Saturday, October 19, 2013
Saturday Aircheck: Dan Ingram WABC 20th Anniversary Show
Big Dan from July 1981 on 77 WABC. Lots of clips from his time at WABC.
Friday, October 18, 2013
NYC Radio: CC's WOR To Acquire Rights For MLB's Mets
MLB sources said the team has reached an agreement in principle with Clear Channel Media, owner of WOR 710 AM, on a multi-year package. An announcement of the deal could come next week.
Clear Channel will have the right to select the announcers. Sources said the only decision already made on that front is to bring Howie Rose, the veteran play-by-play voice, back to the booth.
Sources indicated the Mets were able to obtain more that the $7 million per year they were getting in their deal with WFAN.
The Mets, whose contract with WFAN ended at the end of this season, became a radio free agent when CBS,which owns FAN, cut a 10-year deal with the Yankees.
Clear Channel owns the rights to the baseball radio rights to the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians and the Houston Radio.
Read More Now
Report: All-Digital AM Tests Called ‘Promising’
Positive results reported from all-digital AM tests of
50,000-watt blowtorch signal, according to InsideRadio.
Early results from the first-ever significant tests of all-digital AM
broadcasting on a class A station produced “remarkably robust” reception,
according to an engineer involved in the
trials.
The tests were conducted on Greater Media’s news/talk WBT1110 AM in Charlotte ,
and focused on mobile and skywave signal reception. NAB Labs and iBiquity have
been working with broadcasters to test all-digital AM transmission on different station classes.
The most recent trials, which took place from 1am-5am on
August 17 and August
18 on WBT’s 50,000-watt clear channel signal, follow earlier
tests on a class B and an expanded band AM.
The tradeoff for going all-digital on AM is millions of
analog receivers would become obsolete. But CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason sees an
analog AM sunset as a viable solution, providing there is a long-term
transition plan, similar to TV’s seven-year digital conversion.
Clear Channel Adds Muscle To Its Lobbying Efforts
Clear Channel wants to dive even deeper into the political
game. The company has hired seasoned political operatives Will Leaverton and
Brice Kornegay. Both have been named vice presidents of political strategy.
According to the San Antonio Business Journal, Leaverton and
Kornegay will report directly to Nathan Daschle, executive vice president of
political strategy for Clear Channel, and will be based out of Washington , D.C.
The new hires will develop and execute “Go To Market”
strategies for various outlets in the political marketplace, utilizing Clear
Channel Media and Entertainment’s local and national on air, digital, mobile,
live event and outdoor assets.
Clear Channel established its political strategy team back
in June. The relatively new company initiative focuses on political and issue
advertisers and agencies, giving those clients access to Clear Channel’s 840
radio stations, its iHeartRadio digital platform and a network of more than
125,000 outdoor displays.
D/FW Radio: Salem's KSKY To Add Sean Hannity To Line-Up
Salem Communications Corporation announced today that
national talk radio star Sean Hannity will be joining its NewsTalk station in
Dallas, KSKY 660 AM The Answer, effective January 1st, 2014.
Hannity will be aired live from 2pm to 5pm CT.
Hannity will be aired live from 2pm to 5pm CT.
Hannity is the 2nd most listened to radio talk show host in America ,
heard daily on over 500 stations. He is also host of his own TV program seen
nightly at 10pm ET on the Fox News Channel. Hannity launched his nationally
syndicated radio show from WABC in New
York the day before 9/11 on about 50 stations, and
soon became the fastest growing nationally syndicated talk show in history.
"After 5 years I am finally re-joined with the monster
I helped create," said Salem Communications VP Director, Spoken Word
Format Phil Boyce. Boyce hired Hannity when he was the program director of WABC
in 1996, moved him into afternoon drive in 1998, and spearheaded his national
launch in 2001, before leaving WABC in 2008.
"When the opportunity arose to place Sean on one of our
top NewsTalk stations in Dallas ,
I had to ask the question 'are you kidding me?' 660 AM The Answer Dallas has
already substantially benefited from hiring the highly popular Mark Davis from
WBAP and Jon David Wells from KLIF. We anticipate continued strong audience
growth as we have experienced over the last year with the addition of Hannity
to our excellent line up of local and national hosts."
"This is going to be one of the best lineups in all of
talkradio, with Bill Bennett early mornings, Mark Davis 7 to 10am, Mike
Gallagher 10am to Noon, Dennis Prager Noon to 2pm, Hannity 2 to 5pm, and
Michael Medved 5 to 8pm," said Boyce. Jon David Wells, who has been
holding down the fort in the 2 to 5pm slot, will move to 8pm. "Jon David
has done a great job for us and I am delighted he will be staying with the
station."
