The Beatles Hit US Charts 50-Years Ago

Fifty years ago today, the Beatles appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time.

The band's breakthrough, and ultimately, pop culture-redefining, first U.S smash, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 45.  The issue was dated Jan. 18, 1964.

The following week, the song rocketed to No. 3. It became the Beatles' first of 20 No. 1s the following week (Feb. 1, 1964).

The Beatles' 20 toppers remain the most by any artist in the Hot 100's history. When Billboard ranked the top acts of the chart's first 55 years this past August, the Beatles ranked at No. 1.

Saturday Aircheck: WIFE 1310 AM In Indy From 1975, 1972

Checkout "Naptown Rock Radio Wars": Click Here

WIFE 1310 AM was the top 40 giant of Indy for years. They changed their call letters to WIFE from the old WISH-AM around 1963 when purchased by the legendary Don Burden and were the only real rockers in town for several years. This allowed them to take a fairly conservative approach to top 40 radio, that'd capture both the kids and some adults. It seemed to work, as their numbers were huge well into the 1970's, by which time they were getting rock and roll competition from WNAP on the FM dial and, eventually, both WXLW and WNDE on AM.

WIFE remained a top 40 rocker until about 1980 when they switched to an adult contemporary format and then changed call letters and formats several times over the years.

A 'scoped aircheck of Dan Summers, followed by Stan Warren on WIFE 1310 AM Indianapolis. Recorded off the air on Sunday night, February 9th, 1975. Dan was a part-time weekend jock and his show was on Saturday and Sunday evenings. On Sunday, it followed American Top 40 with Casey Kasem, which ran from 7-10 PM. Stan Warren followed at midnight. Stan (Jack Holiday) had just arrived a couple of months earlier from another Star Station owned by Don Burden - KOIL, 1290 Omaha, NE, where he did middays. (Former overnight host Mike O'Brien has just left WIFE to jump to the overnight shift at cross-town top 40 1260 WNDE). The main jingle package WIFE used during that time was the William B. Tanner/Thunder Productions "Music People".



Airchecks of WIFE Radio. Indianapolis, recorded in early 1972 from Roger W. Morgan and Jim Fox shows

January 18 In Radio History

In 1929...Walter Winchell, the "New York Daily Mirror" columnist, began on Radio. He began his career in journalism by posting notes about his acting troupe on backstage bulletin boards. Joining the Vaudeville News in 1920, Winchell left the paper for the Evening Graphic in 1924, and in turn was hired on June 10, 1929 by the New York Daily Mirror where he finally became the author of what would be the first syndicated gossip column, entitled On-Broadway.

Walt Winchell

Using connections in the entertainment, social, and governmental realms, he would expose exciting or embarrassing information about celebrities in those industries. This caused him to become very feared, as a journalist, because he would routinely impact the lives of famous or powerful people, exposing alleged information and rumors about them, using this as ammunition to attack his enemies, and to blackmail influential people. He used this power, trading positive mention in his column (and later, his radio show) for more rumors and secrets.

He made his radio debut over WABC in New York, a CBS affiliate, on May 12, 1930.

His newspaper column was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers worldwide, and he was read by 50 million people a day from the 1920s until the early 1960s. His Sunday-night radio broadcast was heard by another 20 million people from 1930 to the late 1950s.

In 1948..."The Original Amateur Hour," hosted by Ted Mack, a spinoff of Major Bowes' popular radio series, debuted on the Dumont Television Network. Mack had been Bowes' field assistant who scouted and auditioned talent for the program. During its 22-year run, the TV series aired on all four networks and introduced acts such as Teresa Brewer, Pat Boone, Ann-Margret, and Irene Cara.



In 1983...First GUI/mouse computer, the Apple Lisa, was unveiled.

In 1985...Cleveland, Ohio was chosen to be the site of the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2004...Harry Fleetwood died. He was a commentator on WNBC-AM's "Music Through the Night" in 1954. In 1975 he left that station and went to WNCN where he hosted classical music.

Miami Radio: WLYF, Jack Diamond Have Parted Company

Jack Diamond

After just about four months, longtime radio personality Jack Diamond has left the morning show at WLYF 101.5 FM (Lite) in Miami.  He joined the Lincoln Financial station last September and was teamed with Julie Guye for the morning show.  Guy continues on WLYF.

Diamond apparently missed family and cold weather stating on Facebook that it was his decision to leave the station. Other than that, he adds,  "there's no story'.

Diamond added in another Facebook posting that he was 'happy to be back home living with his family in Washington, DC'.

Julie Guy

Diamond, who until last April spent nearly 24-years at Cumulus HotAC WRXQ 107.1 FM in DC (See Original Posting, Click Here), has not announced future plans.

When Diamond started at WLYF, Rob Sidney, Director of Programming and Operations stated, "Jack Diamond is a master entertainer, engaging each listener over the air, in person and through all forms of interactive media."

"His experience, showmanship and passion reflect the best of what Lite FM has built over four decades. And I'm thrilled to have Jack kicking off Lite's next era of success."

Miami Radio: Cox Launches Top40 Hits 97-3

Cox Media Group (CMG) Miami Radio has launched a new Top 40 station that is custom built for South Florida. HITS 97-3, which made its debut at 10 a.m. this morning on WFLC-FM 97.3, also lets listeners pick the hits through the interactive HITS 97-3 app.

