and the groceries of unsuspecting shoppers has stepped forward.

According to statesmanjournal.com,  the random bills are the work of the team behind KUPL 98.7 FM The Bull, a country music radio station out of Portland. The station’s Cash Cow is a contest, launched Sept. 23, that gives listeners the chance to win up to $1,000.

While they can’t claim credit for every single bill that’s appeared, the station’s music director, who identified himself only as B-Dub, confirmed the team has been out laying bills in “various locations across the Northwest.”

B-Dub said the station hasn’t communicated at all with any of the store managers or owners where the bills have been found.  One merchant says seven customers have reported finding the bills in their groceries within the past few weeks.

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Sac Radio: Groups Plan To Challenge KDND License

Two media watchdogs Wednesday said they’re going to file with the FCC a petition to deny Entercom a license for its KDND 107.9 FM in Sacramento.

In announcning their intentions Wednesday, they asked, “should a radio station that killed woman remain licensed to broadcast?” 

The woman in question is Jennifer Strange, who participated in a “Hold Your Wee for A Wii” promotion in 2007 that claimed her life. Reports indicated she consumer two gallons of water during the content and died within hours.  He family was awarded a $16M dollar judgment, which was covered by Entercom’s insurance policy.

On Wednesday, the groups say they intend to “personally deliver the legal documents” to the FCC’s October 22 open meeting.

Entercom’s Kevin Geary issued a statement “The events in 2007 were tragic. Our thoughts remain with the family. We will respond to any petition filed with the FCC at the appropriate time.”

The groups posted the following video on its website, saying the but the FCC has still taken no action against Entercom.

Philly Radio: CBS Radio Raises $880K+ During One Week Efforts

Ross Brittain (right) & The WOGL Breakfast Club

CBS Radio Philadelphia's WOGL 98.1 FM and WIP 94.1 FM hosted Radiothons this month that raised more than $845,428 for two very important and worthy causes in the Delaware Valley, benefiting children from all walks of life. 

Additionally, WOGL-FM, WIP-FM, CBS Sports Radio 610, WPHT 1210 AM, and KYW 1060 AM raised over $42,825 for the Travis Manion Foundation through multiple 9/11 Heroes Runs making the grand total of charitable donations over $888,000 for CBS Radio Philadelphia in just one week.

The WOGL 98.1 FM Loves Our Kids Radiothon raised $662,428.33  in two days for The Children's Miracle Network (CMN) at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  In the past twelve years, 98.1 WOGL has raised $6,247,185.33 for Children's Hospital.

The 94WIP Eagles Youth Partnership Radiothon raised over $183,000 in two days.  All donations raised benefit Eagles Youth Partnership.  This was the 13th year of the Eagles Radiothon.

"We get to see first-hand the impact our radio stations have on the community," said Marc Rayfield, Senior Vice President/Market Manager CBS Radio-Philadelphia.  "We are local business operators who feel it's our duty to support fine organizations like CHOP, Eagles Youth Partnership and the Travis Manion Foundation. Like many, our families have been the beneficiaries of the services they provide, and we are very fortunate to have them in our back yard."

The 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon aired Thursday, September 4th and Friday, September 5th on WOGL-FM.  Donations were taken by phone, on line and in person. 

The Radiothon was broadcast live from the Ryan Seacrest's "The Voice" studios located in the Colket Atrium at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  The 94WIP Eagles Youth Partnership Radiothon aired Tuesday, September 3rd and Wednesday, September 4th live from WIP's studios. The Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Runs were held locally on September 7th, 8th and 15th at multiple locations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

AEG Closing: MJ 'Bad', Not Us

AEG Live's lawyer asked a jury to find Michael Jackson responsible for his death, not the concert promoter.

According to CNN, Attorney Marvin Putnam spent four hours Wednesday deliver his closing arguments in the trial of the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Jackson's mother and three children.

"Plaintiffs want you to hold a concert promoter liable for Michael Jackson's overdose in his bedroom at night, behind locked doors on June 25, 2009," Putnam told jurors. "An overdose of the drug administered to Mr. Jackson by his longtime doctor -- Dr. Murray -- who he'd been seeing for years, a doctor he brought to Los Angeles from Las Vegas."

When the trial began five months ago, Putnam warned he would show "ugly stuff" and reveal Jackson's "deepest, darkest secret."