Filmmaker Sues Sony Over Beatles ‘Lost Concert’
Sony blocked a documentary filmmaker from using footage of
the Beatles' first U.S.
concert by falsely claiming ownership of the 35-minute tape at the 11th hour,
the filmmaker claims in a $100 million lawsuit.
According to Courthouse News Service, Ace Arts sued Sony/ATV
Music Publishing and Apple Corps Ltd. in Federal Court.
Ace says it planned to distribute its film, "The
Beatles: The Lost Concert," about the band's impact in America "from the vantage point of the
group's first United States
concert" in Washington ,
D.C.
Ace claims: "The company that funded, taped, and
exhibited the D.C. Concert allowed to film of the concert (the 'Tape') to be
transferred without copyright protection. No copyright was ever filed on the
performances recorded on the tape or the tape itself."
Parts of the 35-minute tape are included in the 86-minute
documentary.
But Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "to curry favor with
defendant Apple (Corps Limited), asserted spurious copyright infringement
threats with respect to a public domain tape of the D.C. concert included in
the documentary," the filmmaker claims.
Ace, a New York City-based filmmaker, says it contracted
with more than 500 theaters across the country, sold tickets and promoted the
documentary, which was to debut at the Ziegfeld Theater on May 6, 2011. It
spent more than $1 million producing the documentary, and hoped for a box
office draw of more than $50 million.
But "at the eleventh hour, before the early May
premier, Sony/ATV, at the insistence of, and in conspiracy with, Apple Corps,
wrongly interfered with the distribution contract by making false statements
directly to Screenvision (and likely others) concerning Ace's legal right to
exhibit the documentary," the lawsuit states.
Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment
Thursday. Sony/ATV claims copyrights to
eight songs and four cover versions of songs written by other musicians.
Report: Majority Of Americans Now Own Smartphone
For the first time since the Pew Research
Center
- 55% of cell phone owners say that their phone is a smartphone.
- 58% of cell phone owners say that their phone operates on a
smartphone platform common to the
Chicago Radio: WGN Wants Reduced Price To Carry Cubs
If the Cubs want to continue their long relationship with
WGN-AM 720, dating back to 1925, they likely will have to do it at a reduced
price, according to Ed Sherman at The Chicago Tribune.
Strapped with an expensive rights deal and sharply declining
ratings because of the Cubs' struggles on the field, WGN is exercising an
option to re-open their contract with the team.
Broadcast sources say WGN is losing significant money on the
Cubs broadcasts, with listeners and advertisers tuning out a team that has lost
197 games in the last two years.
Cubs games still will air on the station in 2014, but beyond
that, the two sides will have to agree on a new deal.
WGN-AM President Jimmy de Castro declined to discuss any of
the specifics of the situation. However, he stressed several times that he
hopes the Cubs continue to be on WGN.
"Like any contract, there are periods where you do a
business analysis," de Castro said. "Both the Cubs and WGN are
looking at it. We love our partnership and we hope it continues forever. The
contract calls for us to take a look at it and we're going to do that."
In other words: Forever will end abruptly if the money isn't
right for WGN.
Broadcast insiders say the current contract calls for WGN to
pay as much as $10 million per year to Cubs ("Maybe more," said one
source), making it one of the most expensive in Major League Baseball.
The Yankees recently signed a deal with WFAN in New York , calling for an
annual payout estimated in the $15-20 million range.
St. Louis Radio: Pujols' Rejects Polygraph Offer
 |
| Pujols, Clark |
An attorney for former Cardinals star Albert Pujols, who is
suing former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark for defamation, said it was “an
absurd publicity ploy” for Clark ’s attorney to
suggest both men take lie-detector tests rather than resort to litigation.
According to stltoday.com, Martin Singer, an attorney in Los Angeles , where Pujols now plays for the Angels, wrote
that his client would be willing to testify under oath about Clark ’s
claims that Pujols used steroids.
“Sworn testimony under penalty of perjury — not inadmissible
polygraphs and absurd publicity ploys — is what counts,” Singer wrote.
The statement was a response to an offer made Monday in a
letter from Clark ’s attorney to Pujols’ legal
team. Clark ’s attorney Al Watkins proposed
settling the lawsuit by both sides submitting to polygraph tests.
Clark was sued by Pujols on Oct. 4 in St.
Louis County over
comments Clark made in early August during
“The King and The Ripper” sports talk program on WGNU 920 AM. Clark
said on-air he knew for a fact that Pujols “was a juicer.” He also claimed that
former Pujols trainer Chris Mihlfeld confided in him about shooting up Pujols
with performance-enhancing drugs in 2000. Mihlfeld has denied saying that to Clark . The radio show was canceled. The company that
produced the show, insideSTL, issued a lengthy retraction and apology.