“When we developed Hits 97-3, we asked women in South Florida what they want in a radio station,” said CMG Miami VP and Market Manager Rob Babin.  “This feedback inspired our team to design a radio station that plays today’s best hit music and provides an engaged listener experience with live and local personalities.”

Florida’s newest 100,000-watt station will serve Miami-Dade and Broward counties as well as parts of Palm Beaches and the Upper Florida Keys.

The lineup includes familiar South Florida personalities who understand what it means to truly live in South Florida:

• The Kevin, Virginia & Jason Morning Show (Mornings)
• Toni Gonzalez (Middays)
• Mike Kruz (Afternoons)
• Ashley O (Nights)
• Nikki Ramirez (Weekends)
• Vic Mendez (Weekends)
• Dru Vega (Weekends)

LISTEN-LINE: Click Here

WFLC 97.3 FM 60dBU Coverage

“HITS 97-3 was conceived by South Floridians and will reflect the lifestyle, attitude, and atmosphere of life in South Florida,” said Program Director Tom Calococci. “Listeners told us they wanted more opportunities to pick the hits. With our new app, they can vote on their favorite songs and even record messages through the ‘open mic’ feature that will be played on the air.

Denver Radio: KHOW's Tom Martino Sues KDVR-TV

Tom Martino

KHOW 630 AM personality Tom Martino has filed suit against former employer Fox31-KDVR television in federal court for ending his employment when he filed for personal bankruptcy protection in 2011, according to The Denver Post.

Initially filed in August, Martino, 59, claims in the lawsuit that the station dropped him and his new Martino TV segment when it learned he was filing for bankruptcy, a move the self-proclaimed troubleshooter said violated federal law protections against such conduct.

The station, in response to the claim, said it simply did not renew its contract with Martino, saying his personality was “too strong” for the direction it wanted to go and it wanted a host with “less personality.” That Martino filed for bankruptcy had nothing to do with it, according to the case filed in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Individuals who filed for bankruptcy protection are protected by federal law from employers who toss them as a result. KDVR and its owner, Community Television of Colorado, say the law only applies to firings that come after bankruptcy has been filed and cited case law to support that defense.

Martino’s lately made news with his arrest on a domestic-violence charge Dec. 20 involving his 45-year-old troubleshooting-partner wife, Holly Martino. Martino allegedly punched her in the face, leaving her with a bloody nose as there were in the car. He faces a Denver County Court hearing on March 5 on the misdemeanor charge, including another for disturbing the peace, court records show.

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Report: 2013 Slow Year For Radio Station Sales

In taking stock of what kind of year 2013 was for television and radio, BIA/Kelsey’s broadcast media transaction activity data paints a very dynamic picture for television station transactions compared to 2012, and a consistent trend for radio stations.

Nearly 300 TV stations were sold in 2013. That number of transactions is up 205% from 2012. Likewise, the total sale valuation for television stations were up - a 367% increase in 2013 from 2012 for over $8 billion.

Television station transactions exploded in 2013, because the healthy TV environment in 2012 bolstered investor confidence. Strong political advertising revenues from the previous year, retransmission consent revenues and continued historically lower interest rates were all contributing factors to this strong showing in the television station acquisition market.

Alternatively, radio transactions were at the level as the year before both in term of the number of stations sold and the total value. According to BIA/Kelsey's MEDIA Access Pro, there was a great deal of consistency and few large transactions. The largest transaction of the year were the 53 stations sold by Cumulus Media to Townsquare Media LLC in August, estimated to be $238 million.

Overall, radio’s continued position in the marketplace is encouraging existing groups to grow and some new groups to enter. BIA/Kelsey anticipates that 2014 will bring a slight increase as the economy gathers some strength.

‘The Billy Madison Show’ Goes Into Syndication

For the first time since its launch in 2012 on Cox Media Group San Antonio’s Rock KISS 99.5 FM, “The Billy Madison Show” now airs in syndication on Anchorage’s KZND.

“KZND prides itself on being the most entertaining and interactive radio station in Alaska,” said KZND Program Director Jeetz.

“We firmly believe that active rock isn’t only the music, but a lifestyle.  So, we’re extremely excited to announce the addition of The Billy Madison Show to our morning lineup.  The minute we heard the show, we knew it was a perfect fit for KZND to be the most entertaining show in Anchorage!”

CMG Rock Format Leader and KISS Program Director Keith Hastings said that Billy Madison is No. 1 with adults 25-54 and owns every male demo.  “In that time, it’s also been very successful as part of the lineup of CMG stations ‘The Bone’ in Tampa and Rock 103 in Tulsa,” he added.

Executives at KISS have built an external syndication plan for the show, and CMG is actively preparing for additional affiliates in 2014 and beyond.  Interested stations can contact Hastings for affiliate information and availability.

Chicago Radio: Newser WBBM-AM Again Tops In Billing

In another year of declining revenue for Chicago radio, CBS Radio’s all-news simulcast of WBBM AM 780 and WCFS FM 105.9 retained its crown as Chicago’s top-billing station, according to Chicago Media blogger Robert Feder.

Though down more than 8 percent from last year, the Newsradio combo produced $41.9 million in advertising income — leading the way for CBS Radio, which had four of the top seven revenue-generating stations in the market.

Overall Chicago radio revenue dropped about 2.5 percent from $430,911,000 in 2012 to $419,715,000 in 2013, according to figures compiled by the accounting firm of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. (based on revenue reports submitted by station groups). The only year-to-year growth was in digital advertising — up 10 percent to $28,175,000 in 2013.