The revelations that jurors heard from 58 witnesses over 83 days of testimony spanning 21 weeks included details of Jackson's drug use and his shopping for a doctor to give him the surgical anesthetic propofol that he thought would give him sleep.

"He was nearly half a billion dollars in debt," Putnam argued Wednesday. "His mother's house was near foreclosure, we didn't know that then. What else do we know now? That Mr. Jackson spent decades shopping for doctors to give him the painkillers he wanted. Mr. Jackson made sure we didn't know that."

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Ross On Radio: “The End Of ‘Us’ And ‘Them’

From Sean Ross On Radio, Billboard:

 It was a question that the industry could have asked at any time in the last five years. Instead, it finally came in a study presented by my Edison Research colleagues on the panel "What's Working at Work" at the National Assn. of Broadcasters/Radio Advertising Bureau Radio Show. 

Out of more than 1,000 full- and part-time workers who were surveyed, 28% listened to some form of Internet-only radio (as opposed to AM/FM broadcast radio, whether streamed or over-the-air) at work. Those listeners were asked where their time with Internet-only radio at work was coming from. 

For years, many broadcasters have contended that time spent with Pandora, Spotify and the like was mostly replacing time spent with a listener's own music collection. And indeed, 28% of respondents said that was the case. Twenty-two percent of respondents said that their listening to Internet radio was "new time" that took away from neither broadcast radio nor their own collections. But 50% of those surveyed said that their time spent listening to Internet radio was "mostly replacing time spent with AM/FM radio." 

In other words, 14% of the workforce are consuming Internet radio and listening to broadcast radio less as a result. It’s not the bloodbath that radio's detractors—industry or civilian—portray it as. Internet radio evangelists often believe wrongly that their friends and family represent the entire world. But it’s also not hearing that AM/FM radio has to lose—especially in tandem with the quarter-hours appropriated by satellite radio or TV. 65% of the workforce listened to any radio at work when Edison first surveyed it in 1997. That number is now 49%.

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Survey Shows Why Some Adults Don’t Use iNet

As of May 2013, 15% of American adults ages 18 and older do not use the internet or email, according to Pew Reseach.

Asked why they do not use the internet:

One of the strongest patterns in the data on internet use is by age group: 44% of Americans ages 65 and older do not use the internet, and these older Americans make up almost half (49%) of non-internet users overall.

Though they themselves do not go online, these self-described non-internet users often report that the internet touches their lives: 

• 44% of offline adults have asked a friend or family member to look something up or complete a task on the internet for them.
• 23% of offline adults live in a household where someone else uses the internet at home, a proportion that has remained relatively steady for over a decade.
• 14% of offline adults say that they once used to use the internet, but have since stopped for some reason.

Overall, most adults who do not use the internet or email do not express a strong desire to go online in the future: just 8% of offline adults say they would like to start using the internet or email, while 92% say they are not interested.

Goldman Sachs Explains Millennial As Shoppers

Goldman Sachs sent a report to clients Wednesday called “Millennials: Coming of Age in Retail,” according to BuzzFeed. The report describsthe generation’s “strikingly unique economic, technological, and behavioral characteristics” and how those impact brands.

Millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, are poised to increase apparel spending by 20% in the next five years, while that’s expected to drop for Generation X and Baby Boomers, analysts led by Lindsay Drucker Mann wrote.

Among findings in the report:  Millennials are more inclined to convey opinions on brands.

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Jeff Bezos: ‘Someday’ WaPo Might not Print

Someday,” The Washington Post may not have a print edition, Jeff Bezos told NBC News’ Kate Snow. “It could be decades,”

The Washington Post’s soon-to-be owner said,  “I think printed newspapers on actual paper may be a luxury item,” Bezos said. “It’s sort of like, you know, people still have horses, but it’s not their primary way of commuting to the office.”

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

USA Today Explores Website Paywall

USA Today is considering putting up a pay wall and charging visitors to its website, according to the NY Post.

“We’re going to look at it,” Larry Kramer, president and publisher, said in a interview after his appearance at an Advertising Week panel on Wednesday.

Among the big three national newspapers, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times both have profitable pay walls erected around their digital offerings.

USA Today has resisted the move, even though all the other 81 daily papers in the Gannett chain have erected some form of paid access.

“People are exploring it,” Kramer said. “The question is, if we do it, what is the best way to do it.”