The Savage Call
In what has been termed a radio pep call, Michael Savage
yesterday was introduced by Cumulus CEO John Dickey, to affiliates and
prospective new affiliates.
Savage like the conference call introduction so much, he aired it on his
Thursday show.
Dickey heaped praise on the veteran talker as the company
introduced the talker to PD's all over the country in anticipation of his
January 1 move to afternoon drive. Dickey said Savage ““There’s a fine
line between intellectual genius and crazines and he walks that line
wonderfully.” Dickey addedSavage “is a
great storyteller…we forget that we are in the business of theater of the mind,
getting people to spend more time with us” by telling stories that connect with
the listener.
The Savage move comes on the heels of Cumulus and Sean Hannity parting ways. See original posting, Click Here.
The Savage move comes on the heels of Cumulus and Sean Hannity parting ways. See original posting, Click Here.
AccuWeather Offers Service To Spanish Language Stations
Sun Broadcast Group, Inc. announced Thursday that it has
entered into a sales and syndication agreement with AccuWeather, Inc. to
provide a branded weather reporting service to Spanish language radio stations.
Along with affiliating and distributing the hourly reports,
Sun’s Spanish language division, Sun Latino, will handle ad sales and
sponsorships.
“When we formed Sun Latino we aimed to become the #1 network
for information”, said Jason Bailey, Sun Broadcast Group CEO. “With AccuWeather
en Español joining our lineup of Fox Deportes and CNN en Español, we’ve clearly
accomplished that goal. Stations and advertisers alike now have just one
network to call that provides the trusted brands that inform their audience.”
AccuWeather en Español will be offered to affiliates as
fully customized daily weather reports with the power of the complete
AccuWeather team by their side. Stations will receive local updates voiced by
AccuWeather reporters 7 days a week as well as breaking weather reports as
conditions warrant. AccuWeather en Español is the only weather product to be
offered by a major source to the fast growing Spanish language radio community.
"This milestone marks a new chapter in the growth of
our business as the leading provider of weather forecasts to the Spanish
language radio community" said Evan Myers, Chief Operating Officer at
AccuWeather. "We have a commitment to superior accuracy and delivering
high-quality weather forecasts that customers depend on daily."
Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo Launches Today On SiriusXM
Sirius XM Radio announced today’s launch of “El Show de
Piolin,” hosted by Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo.
For Piolin’s first show, confirmed guests include international
singer/songwriter Enrique Iglesias, acclaimed actresses Angelica Vale, Angelica
Maria and Kate del Castillo, and Banda El Recodo.
“El Show de Piolin” features Piolin’s take on the day’s
events, interviews with celebrities, listener call-ins, pranks, music and
beloved characters “Dona Chela,” “Casimiro” and “Don Poncho.” Broadcasting from
the SiriusXM studios in Los Angeles ,
Piolin is the first Latin radio personality to host his own Spanish-language
show and channel exclusively on SiriusXM.
The live, four-hour morning show airs Monday through Friday 6:00 am –
10:00 am PDT reaching listeners across the country and will replay multiple
times throughout the day on Piolin Radio channel 147.
Listeners coast-to-coast can listen to “El Show de Piolin”
on SiriusXM Piolin Radio channel 147, along with a special line-up of exclusive
Spanish and English-language commercial-free music channels and sports, news,
talk and entertainment channels, through SiriusXM Espanol, the $5.99 monthly
satellite subscription offer. Fans can
listen free through the “Piolin y mas,” the complimentary trial running through
February 15, 2014, giving listeners access to “El Show de Piolin” via the
SiriusXM Internet App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as
online.
The programming package for the low-cost subscription offer
and the limited-time, free online offer both include more than 50 specially
selected English and Spanish language.
Disney/ABC Explores Sale Of Local TV Stations
UPDATE 10/19/2013 8AM: Walt Disney is not now trying to sell
its local ABC television stations, sources have told FOX Business.
The Burbank, Calif.-based media conglomerate was said to be
considering a sale of the broadcast stations back in 2010, when it sold two
smaller market stations in Flint , Mich. , and Toledo ,
Ohio
10/18 Posting....
Walt Disney Co. is looking to hire an investment bank to explore a possible sale of its eight owned and operated television stations, a move that could reap billions, The NY Post has learned.
Disney’s ABC-affiliated stations are in larger markets,
including New York , Los
Angeles and Chicago ,
and reach roughly 23 percent of US TV households.
The is not the first time Disney has flirted with selling
its broadcast group, and sources cautioned that the media giant is still
mulling the idea and may decide against it.