Here is a ranking of the Top 5 Chicago radio stations based on total revenue for 2013 (with 2012 revenue figures in parentheses):

1. WBBM/WCFS CBS $41,969,000 ($45,725,000)
2. WTMX Hubbard $37,459,000 ($34,053,000)
3. WGN Tribune $29,212,000 ($30,176,000)
4. WBBM-FM CBS $25,269,000 ($25,830,000)
5. WSCR CBS $24,823,000 ($22,900,000)

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NY Radio: "Healthy, Vibrant And Strong" Sez NYMRAD

So says New York Market Radio Association Executive Director Debbie Beagan.

Shereported Thursday that the number-one market was up big in 2013, posting a 6% revenue gain over 2012.

December was also up, posting a 5% jump.

Beagan stated, “New York radio is healthy, vibrant, and strong. Advertisers and their agencies are investing in our medium, and utilizing radio’s audio, online, mobile, and social platforms to reach engaged and loyal listeners. The robust revenue results for the 2013 and December position the market well as we head into 2014.”

SCBA: Reports 'A Great December"

The Southern California Broadcasters Association (SCBA)  has announced that LA Radio market revenue enjoyed a robust 6.3% growth rate for the month of December 2013, according to the Miller Kaplan Arase report.

“December was a great month for our region, as we were finally out from under the political comps from 2012 and the market flexed its true revenue muscles as only Southern California Radio can,” said SCBA President Thom Callahan. “All key revenue segments posted impressive gains; Local and National spot combined was up 3.6%, Digital posted an impressive 20.7% gain, and NTR/Network was up 19.6% as reported by Miller Kaplan Arase,” stated Callahan.

For the 12 months ending December 2013, total market revenue growth was 1%, according to Miller Kaplan Arase.

“While we view the 2013’s 1% growth rate as an encouraging benchmark for the country’s largest Radio revenue market, the 12 month Miller Kaplan Arase report is not indicative of the region’s real strength,” said SCBA President Thom Callahan. “In our view, our real growth rate for 2013 was 4.4%, when factoring out 2012’s huge political revenue of $20.5 million. It’s more than fair to deduct those comps, which are never a true indicator of market growth or the health of our business,” he stated.

“Political revenue on a YTD basis is not an apples to apples comparison. As any station will tell you, it’s impossible to replace $20.5 million in 12 months, yet these incomplete YTD revenue comparisons continue,” explained Callahan. “These lopsided revenue reports help feed the misguided narrative that Radio is a legacy medium, and nothing, I repeat; nothing is further from the truth.”

“December 2013 was one of the LA market’s largest revenue growth month in 2013 and is much more reflective of the true state of Southern California Radio which is big, bold, and robust,” said Callahan.

NBC To Air SI Swim Suit Special

NBC and Time Inc. have partnered to present a two-hour TV special celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit franchise — one of the most hotly-anticipated annual fixtures in American pop culture. Entitled “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful,” the show is set to air on NBC, Monday, Feb. 3 (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Former swimsuit cover model and “Project Runway” star Heidi Klum will host the special, with feature appearances from fellow swimsuit icons including Tyra Banks, Christie Brinkley, Kathy Ireland, Marisa Miller, Kate Upton and more of the most celebrated models in franchise history.

Musical guests performing on the show include Grammy Award-winning, chart-topping artists Enrique Iglesias, Lady Antebellum, the Fray, John Legend and Tim McGraw. Additional stars and featured appearances will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful" will indulge viewers in the storied history of the franchise, with behind-the-scenes footage and photography from the exotic cover shoots and back stories from the most loved and recognizable swimsuit models on the planet. All of this will culminate in a countdown of the top 10 SI swimsuit covers of all time.

This announcement comes on the heels of the recent news that NBC, Time Inc. and Dick Clark Productions have partnered to produce the “People Magazine Awards,” which is scheduled to air in 2014. It also represents the latest initiative in Time Inc.’s company-wide commitment to expanding its video offerings across its portfolio.

For Pittman, Not Just Any Private Jet Will Do

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings has just renewed CEO Robert Pittman's employment agreement. And that in itself is a little odd, according to Paul Hodgson at The Motley Fool.

It's not the $1.2 million salary, it's not even the $2.7 million in restricted shares. It's the specific mention of the make and model of the corporate aircraft to which Pittman will have access.

Hodgson been writing about pay and governance for more than 20 years and he writes he's never ever seen specific mention of the kind of corporate jet in a CEO employment agreement.

The Dassault-Breguet Mystere Falcon 900 clause

This is how the agreement terms it: "During the term of his employment, CCMH [Clear Channel] will make an aircraft (which, to the extent available, will be a Dassault-Breguet Mystere Falcon 900) available to Mr. Pittman for his business and personal use and will pay all costs associated with the provision of the aircraft."

According to Hodgson, the plane is not really a corporate jet, it's an airliner. It's bigger than most of the planes he's ever flown on, usually in the company with another 130 people.

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Report: Young Country Fans More Likely To Listen To Radio

Young Country music fans provide radio with some good news. According to a study by Edison Research, those 12-to-24-year-olds who say they listen frequently to Country music are significantly more likely to have listened to FM radio in the last week than the 12-to-24 demo overall, according to Radio Online.