Kramer made his remarks just days before the steepest newsstand hike in the paper’s history is slated to go into effect on Sept. 30, when the single-copy price will rise to $2 from $1.

Circulation revenue at USA Today fell 12 percent in the most recent quarter ending in June 30. Kramer conceded total circulation will fall with the price hike but believes the shortfall in copies sold will be more than offset by the increased revenue per copy.

USA Today, with total circulation of 1,674,306 including print and digital editions, is the third largest daily in the country, after losing its longtime number one slot to the Journal in 2009.

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Chicago Radio: Sad News For The Drive's Carla Leonardo

Carla Leonardo

Last summer, Carla Leonardo, the popular weekend host at WDRV-97.1 FM The Drive, had to take a personal leave of absence from the station to deal with a health issue. That issue was her battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

According to Chicago Radio&Media, Carla Leonardo had some heartbreaking news to share Wednesday...

On her Facebook page, Carla Leonardo said: "Well, friends, this is a post I'd hoped to never write. The Acute Meloid Leukemia is back, which means more chemo, followed by a bone marrow transplant. Yeah, not gonna rock on 97.1 The Drive for awhile."

Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of the myeloid blood cells within bone marrow. This causes the bone marrow to no longer create healthy red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells.

Leonardo has asked that those who wish to help her, and others like her, to visit BeTheMatch.org. There one can learn about the simple ways to donate bone marrow or umbilical cord blood.

Carla Leonardo's slightly raspy, but always cheerful voice has been warming the hearts and ears of classic rock fans on The Drive for well over a decade. She has been with WDRV-FM since 2001, working mainly as a weekend and fill-in personality.

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TV Ratings: CBS and NBC Lead Opening Tuesday

Two networks dominated this opening Tuesday of 2013-14, CBS and NBC.

The returns of “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Person of Interest” led the Eye to victory in total viewers, while two more hours of “The Voice” ignited NBC demographically.

According to Marc Berman at Media Insights, the highly anticipated ABC drama “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” opened with 11.89 million viewers; A18-49: 4.6 rating/14 share, according to the fast affiliate results from Nielsen), and proved that three very different series – “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “NCIS” and “The Voice” – can successfully co-exist in a time period.

Out of “S.H.I.E.L.D.,” new ABC sitcom “The Goldbergs” was sampled, but the launch of “Trophy Wife” slid by double-digit percentages at 9:30 p.m. and new alphabet net drama “Lucky 7” was DOA at 4.57 million viewers and a 1.3 rating/4 share among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. According to Berman, most new series drop in the vicinity of 10 to 20 percent in week two.

Given the severity of the competition, the pickings were slim for competing Fox, which saw week two of new sitcoms “Dads” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” lose double-digit steam.

For the overall results by network and by each individual half-hour: Click Here.

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Pittman Sez Radio Is Under-Represented In Ad Buys

Bob Pittman

The radio industry still has much upside when it comes to better monetizing its advertising inventory, Clear Channel chairman and CEO Bob Pittman said on Wednesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"The sector is way under-represented," while TV is over-represented in marketers' media mix, the head of the radio and outdoor giant told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference in New York. "TV is wonderful, is very effective, [but] doesn't deserve quite as much money as it has." People don't use TV instead of radio.

Pittman said that TV spots draw three times the ad rates of radio spots, even though "all the studies show the impact is about the same." He cited the benefits marketers would see from, for example, moving 15 percent of their TV ad spend to radio.

Pittman also said that radio remains the biggest mass medium in the U.S., while it continues to expand online and on mobile platforms. Radio has got "all the trends at its back," he said. "Radio is America's companion for all demographics." Radio's reach has been remarkably stable since 1970s, he added.

Addressing competition from digital music service Pandora, Pittman said that "all of their stations together don't even make the top 10 in New York." And he argued that the consumption of radio and people's music collections are not cannibalistic, as studies show people use them at different times.

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On-Demand: The Connected Car..The Smartphone On Wheels

Now available On-Demand is one of the most-attended sessions at last week's Radio Show in Orlando.
The Connected Car session created quite a buzz at the NAB/RAB co-sponsored event.

SEE ORIGINAL POSTING: Click Here.

Watch the future now!