Disney isn’t considering a sale of the ABC network,
according to sources.
Disney CEO Bob Iger is interested in what the broadcast
business could fetch now that station valuations are much higher than when the
company last explored a sale in 2010.
In July, Tribune paid $2.73 billion for 19 stations owned by
Local TV, while Sinclair paid $985 million for seven Allbritton-owned stations.
Earlier, Gannett bought Belo and its 20 stations for $1.5 billion.
There has been a wave of consolidation as companies buy up
TV stations to reap the rising “retransmission” fees cable companies and other
distributors cough up for the right to carry broadcast signals.
The more stations a company owns, the more leverage it has
when it enters negotiations with pay-TV providers such as Comcast and Time
Warner Cable.
Radio: Follow the Rules, If You Interview Britney
Britney will grant you three questions, which she may not
answer, according to The NY Daily News.
Pop star Britney Spears recently ended a radio blitz
promoting her Las Vegas
residency, which starts in December, and her handlers are leaving nothing to
chance.
Spears recently did a spree of radio spots, with the stations
told that their five-minute interviews could discuss only Brit-Brit’s Vegas
show, her new single and her “Britney Jean” album. Just in case there were any
doubts about the rules, stations are being informed that these orders are “so
everyone is clear — no personal questions and no funny business.”
Radio insiders say efforts to limit Spears’ opportunities to
embarrass herself are doing the complete opposite, even when interviewers stick
to the “assigned parameters.”
Deejays Roula and Ryan from Houston ’s 104.1 KRBE recently had their taped
segment pulled when it turned out to be an absolute disaster.
“We thought we could make something out of the ‘rules’
dictated before the interview, but as we commenced the interview, we quickly
realized this was a one-sided conversation,” said Roula. “That is not
entertaining to our audience.”
Spears’ reps argue the info they provided was not a mandate,
but rather an aid to make the radio spots move along smoothly.
Obama Hits Radio 'Talking Heads' Who 'Profit From Conflict'
"How business is done in this town has to change,"
Obama said during a press conference. "Now that the government is reopened
and this threat to our economy is removed, all of us need to stop focusing on
the lobbyists and the bloggers and the talking heads on radio and the
professional activists who profit from conflict, and focus on what the majority
of Americans sent us here to do — and that's grow this economy."
"There's a lot of noise out there, and the pressure
from the extremes affect how a lot of members of Congress see the day-to-day
work that's supposed to be done here," he said.
Media Shapes Views of Low-Information Voters
A funny television feature by Dan Joseph on MRCTV prompted
Janice Shaw Crouse of The American Thinker to question how public opinion could
possibly be so distorted these days.
In man-on-the-street interviews, the reporter asked numerous
people whether President Obama or President Bush was responsible for the government
shutdown. A hilarious succession of people solemnly declared that President
Bush is the one responsible. According to Crouse, while the interviews are
laughable, the problem of "low-information voters" is not funny at
all. A republic whose educational and cultural institutions produce voters that
are ill informed cannot hope to arrive at good civic decisions.
Evidence that the public is not well-informed abounds.
According to the Pew Research Center's biennial survey, television is still the
public's top news source (69 percent) and the public still believes that
journalists are the ones who make sense of issues and conflicts (54 percent)
and that the press is a "watchdog" preventing political leaders from
misleading the public (43 percent).
Yet,writes Crouse, a fawning New
York City reporter, WABC's Diana Williams, interviewed
President Obama, asking him if he felt any responsibility for the government
shutdown.
Astoundingly, the president accepted absolutely no
responsibility whatsoever, calling the standoff purely a result of the "bad
strategy" of the GOP, aimed at "blindsiding" the Democrats and
"extracting ransom."
Crouse opines that the reporter left unchallenged Obama's
self-serving statements that painted him as "above the fray" and
totally innocent of any involvement in the political crisis. Despite a mountain
of evidence to the contrary, the president claimed that he had a "track
record of consistently seeking compromise," to the point that members of
his party "were critical of him," but that he "always does what
is best for the country." The reporter summed up the interview by calling
him "calm, thoughtful and kind." Calm, perhaps. Kind? Crouse wonders,
“What planet has this reporter been living on for the last five years?”
The Catchiest Songs Of All time Are…
 |
| Kylie Minogue |
And, according to the Daily Mail, yesterday it emerged Kylie Minogue’s
aptly-titled Can’t Get You Out Of My Head has acquired the title of catchiest
song of all time in a poll which saw a string of celebrities nominate their
favorites. The British celebs nominated tunes they still found themselves humming along to hours after
listening to them.
Scientists hope the findings will help future research into
Alzheimer’s disease, allowing them to use the catchiest musical fragments to
trigger memories.