"Understanding Country Radio's Next Generation of Listeners" is the newest research on the music and media habits of 12-to-34-year olds. The full survey will be unveiled February 19th at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville by Edison's Larry Rosin and Megan Lazovick, along with Jayne Charneski, an expert on "Millennials."

Edison surveyed 1,550 12-34-year-olds, including nearly 900 respondents under age 25. In addition, Edison conducted face-to-face interviews with Millennials about their attitudes towards Country music, Country radio, and music listening and media habits in general.

While 12-to-24-year-old Country fans listened to "traditional FM radio" more than the demo overall, their other audio usage was disproportionately higher as well, including listening to personalized online radio such as Pandora. While the amount of listening to FM is higher than the amount of personalized online radio listening, 12-to-24 Country fans were more likely to have listened to personalized online radio in the previous week than all 12-to-24s.

ALSO READ: Carrie Underwood Tops With Country 12-24s: Click Here.

"Even as their choices expand, Country listeners of all ages have often been among the most loyal to broadcast radio, and 12-to-24-year-olds are no exception," says Edison Research president Larry Rosin. "This study shows, however, that with the strength of today's Country music, Millennial listeners are eager to consume it on many platforms. We hope our CRS presentation will give programmers the tools they need to maintain their advantage with younger listeners."

ALSO READ: Country Music Radio Has About Ten Years (Before It Falls Off A Cliff!) from Consultant Jaye Albright. Click Here.

Mobile Music Listeners Press Play on Smartphones

The days of portable audio cassette and CD players are long gone. Instead, most mobile users listen to mobile music on newer, smaller devices, and a study by AYTM Market Research found that smartphones were the chart-topper among devices used, according to eMartketer.com.

The majority of US mobile users surveyed in December 2013 said they listened to mobile music at least “sometimes,” and around half of that group played songs “often.” Likely due to their more portable size, smartphones were the leading device for listening among mobile music users, including those who “rarely” listened. iPods and MP3 players—also small in size—ranked second. Tablets, which some may consider too bulky to carry around just to listen to music, trailed far behind.

Smartphones may be the device of choice for mobile music listening, but September 2013 research by ChoiceStream revealed that US internet users were far more likely to purchase music on a computer than on a mobile device, at 50.0% vs. 27.3%.

Streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have been in the limelight as of late, and AYTM’s findings confirmed their popularity on mobile: Nearly six in 10 respondents had at least one mobile app that streamed music. But those who do stream music through apps typically aren’t paying to do so. Almost three-quarters of respondents who listened to mobile music and had at least one app/service that streamed music said they did not pay for it.

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Spotify, Rdio Go Free Ad-Supported

A day after Spotify said it would remove all caps on free ad-supported music listening on the web, fellow on-demand music service Rdio followed suit, according to The Verge.

 Previously, Rdio offered listeners ad-supported (sold by Cumulus) streaming for a limited time that varied depending on how much you listened. As of Thursday, it has removed all caps.

Rdio, which has struggled to keep pace with Spotify's user growth and fundraising, will support its free listening option with ads. In between songs, free listeners will hear announcements about new features, Rdio exclusives, and tips for using the service in addition to traditional ads.

Spotify and Rdio made their announcements days before the high-profile launch of Beats Music, a subscription service from the makers of Beats headphones. Beats, unlike its competitors, won't offer a free tier beyond a 7-day trial. That creates an opportunity for other music services to draw in more casual users and sell them the paid service over time — and as of today, it's an opportunity that Rdio is seizing, according to The Verge.

Newtown Killer Called Radio Show In 2011

Adam Lanza

The 20-year-old gunman who carried out the 2012 Newtown school massacre, killing 20 first-graders and six educators as well as his mother, apparently called an Oregon-based radio show a year earlier to talk about the 2009 mauling of a Connecticut woman by her friend's chimpanzee, the New York Daily News reported Thursday (January 16th).

Adam Lanza called into a show called Anarchy Radio, hosted by anarchist John Zerzan, whose writings have been compared to the Unabomber's anti-technology manifesto. Lanza said the chimp, named Travis, had been raised like a child, saying, "Look what civilization did to him. It had the same exact effect on him as it has on humans. He was profoundly sick in every sense of the term . . . " Lanza also said, "His attack can be seen entirely parallel to the attacks and random acts of violence that you bring up on your show every week, committed by humans, which the mainstream also has no explanation. I just don't think it would be such a stretch to say that he very well could have been a teenage mall shooter or something like that."

Zerzan told the Daily News, "The only thing that seemed odd was his voice seemed kind of robotic . . . but what he was saying made sense."

January 17 In Radio History

In 1937...the show "Kay Child, Stepmother" was first broadcast on the CBS Radio Network.

In 1949..."The Goldbergs" was first broadcast on CBS-TV. The show had been on the radio since 1931.



In 1989...Scott Shannon last show at WHTZ Z100 NYC

In 2004...TV talk show host, Jerry Springer, began a new radio show on WCKY-AM, Cincinnati.


In 2012...Disc jockey/bandleader/drummer/singer/songwriter (Willie And The Hand Jive) Johnny Otis died at the age of 90.

'Idol' Falters Out of the Gate

Fox’s “American Idol” was hoping to reverse its recent ratings trend as it kicked off its 13th season Wednesday night, but early indications are that it has a lot of work to do to reclaim some of its lost viewers, according to Variety.

According to preliminary national estimates from Nielsen, the two-hour season premiere of “American Idol” averaged a 4.6 rating/13 share in adults 18-49 and 15 million viewers overall. While this made it easily the night’s top show, it was down 23% in the demo and 16% in total viewers from last year.