SEE OTHER ON-DEMAND SESSIONS: Click Here

Study: Majority Now Listening OnLine

The Streaming Audio Task Force, comprising Pandora, Spotify and TuneIn, engaged Edison Research to survey over 3,000 online respondents ages 12+ to ascertain their media usage and habits, and the results indicated that for the first time in history, Internet radio is used by the majority of online Americans (53%). In addition, the total time spent with audio is clearly expanding as people are now enjoying more audio from more devices in more places.

The study, entitled The New Mainstream: 2013, was presented at a special event collocated with Advertising Week in New York City on September 24th, where Edison’s President, Larry Rosin, unveiled the results of the study and moderated a panel of executives from all three Streaming Audio Task Force participants.

Other principal findings of the study included the following:

• Internet radio is the third most popular way that people discover new music, ahead of Amazon, YouTube, Social Media and other sources.
• 63% of Internet radio listeners own a smartphone–and 83% of smartphone owners listen to some kind of Internet radio on their mobile devices.
• 32% of Internet radio listeners indicated that they are listening to “a lot” more of the medium than they were one year ago
• 26% of Internet Radio users tell us that their listening is mostly ‘new time’ – time not previously filled with audio of any kind

"The data clearly shows that Internet radio is not only a mainstream activity for the majority of online Americans, it’s also essentially expanding the pie for audio media," noted Rosin. 

‘No New TV Viewers or Newspaper Subscribers Are Being Born’

Speaking at a NewsCred conference last week, BuzzFeedPresident Jon Steinberg talked about his theory that content, and the ways it is distributed, will be “completely decoupled, I would say, in the next five years,” according to poynter.org.

Poynter also notes Pew has consistently found that the audience for news on TV and print has aged, and a recent report claimed that “by 2015, almost half of all television viewing will be done by folks over the age of 50.”

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Pandora Expects ‘Modest’ Impact From iTunes Radio

Pandora Media Inc. expects to see a “modest” impact from Apple Inc. new iTunes Radio, according to Tim Westergren, who founded the leading Web music service, according to Bloomberg.

Half of Pandora users listen on devices other than those from Apple, which makes the iPhone and iPad, Westergren told investors today at a conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in New York.

“We believe iTunes Radio will have a modest impact,” Westergren said, without providing specifics.

The company has been tested by larger competitors, Westergren said, citing iHeartRadio from broadcaster Clear Channel Communications Inc. (CCMO)

“They launched with a huge marketing budget and no commercials, and Pandora’s market share only continued to grow,” Westergren said.

Westergren also said Pandora stands to benefit from recent Web radio agreements, including Apple’s iTunes Radio deal, with the record industry that have secured slightly lower content rates than what it pays.

Pandora paid $164.7 million for music and other content during the six months ended July 31, which accounted for 58 percent of revenue. A year earlier, music costs totaled 64 percent of sales.

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Buffalo Radio: Entercom Ending WBEN AM/FM Simulcast

As of noon Thursday, Entercom is planning to end its current simulcast of N/T WBEN 930 AM on WLKK 107.7 FM.   The WLKK transmitter is located southeast of Buffalo and apparently is not pulling the numbers Entercom expected.

According to WBEN/WGR/WWKB Operations Manager Tim Wenger 95% of listening to WBEN is happening on the 930 AM signal, Entercom is making the change to allow for a yet-to-be announced radio option on FM 107.7.  

According to Wenger, "While I'm certainly aware many people added the FM signal to their daily routine, the vast majority of you who enjoy WBEN continue to do so on the 930 AM signal. In reality I know many are disappointed and upset about the decision as you used the FM signal when you were commuting outside of our regular 930 am coverage area.

WLKK 107.7 FM 54dBU Coverage

Wenger, in a website message to listeners, added 'I understand that concern and would encourage you to make use of our other transmission assets that may help fill any voids.  I myself use the WBEN iPhone app regularly to listen to WBEN when I'm traveling outside of the Buffalo metro area or simply am in a spot where the signal may be marginal.  The reality today is that you can hear WBEN anywhere in the world with the technology we have at our disposal.'

Although the simulcast pulled a combined 10.2 share 6+ in the spring Arbitron. Management has expressed confidence that nearly all FM listeners would migrate back to 930 AM.

WBEN’s format will continue to be supported by a simulcast on WTSS 102.5 FM HD2.

The change leaves only two N/T AM/FM simulcasts in upstate New York..WSYR Suracuse and WGY Albany.