The poll of 700 people was designed to launch the largest
ever experiment into what makes music memorable organized by Manchester Science
Festival.
Minogue’s track was followed closely in second place by
Robin Thicke’s Blurred lines and Daft Punks summer hit Get Lucky.
In fourth place came Abba’s SOS, followed by The Birdie Song
by the Tweets and the Soprano’s theme tune Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3
which was nominated in sixth place.
NYC Radio: CCM+E, Empire State Building To Light Up Halloween
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. has announced with its
partner Clear Channel Media and Entertainment that they will join together to
give New York City and the world a special Halloween Trick and Treat. The
Empire State Building (ESB), the International Icon of the Skyline of New York
City, will synchronize its LED tower lights to Halloween-themed music broadcast
on Clear Channel's powerhouse radio stations WHTZ Z100 and WKTU 103.5 FM at
8:30 p.m. EST, on October 31, 2013.
The skyline spectacular will be choreographed by
internationally-acclaimed lighting designer Marc Brickman to a
Halloween-inspired soundtrack transmitted from atop ESB. The light and music
show will also be featured during the 40(th) anniversary of New York 's Greenwich Village Halloween
Parade.
"Empire State Building and Clear Channel's first-ever
Halloween light show comes on the heels of our premier light show to two songs
by Alicia Keys and our performance in the Macy's July 4(th) fireworks display
finale. For this show, we have a new surprise several months in the making
which will bring even more excitement to New
York City 's skyline, " said Anthony E. Malkin,
Chairman, President and CEO of ESRT. "ESRT and Clear Channel are thrilled
to gift our latest light show performance to our global audience to enjoy and
share."
"We are excited to partner with Empire State Realty
Trust, offering listeners the soundtrack to the Empire State Building's
first-ever Halloween LED tower light show," said Tom Poleman, President of
National Programming Platforms, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment.
"The Empire State
Building is New
York City 's international landmark and what better way to celebrate
this 'All Hallows' Eve' themed light show event than with New York 's top hit music stations Z100 and
103.5 KTU."
Following the live performance, fans around the world can
watch the official video of the entire light show on the Empire State
Building
There’s No News Junkie like A Cable TV News Junkie
CableTV news draws a much smaller share of viewers (38%)
than local TV news (71%) or network TV news (65%).
But when it comes to time spent watching, cableTV beats the
traditional broadcast outlets by a large margin among those who describe
themselves as heavy television viewers, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of
Nielsen data.
The most dedicated cable news viewers average 72 minutes,
more than an hour, of home viewing a day. By contrast, heavy viewers of network
TV news watch almost 32 minutes a day and heavy viewers of local TV news watch
nearly 22 minutes a day.
Viewing time drops off dramatically for the bottom
two-thirds of cable news viewers (those who are “medium” and “light” users).
Those in the middle tier average slightly more than three minutes of viewing
time and those at the bottom catch a glimpse for less than a minute. In those
categories of viewers, network TV news and local TV news fare somewhat better.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
FCC Re-Opens For Business
The government shutdown is over, most FCC staffers are
supposed to be back at their desks, but, according to the Broadcast Law Blog,
not everything is operating as normal yet today.
The Commission has published a notice saying that most
filing deadlines that fall on or before October 21 remain suspended, and
parties with such deadlines should refrain from filing anything with such a
deadline until the FCC issues further guidance. Note that this guidance applies
only to FCC deadlines, not court deadlines or other filing dates that may be
set by law and cannot be waived by the FCC.
If you have an important filing deadline coming up, Broadcast Law Blog
advises to check with counsel as to how this may affect you.
According to BLG, as of 9:45 AM, the FCC's website seems to have returned to
operation, though there have been sporadic problems from time to time during
the course of the morning.
It does appear that routine FCC applications can be filed at
this time. But watch for more
information as it becomes available for the many deadlines to be faced by
broadcasters – including the LPFM window, and the myriad routine filing
deadlines which all came and went while the government was closed.
Report: Ted Cruz Held-Up Tom Wheeler Vote As FCC Chair
 |
| FCC Nominee Tom Wheeler |
A request had been made earlier in the day that the Senate
unanimously confirm Tom Wheeler, the president’s nominee to lead the agency,
and O'Rielly — but Reid never asked for UC on the floor.
Politico cites an industry source as indicating that Sen.
Ted Cruz — who previously expressed concern over Wheeler’s stance on the Disclose Act — was the hold-up on the nominee for chairman.
The earliest the nominees could move forward is Oct. 28,
when the Senate is due back in session. The Senate Committee had been set to
vote earlier this month, but the vote was postponed due to the government
shutdown.