With the exception of 2010, when “Idol” actually edged up year-over-year in key demos as Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul at the judges’ table, the premiere-night 18-49 rating for the show has declined vs. the previous year by double-digit percentages for each season since 2008. And those falloffs have been at least 17% for each of the last four years.

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Another Media Second Banana Gets Huge Severance

Henrique de Castro

Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer is parting ways with her top executive, an expensive setback in her effort to turn around the struggling Internet portal, according to wsj.com.

Henrique de Castro, the chief operating officer Ms. Mayer poached from Google Inc. in 2012, is departing this week. One of the highest-paid executives in Silicon Valley, Mr. de Castro exits after about a year on the job with a severance package that could be worth more than an estimated $42 million.

The departure is a further sign yet that Ms. Mayer is struggling to revive growth in Yahoo's advertising business, which has continued to lose share to rivals Facebook Inc. and Google. Mr. de Castro, functioning as the company's top ad executive and liaison to marketers on Madison Avenue, failed to convince advertisers to spend more money to reach visitors to its websites and mobile apps.

"There's been no sign of a turnaround at the company," said Mark Mahaney, managing director at RBC Capital Markets.

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Jimmy Kimmel ObamaCare Bit Raises Media Questions

Late night comics have been tearing the atrocious rollout of ObamaCare apart.

Conceivably, according to the politically conservative content analysis organization newsbusters.org, the best job done to date was by ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel who during his opening monologue Tuesday evening absolutely savaged the law whilst ridiculing the uninformed young people in this country that have ignorantly supported something that clearly harms them.



But Newsbusters, raises several question: with the exception of the penis pump issue, everything that Kimmel addressed was known before ObamaCare was enacted.  Certainly, America’s youth are woefully uninformed.

Assume for a moment, suggests Newsbusters, that as this bill was being crafted, and well before it was rammed through both chambers of Congress without one Republican vote, America’s media had actually informed the public about what was in the legislation.

Imagine if news outlets other than conservative ones explained that the entire concept of the law was that healthy young people were going to be required to buy something they didn’t need so that older, less healthy people would either get health insurance for free or more cheaply.

Imagine if news outlets other than conservative ones explained that young people were also going to be required to buy something they didn’t need so that Medicaid could be expanded offering “free” healthcare to more lower income people.

Imagine if MTV for example brought on experts to discuss how this law was going to impact its young viewers rather than showing public service announcements featuring actors and musicians selling them on why they should support something that clearly wasn’t in their best interest.

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LA Radio: Ricardo Sanchez IN At KXOS

Morning radio personality Ricardo 'El Mandril' Sanchez has apparently landed a new deal.  It was announced the same day it was reported that KLAX 97.9 FM officially parted company with 'El Mandril'

Sanchez announced on his Facebook page Wednesday that he's joining Grupo Radio Centro’s KXOS 93.9 FM for mornings 5a to 10a, starting January 20, 2014.

Sanchez also announced the new show would be syndicated to 38 markets lalong the Mexican border.

KXOS 93.9 FM 54dBu Coverage

Last year, Sanchez's show had been the subject of an investigation by Nielsen into allegations of ratings tampering.

Allegations have been raised that members of the PPM audience panel had been contacted by people connected to Sanchez's show and encouraged to listen to his program, a violation Nielsen's practices.

A Nielsen representative said the company had no comment on its investigation.

A KLAX programming executive in December confirmed that Sanchez's program was taken off the air because of an investigation.  Sanchez has been off-air in LA since early November.

Rapid City ND Radio: KXMZ Sale To Pandora Stalls

In a setback to its music licensing plans, Pandora has received word from the FCC that it is no longer processing its application for the transfer of the ownership of broadcasting license for KXMZ 102.7 FM, the Rapid City, South Dakota radio station it acquired last June, according to billboard.com.

In making that acquisition, Pandora had hoped to take advantage of the lower rates that internet streaming services owned by terrestrial radio stations enjoy. That rate is the result of agreement with the Radio Music Licensing Committee and ASCAP in 2012, which allowed for internet radio stations to pay 1.7% of revenue, less standard deductions.

After making that acquisition, Pandora claimed in the ASCAP rate court, and likely the BMI rate court too, that its entire service should be eligible for the lower 1.7% rate, and the 1.7% rate it pays BMI.

KXMZ 102.7 FM 60dBu Coverage

That combined rate of 3.4% is lower than the 3.6% rate Pandora has been paying the two Performance Rights Organizations ASCAP and BMI. That rate is also lower than the pro-rated 10% of revenue that ASCAP and BMI are getting in their deals with iTunes Radio

But the FCC has sent Pandora letter, according to an ASCAP filing with the rate court, that says that Pandora hasn't adequately complied with supplying the agency with ownership information so it can determine if Pandora is at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens,  which means foreign ownership must be capped at 25%

Since Pandora only supplied mailing addresses, the FCC said that is not enough to determine if the owners are indeed citizens of the U.S. "Therefore Pandora may not rely on this data in making its foreign ownership certification," the FCC letter stated.

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Richmond Radio: Kris&Chris Start Wake-Up Duty At Lite98

Kris Taylor & Chris Parker

CCM+E/Richmond has announced the arrival of its new morning show.

AC WTVR 98.1 FM Lite98 welcomes Chris Parker & Kris Taylor for wake-up duty.  Chris&Kris take-over mornings from Bill Bevins & Shelly Perkins, who left just before Christmas.  Bill&Shelly spent 13-years at Lite 98 and both decided to pursue opportunities outside of radio.

Regional Programming Manager Dave Symonds stated,  "this has been one of the smoothest new-show launches I've ever been a part of.  Richmond has certainly given Chris and Kris a warm welcome. It speaks to their many talents for doing an AC wake-up show, and how they immediately they've connected with the community and each other!  We're looking forward to great things in Richmond morning radio."

WTVR-FM 98.1 54dBu Coverage

Parker most recently worked at Bonneville's late KPKX (98.7 The Peak)/Phoenix.

Taylor is married to veteran CC personality/programmer Kasper, who just happens to work across the hall as APD/MD/afternoons on Top 40 WRVQ (Q94).

D/FW Radio: 102.9Now Brings The Bert Show To Market

CCM+E's Hot/AC KDMX 102.9 FM Now is adding the syndicated Bert Show to its station lineu-up.

The launch becomes effective Tuesday Jan. 21.

According to Market President/VP Deidre Richter, "We are thilled to welcome The Bert Show to the Clear Channel/DFW family.

"102.9 NowFM has seen major growth in the past year, and the addition of The Bert Show will only add to the station's success.  We now this will be a win for both listeners and advertisers alike."

Bert Weiss stated, "I can't tell your how excited I am to be back on in the Metroplex. I fell in love with Dallas/Ft. Worth when I was on the Kidd Show."

The Kidd Kraddick Show continue to on CCM+E KHKS 106.1 KissFM.

KDMX 102.9 FM 60dBu Coverage

AccuWeather Prepping New Channel

As early as midsummer, weather enthusiasts could be viewing the AccuWeather Channel, a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week television network, according to centredaily.com.

AccuWeather announced that it will launch the channel from its State College, PA headquarters.

The announcement came after DirecTV dropped The Weather Channel on Monday after the two entities failed to come to an agreement over fees.

Joel Myers

Joel N. Myers, founder and president of AccuWeather, said launching a television weather network is a way to enhance the company’s services while creating competition.

“There is room for more than one weather news channel,” Myers said. “It’s competition, so some cable channels and Internet companies have the option to carry AccuWeather instead.”

AccuWeather has not announced its partners, and Myers declined to comment when asked what cable or satellite providers the channel would be aired on.

AccuWeather provides weather services to 175,000 clients worldwide and has a viewership of more than 1 billion. It serves 200 television stations, 760 radio stations and 600 newspapers, said spokesman Justin Roberti.

If AccuWeather wants to be successful, Steve Kraycik, director of student television at Penn State, said it should focus more on localized weather, and less on reality-based weather-related shows.

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Climate Change A Factor In TWC, DirecTV Dispute

When 20 million subscribers to DirecTV found The Weather Channel missing from their viewing options this week, the weather network cited its need to sound the manmade climate change alarm as one of the reasons it needs to be available to the satellite provider’s subscribers.

Some have said that global warming and manmade climate change will bring an increase in “extreme weather” events, according to a story at examiner.com.

David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Company, said in a statement, “This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events seems to be increasing.”

While not overtly mentioning climate change, the implication is there.

Dr. Jeff Masters, founder of the Weather Underground which was purchased by The Weather Channel in 2012 and now an employee of the company, was far more direct in a blog entry.

Masters wrote that without DirecTV viewers, far fewer Americans will be able to see, what the examiner. com story called, the network’s global warming propaganda.

“This will mean there are now 20 million people seeing less climate change coverage, at a time when The Weather Channel is actively expanding their climate change coverage, and at a time when society greatly needs as much awareness of how our climate is changing as possible,” he said.

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Post by The Weather Channel.

The Most-Watched Awards Shows

Winamp Lives On With Radionomy Acquisition

Alexandre Saboundijian

You can't keep an aging music streaming service down: Less than a month after Winamp was scheduled to shut down, but according to PC World, Radionomy has snagged the once-popular media player, along with AOL's Shoutcast platform.

Winamp conceded defeat to more popular music services in November, announcing that it would no longer be available after Dec. 20, 2013. But amidst reports of a Radionomy acquisition, the service stayed online past its expected expiration date, and it has now been officially saved.

"Winamp is a top independent player that gives millions of people the best player functionality available," Radionomy CEO Alexandre Saboundijian said in a statement. "Its role is clear in the future evolution of online media—we plan to make the player ubiquitous, developing new functionalities dedicated to desktop, mobile, car systems, connected devices and all other platforms."

The radio-streaming giant will also provide Winamp users with access to more than 60,000 Internet radio stations, playback in 60 audio and video formats, 6,000 add-ons (skins, plug-ins, online services, visualizations), and tools for managing podcast subscriptions—all in 16 available languages.

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FCC Issues $200K Fine Against TBS

For the second time in less than three months, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed fines against Turner Broadcasting System for transmitting advertisements that mimic the warning sounds used by the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS).  A $200,000 Notice of Apparent Liability has therefore been issued to Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

The EAS is a national public warning system that requires broadcasters, cableTV operators, wireless cable operators, wireline video service providers, satellite digital audio radio service providers, and direct broadcast satellite providers to make it
possible for the President of the United States to address the American public during a national emergency. Federal, state, and local authorities may also use the EAS to deliver important emergency information, such as Amber Alerts and weather information, like tornado warnings, targeted to specific areas.