Beyond that, expect a flurry of documents to hit the
agency’s busy electronic comment filing system as the commission comes back
online. It will take some time to sort through them before everything gets back
on-track, especially since filings that were due during the shutdown are due
the first business day after the commission resumes normal operations.
And even outside of filings, there’s likely to be plenty to
catch up on: The Telecommunications Industry Association, for example, wrote to
Hill leaders Wednesday asking them to help swiftly restore the FCC’s website so
tech manufacturers can get new products approved — the site, by the way,
returned just before midnight Wednesday.
Columbia Radio: Personality Cynthia Pryor Hardy Busted
 |
| Cynthia Pryor Hardy |
Cynthia Pryor Hardy, 54, was charged with possession of
marijuana after she was stopped by a metal detector at the entrance to the
fair’s north entrance.
Richland County Sheriff’s deputies found a cigar case
containing a “partially burned blunt and a rolled up blunt” with approximately
2 grams of marijuana.
Hardy was at the fair to tape an independent talk show that
airs on WACH-Fox 57. She was issued a citation and, at the request of fair
officials, escorted off the property.
OnPoint!, Hardy’s weekly TV program on WACH-Fox, airs at
9:30 a.m. each Sunday. Her show also airs on WWDM 101.3 FM The BigDM weekends.
Gonna be LIVE Wed.1pm @wachfox talkin future of Social Security w/ @AARPSC ! Join LIVE audience 12:30 SC STATE FAIR! pic.twitter.com/W5LWVPkQEh
— Cynthia Pryor Hardy (@RadioTalk) October 16, 2013
CCM+E, Black River Entertainment Ink Revenue Sharing Deal
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and Black River
Entertainment, one of Nashville ’s premier independent
labels, today announced an agreement that will allow Black
River ’s artists to share in revenue for airplay on Clear Channel’s
broadcast and digital radio streams.
This includes Clear Channel’s 850 AM/FM stations serving 150
markets, as well as the iHeartRadio digital radio platform.
Black River Entertainment is home to some of today’s most
known country music artists and most promising artists including Glen Templeton
and The John King Band.
Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan has had 11 top 20 hits
including “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” which went to number one and was
the most played song of 2005. Platinum selling singer-songwriter Kellie Pickler
made headlines earlier this year following her win on Season 16 of ABC’s
Dancing With The Stars and has had five Top 20 singles.
Black River Entertainment, which is comprised of Black River
Records, Black River Publishing and Black River Management, also owns two
legendary Nashville studios – Sound Stage and Ronnie’s Place – that have served
as the birthplace for some of America’s best country recordings of the past few
decades.
“Every day at Black River ,
we are focused on finding ways to develop our roster of incredibly talented
artists for a long-term career in country music,” said Gordon Kerr, CEO, Black
River Entertainment. “We are thrilled to enter into this partnership with Clear
Channel and to deliver more for our artists while continuing to bring fans
music they love.”
“Black River has proven its
ability to find, develop and promote an extraordinary set of artists with
outstanding musical talent and a genuine passion for country music,” said Clear
Channel CEO Bob Pittman.
“Clear Channel is delighted to work together with Black River artists, helping lead the way to a sustainable digital music industry that benefits everyone – artists, fans, record labels, and broadcasters.”
“Clear Channel is delighted to work together with Black River artists, helping lead the way to a sustainable digital music industry that benefits everyone – artists, fans, record labels, and broadcasters.”
Indy Radio: Some Wonder If Bob & Tom Remain On Q95
But, according to the Indy Business Journal, overlooked in the latest tussle between the giant radio station consolidators is the awkward fact that "Bob & Tom" originates out of Clear Channel’s Indianapolis rock station WFBQ-FM 94.7.
That has some Indianapolis radio executives wondering if the Bob & Tom Show might move up Interstate 465 to Cumulus’ WJJK-FM 104.5, also a classic-rock station.
Griswold said the show has “enjoyed a tremendous relationship with Premiere Networks and Clear Channel Media ... for many years."
"Cumulus Media stations have always supported the Bob & Tom Show in some of our largest markets,” he said, adding that he looked forward “to continuing to work with Clear Channel stations in the future.”
That "Bob & Tom" already appears on both Clear Channel and Cumulus stations might mean that a move to WJJK isn’t necessary. A Cumulus Networks spokesman in New York noted that the new arrangement is only to handle operational and advertising sales functions.
Read More Now
Sac Radio: Don Geronimo Signs-Off KHTK
Geronimo’s show was pulled off-air October 4 and the station
apparently decided to focus more on sports content.
While, Geronimo will be leaving Sacramento , he would remain with CBS Radio
and relocate soon. He also expressed
gratitude to his listeners and love for the area.