The FCC has long prohibited the transmission of actual or simulated EAS Attention Signals or tones in circumstances other than a real alert or an authorized test of the EAS system. However, there has been a recent spike in consumer complaints.

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau initiated an investigation in response to multiple consumer complaints about a commercial on Turner’s Adult Swim cable network. The complaints described a Best Buy advertisement promoting the release of an “A$AP Rocky” album. Turner provided a recording of the advertisement, review of which established that it included audio material that constitutes a simulation of the EAS tones.

In addition, during the Bureau’s earlier investigation into Turner’s misuse of the EAS sounds in a promotion for the Conan show, Turner represented to the Commission that it had changed its internal review practices after the first incident. Nevertheless, another Turner-owned channel, less than one year later, transmitted yet another commercial that used simulations of EAS sounds, doing so 14 times over a six-day period.

Kacey Musgraves, Bobby Bones 'Feud' Heats Up

Kacey Musgraves found herself in a bit of a Twitter war on Tuesday with WSIX 97.9 FM The Bix 98 radio personality and DJ Bobby Bones, host of the syndicated Bobby Bones Show, according to examiner.com

will @KaceyMusgraves ever respond to my tweets. Enter your answer now A: yes B: no
— Bobby Bones (@mrBobbyBones) January 13, 2014

"Will @KaceyMusgraves ever respond to my tweets. Enter your answer now; A: yes, B: no," Bones first tweeted the day before (Jan. 13).

Musgraves replied, quite frankly:

@mrBobbyBones If you'd play our original interview in full and tell people how you unfairly re-edited it I might think about talking to you.
— KACEY MUSGRAVES (@KaceyMusgraves) January 14, 2014

  

The interview in question is the 2013 CMA Awards interview, titled "Tell Me Something Good and Is Kacey Musgraves Annoyed." In the six-minute clip, roughly 20 seconds of the actual interview aired, edited to fit the time slot.

To which Musgraves replied:

For my fans: http://t.co/6oOlsD9uD2 #onwardandupward pic.twitter.com/BNzi6jaVNC
— KACEY MUSGRAVES (@KaceyMusgraves) January 14, 2014

But that wasn't the end of the social media scratch. Bones then sent up a series of tweets to Musgraves, including:

hey @KaceyMusgraves. a sincere note to you. from me pic.twitter.com/Hb2REBYrlA
— Bobby Bones (@mrBobbyBones) January 14, 2014

Musgraves is expected to take to the stage at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday, Jan. 26, at LA's Staples Center. She leads the country pack with four nominations each, including Best New Artist.

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SCBA Releases Impressive Traffic Data

The Southern California Broadcasters Association has released new traffic data which reveals a record breaking 16.5 million vehicle trips are being made each weekday from 2p to 7p in the Southern California Region. That region includes LA, Riverside, San Bernardino, Venture and Imperial Counties.

Vehicle trips are described as origin-destination driving and were then aggregated for average weekday by hour for the entire region.

“This level of hourly driving activity dramatically showcases the immense mobility and density of Southern California driving habits and the critical role that driving has in our daily lives, hour-by-hour,” state SCBA President Thom Callahan.

“Southern California is a massive car-driven region with our driving population making multiple trips throughout the work week. Our region's astounding amount of daily vehicle trips exceeds the entire population of most West Coast metro areas including, San Francisco, Seattle and Sacramento, as well as multiple state populations including Illinois.

According to the SCBA, the traffic data results are good news for any advertiser looking to secure a captive audience and for knowing that Radio is the primary source of intermation and entertainment to millions of drivers.

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CableTV's Top 10 Networks By Subscriber Fee

Source: SNL Kagan

Bieber Egg Hunt Leads Police To Video

TMZ.com composite graphic

The security video system in Justin Bieber's mansion could be the best witness to the teen pop star's alleged egg attack on a neighbor, according to CNN.

"It was extensive," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. David Thompson said of the system. "I believe it was installed very well and covered all areas of Mr. Bieber's house. His security system was well operated."

A dozen deputies, armed with a search warrant from a judge, seized the hard drives that hold the security video from last week.

Detectives are scouring the video frame-by-frame for clues as to who tossed eggs from Bieber's property onto the house next door in the exclusive Calabasas, California, community last Thursday night.

Bieber was asleep when investigators knocked on his door Wednesday morning, Thompson said. The security staff answered and let them in.

The warrant allowed deputies to go room by room through the sprawling estate, which is how they busted Lil Za -- real name Xavier Smith -- who was a house guest. They found suspected Ecstasy -- aka Molly -- and Xanax near the 20-year-old rapper's bed, Thompson said. Lil Za was arrested on a felony drug charge. He was later charged with felony vandalism for allegedly busting a jail phone while waiting to be bailed out.

Despite all the egg jokes dished out, this is a serious case, Thompson said. The neighbor's house suffered an estimated $20,000 in damage, which makes the alleged vandalism a felony. It could land the offender in jail, but at the every least a long probation term and community service.

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R.I.P.: Country Radio HOFer Gaylon Christie

Gaylon Christie

A longtime Country Radio owner and morning show personality, Gaylon Christie, died Wednesday at Scott & White hospital in Temple, TX.

He was 77.

Christie, of Nolanville, was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in Nashville last year along with singer George Strait and a host of others.