I loved every minute of living in Sacramento for over 3 years and working at KHTK. Now my CBS Radio journey continues. Please stay tuned,THX
— Don Geronimo (@DonGeronimoShow) October 16, 2013
He joined KHTK in 2010 after a hiatus that followed his
departure in 2008 from the syndicated Don and Mike Show.
NYC Radio: Sliwa Interrupts Show To Break-Up Fight
 |
| Curtis Sliwa |
Red beret-wearing Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa broke
up a street fight between two tour guides while live on-air, according to TheNY Post.
His “Curtis Sliwa Show” on WNYM 970 AM The Answer broadcasts
from the window of the Hotel Pennsylvania with a view of Seventh
Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets.
According to his producer, Frank Morano, “A vicious fight
broke out outside between tour guides trying to sell tickets for competing bus
companies . . .
Seeing no one else was poised to intervene, Curtis left our broadcast booth
right before a live read . . . He pulled them apart and returned to talk with our
guests, political analyst Steve Adubato and former Gov. David Paterson.
Piers Morgan Calls Bill O’Reilly ‘A Dick’
CNN host Piers Morgan called Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
"a dick" during an appearance on Howard Stern's SiriusXM radio
program Wednesday.
According to Dylan Byers at Politico, the remark came as
Morgan was relaying a story about a chance meeting with O'Reilly at a New York
Knicks game, during which Morgan asked O'Reilly to come on his show and the Fox
News host acted as if he didn't know who Morgan was.
‘Bangerz’ Debuts At Number One On Billboard
As forecast last week, Miley Cyrus debuts at No. 1 on the
Billboard 200 with her new release "Bangerz," selling 270,000 copies
in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Counting her soundtrack albums as the Disney character
Hannah Montana, this is her fifth No. 1 album. She topped the list with the
Disney Channel TV series' first soundtrack in 2006, as well as its big-screen
film adaptation soundtrack in 2009. Cyrus herself notched No. 1s with the
half-soundtrack/half-studio album "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus"
set in 2007, and then her own "Breakout" studio effort in 2008. Cyrus'
last studio album, 2010's "Can't Be Tamed," debuted and peaked at No.
3 from a 102,000 start.
Mad Dog Russo Confronts SI’s Peter King On 'Redskins'
 |
| Mad Dog Russo |
Meanwhile, there have been protests from Native American
groups, and some news organizations have refused to use the word
"Redskins" when referring to the football team. That includes
TheMMQB.com, a subsidiary of SportsIllustrated.com run by longtime NFL writer
Peter King.
CBS Sports reports during an appearance Tuesday on SiriusXM, host Chris
"Mad Dog" Russo confronted King about the decision.
“Peter, you've been a huge writer for the magazine SI, you
have been around forever now,” Russo said. “You are not a young kid. You have
been at the top of your profession for a long time. The Redskins have had that
name since 1935 -- when we all know their player/coach was a Native American
and that's why they got the name the Redskins -- and now all of a sudden in ...
2013, Peter King or Bob Costas has a problem with it. Where were you ten years
ago? Or where we you fifteen years ago? Why now all of a sudden has it dawned
on you that the name might be offensive?”
MSNBC: Ronan Farrow To Host New Show
 |
| Ronan Farrow |
MSNBC announced Wednesday that Ronan Farrow will be joining
the left-leaning cable news network, where he'll host his own weekly show, set
to debut early next year.
Farrow is the son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, although
Mia recently made headlines when she suggested that it's possible his father
was actually Frank Sinatra, her late ex-husband.
Although he's just 25 years old, Farrow has an impressive
list of accomplishments, including being a lawyer and human rights activist.
He said his new show will appeal to younger viewers,
stating, "This is a new generation of news show for a new, more engaged
generation of viewers. It's a show about why the news matters to you -- and
what you can do to be a part of the story."
MSNBC's announcement comes after it recently hired Alec
Baldwin to do a weekly show that premiered last week.
Sioux Falls Radio: Midwest To Flip Freqs
Two Sioux Falls
radio stations are swapping places on the dial.
According to the Argus Leader, Starting Oct. 28, country station KTWB-FM will broadcast on
92.5 as Big Country 92.5. Lite 92.5 KELO-FM will drop the “Lite” in its name
and move to 101.9. Programming will remain the same on both stations.
“Listener input showed us that this move would be the best
use of our resources,” station operations manager Tom Gjerdrum said.
Big Country 92.5 will reach listeners in South
Dakota , Minnesota , Iowa and Nebraska ,
appealing to country music fans in both rural and urban areas.
The new 101.9 KELO-FM will continue to serve the Sioux Falls area as it
has since it signed on the air in 1965.
Both stations are owned by Midwest Communications Inc.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Cleveland Radio: WMMS' Rover Pleads ‘Not Guilty’
 |
| Shane 'Rover' French |
Shane French, host of "Rover's Morning Glory" on WMMS 100.7 FM pleaded
not guilty today to more than a dozen
felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with an off-duty
police officer in July at the Whiskey Island Marina, according to cleveland.com.
French, 38, of Avon , was
indicted earlier this month on charges including inducing panic, assault,
criminal damaging and resisting arrest. Read original posting, Click Here.
Common Pleas Judge Richard McMonagle continued his original
$5,000 bond and ordered him not to have contact with the victim.
According to police, French was partying at the marina and
aimed fireworks at an off-duty Cleveland
police officer who was on a boat. French then shoved the officer and ran away
in an effort to avoid being arrested, according to reports.
French's on air sidekick, 28-year-old Michael Toomey, known
as "Chocolate Charlie" also faces 11 charges related to the incident.
He also pleaded not guilty, had his original bond continued and was told not to
have contact with the victims in the case.
According to the indictment, a boat and an SUV were damaged.
Interview: What Makes Paul McCartney Nervous?
It's hard to picture Paul McCartney — one of history's most
celebrated songwriters, a figure of incalculable importance to modern music and
pop culture — fretting over anything, least of all filling arena seats.
But as NPR's Robert Siegel discovered, a few circumstances
can still make the ex-Beatle sweat.
Nielsen: Global Ad Spending Increases 2.8 Percent Y2Y
Marketers continue to gradually increase their global ad
spending, as expenditures grew 3.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013 and
2.8 percent on a year-over-year basis for the January-June periods of 2013 and
2012, according to Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report. Although
many marketers remain conservative with advertising budgets, those in Latin America continue to buck the norm, increasing their
expenditures by 13.1 percent (to $13.5 billion) for the January-June period.
All regions contributed to global growth for the first half
of the year except Europe , where marketers
remain modest with their ad budgets amidst the regions’ continued fiscal
crisis, resulting in a 6 percent decline for the period. Elsewhere, ad spend
continued to recover after slumping during the economic downturn , with
quarterly growth of 3.9 percent in the Middle East and Africa, 2.7 percent in
North America and a more substantial 6.4 percent in Asia Pacific.
Nominees Unveiled for Rock & Roll HOF
The nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in 2014 are:
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
- Chic
- Deep Purple
- Peter Gabriel
- Hall and Oates
- KISS
- LL Cool J
- The Meters
- Nirvana
- N.W.A.
- The Replacements
- Linda Ronstadt
- Cat Stevens
- Link Wray
- Yes
- The Zombies
The 29th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony will be held in April 2014 in New
York City . Venue and public ticket sale information
will be announced at a later date. The Induction Ceremony will be presented on
HBO in May.
To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band
must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the
year of nomination. The 2014 Nominees had to release their first recording no
later than 1988.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will again offer fans the
opportunity to officially participate in the induction selection process.
Beginning October 16 and continuing through December 10 at 5 p.m. EST, the
public can cast votes for who they believe to be most deserving of
induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The top five artists, as
selected by the public, will constitute a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied
along with the other ballots to choose the 2014 inductees.
All inductees are ultimately represented in the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland ,
the nonprofit organization that tells the story of rock and roll’s global
impact via special exhibits, educational programs and its library and archives.
Casey's Kids Lose Out On Emergency Conservatorship
 |
| Casey Kasem |
A Los Angeles
judge declined to create an emergency conservatorship for Casey Kasem, but
ordered that a doctor investigate the radio personality and voice actor's
diagnosis, prognosis and state of mind as his Parkinson's disease progresses.
Casey Kasem's wife Jean insists she's taking great care of her ailing hubby, right down to giving him manicures and pedicures.
Jean has just filed legal docs through her lawyer, Marshall Grossman, -- docs obtained by TMZ -- challenging the attempt by Casey's 3 kids from a prior marriage to win a conservatorship. The kids say Jean has not allowed them to see their dad -- who has advanced Parkinson's and early onset of dementia -- for months and they fear he's not being properly cared for.
Jean says the kids are ingrates who have sponged off their dad for years. Jean says she and the 81-year-old Casey have loaned the kids approx $100k-$150k per year over many years to pay for their school, housing, cars, parking tickets, travel and other stuff.
Kasem, 81, gained fame with his radio music countdown shows, "American Top 40" and "Casey's Top 40," and was also the voice of Shaggy in the cartoon "Scooby Doo."
According to the AP, Kasem has been checked out by police detectives and social services workers, said Marshall Grossman, an attorney for Kasem's wife of 33 years, Jean.
Read More Now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)