Christie, a native of Holland, Texas, started his radio career in 1954 as an on-air personality for KTEM in Temple, followed by positions in Taylor, Killeen and Port Arthur. He became general manager of KTON in Belton in 1966, but in 1973 he moved to Fort Worth to take a position as general manager of a new station, KXOL-AM. He returned to Central Texas a few years later to launch KOOV. He sold the station when he retired in 2001.

January 16 In Radio History

In 1947...Radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Sales Rep Sues TV Station Over Drug, Sex Claims

An employee at a Cleveland TV station is suing amid claims that drug taking, sexual encounters and 'rampant' drinking were rife at the company, according to the Daily Mail.

Kevin Flanigan, a sales rep at 19 Action News, wants $35,000 in damages from 19 Action News.

Station executives allegedly bought cocaine at work and had sex with clients in what has been described as a ‘Gomorrah-like’ office environment, according to Mr Flanigan's lawsuit.

Advertising staff at the station are said to have done whatever it took to ‘foster new business relationships’ - including giving clients oral sex.

Flanigan is suing for sexual harassment and retaliation and wants $35,000 in damages.

Debra Pando

The legal documents state that Flanigan was hired by WOIO in 2010 and that executive Debra Pando preferred the company of women so began to discriminate against him.

He says there was pressure to ‘engage in inappropriate sexual practices including sexual contact with other employees and clients and rampant use of illegal drugs at corporate events, many times involving clients’.

Miss Pando and other employees ‘provided sexual favors’ to get new business or cement already existing relationships, Mr Flanigan claims.

The lawsuit alleges that in one instance at a party ‘after smoking marijuana with a client, Miss Pando performed oral sex on a client in order to convince the client to remain the sponsor of the event’.

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Lawsuit Against WOIO

LA Radio: 'El Mandril' OUT At KLAX

Ricardo "El Mandril" Sanchez, once considered the king of Spanish-language radio, is no longer employed by his longtime Los Angeles station KLAX-FM (97.9) La Raza, which is owned by the Spanish Broadcasting System, according to Billboard.

Sanchez has been off the airwaves for more than two months from his show "El Vacilon del Mandril" as he renegotiated his return to the station, but those talks fell through, according to someone familiar with the departure.

In recent months Sanchez kept reporting to work as part of his contract, which officially expired this week on Dec. 13, but his morning show was no longer being broadcast. The station features regional Mexican music. Sanchez, according to several SBS sources, was weighing his options as he negotiated a multi-million dollar deal. During the show's heyday it was simulcast in 24 stations across the country.

Published reports surfaced last year (See Original Posting, Click Here) that an investigation was launched by Nielsen due to allegations that members of Arbitron's audience were contacted by members of Sanchez's show in an effort drive ratings. However, a representative for Sanchez has publicly said that the investigation did not show any violations. (Nielsen acquired Arbitron in 2013).

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Grand Rapids Radio: Andy&Dave OUT At WFGR-FM

Andy & Dave

Andy O'Riley and Dave Kaechele were dropped Friday by the Townsquare Media WFGR 98.7 FM, according to mlive.com. 

O'Riley confirmed their departure hours later on Friday on their Facebook page for the "Andy and Dave in the Morning Show".

"Thank you for a great run at WFGR. We enjoyed your company; we appreciate you being part of the show, and we certainly wish the best to the staff there," O'Riley said. "I hoped we would have had a little longer time with you. But, it wasn't to be."

Tom Cook, brand manager for Townsquare Media Grand Rapids, on Sunday said ratings were to blame.

Post by Andy O'Riley and Dave Kaechele.

Weeks ago, former mid-day personality Matt Hendricks also was dropped from Classic Hits 98.7's lineup.

"Andy and Dave in the Morning" debuted in October 2012 with Russ Hines, vice president and general manager of Townsquare Media Grand Rapids trumpeting that Andy and Dave's local insight will bring a fresh perspective to our community."

O'Riley began his radio career in Grand Rapids in 1989 at WKLQ-FM. He was on air at WMRR-FM in Muskegon and 101.3 The Fox in Grand Rapids prior to joining WFGR.

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Tim Brando Leaves CBS Sports

Tim Brando

After 18 years as the face of college athletics for CBS Sports, Tim Brando and the network have parted ways. The announcement came roughly three weeks after “The Tim Brando Show” last appeared on CBS Sports (television) Network.

“It was a great run,” Brando, 57, told The Shreveport Times. “It maybe ended a little sooner than it could have. (The Tim Brando Show) cancellation didn’t have to impact things the way it did, but I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t play a role.”

Brando’s first gig with CBS came at the 1996 NCAA Tournament. His last was the Dec. 28 broadcast of Syracuse-Villanova basketball with Bill Raftery.

In addition to play-by-play duties, Brando has been the host of College Football Today for 16 years. He’s also dabbled in some golf coverage, including his recent online work at The Masters and a position in the 18th tower on the Champions Tour.

“I still have some goals for myself,” said Brando, a graduate of Fair Park. “I don’t know if I would have realized them traveling on the same course. I’m excited. Today is a good day. I’m well-served to have this opportunity to be available with all the moving and shaking in the business right now.

Brando’s radio show, available on XM 91, will continue. In addition to securing the next chapter of his TV broadcast career, finding the radio show another TV home remains a priority.

Tuesday, the industry was full of speculation regarding the ripple effects of Brando’s departure from CBS. Many feel the SEC Network or a full-fledged return to ESPN – a former employer – would be an appropriate destination for the veteran.

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