Saturday Aircheck: Danny Neaverth On KB 1520 From 1961

Danny Neaverth

Buffalo would not have been Buffalo without Dan Neaverth on KB 15-20.

Neaverth began his career at WFRM in Coudersport, Pennsylvania in 1957, where he served as afternoon jock.  In 1959, he went to WDOE and then on to WBNY in Buffalo, the city's first rock and roll station. By 1961, WKBW had lured him to host the afternoon drive time slot, but very shortly he would become the station's morning host. Becoming known for the tagline "Danny moves your fanny in the morning!" and the catch phrase "I got up early so I could be the first kid on the block to say good morning to you" among many others, Neaverth spent 26 years at WKBW through top 40, adult contemporary and oldies formats before an ownership change and a format change to talk radio led to his termination in the late 1980s. During his time in Buffalo, he co-recorded a comedy record, "Rats in my Room" along with fellow WKBW jock Joey Reynolds, that was a regional hit, in 1963.



Neaverth, on behalf of WKBW, was offered the chance to bring The Beatles to Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on February 10, 1964, the day after the band had appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. It would have been the Beatles' first concert in North America. Neaverth, not willing to risk the $3500 appearance fee for a Monday night concert, in the poor February weather, for an unproven band he did not expect to sell out the auditorium, declined the offer. It was not until after Beatlemania swept the nation that Neaverth acknowledged that his move was a mistake, as the city would never again have the opportunity to bring the Beatles to Buffalo.

His absence from radio in the late 1980s was short-lived, as he would quickly find his way to WHTT-FM, which was launching an oldies format of its own. Neaverth spent another decade at WHTT, again as morning jock, until being dismissed in a cost-cutting move in 2002. Shortly thereafter, he came out of retirement for another three year stretch at a revived "WKBW," where he (along with the oldies format in general) quadrupled the station's Arbitron ratings.  After three years, WWKB's owner decided to pull the plug on oldies again, and Neaverth is once again in retirement.

Neaverth is a member of the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame and the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.

Reminiscing With The Giants Of Buffalo NY Radio

In March 2013, five legends of Buffalo Broadcast Radio sat down at the Buffalo History Museum and shared some of their favorite stories to a sold-out audience. Listen as Danny Neaverth, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Bach, Stan Roberts and Shane Brother Shane reminisce.

On June 15 In Radio History

On the 15th in 1945...NBC Blue Network becomes the American Broadcasting Company.

The NBC Blue Network, was the on-air name of an American radio production and distribution service from 1927 to 1945. Tracing its formal origins back to 1927 as one of the two radio networks owned by the National Broadcasting Company, the Blue Network was born of a divestiture in 1942, arising from anti-trust litigation, and is the direct predecessor of the American Broadcasting Company.


On the 15th in 1958...Jan & Dean's "Surf City" was released to Radio.


On the 15th in 1968...Sandy Beach did his last show on WDRC, Hartford, Connecticut before moving to WKBW, Buffalo, New York.  Today, Beach does the 9a-12n show on N/T WBEN 930 AM.

Kasem Family Feud: 'I Want This Evil Woman In Jail..'

Jean Kasem

Ailing DJ Casey Kasem's daughter, Kerri Kasem, continued her battle with stepmother Jean Kasem over her father's health care, according to THR.

"I want this evil woman in jail for what she has done to this family," she said, while her private investigator Logan Clarke explained: "I've been hired to get Jean Kasem arrested," and said that the Santa Monica police "assured me they're going to investigate" her for elder abuse.

In May, Jean Kasem took Casey Kasem from a Santa Monica hospital to Washington State, where he is now at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.

"His doctor said he's dying from sepsis developed at some point since his transition from Santa Monica. Most likely, he would've lived a year, a year-and-a-half [in Santa Monica]. Now it's a matter of days, weeks or hours," alleged Clarke.

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Boston Radio: CCM+E Has Gone Country On 101.7 FM HD1

CCM+E/Boston has announced the launch of WEDX 101.7 FM The Bull, Boston’s New Hit Country effective immediately.

101.7 The Bull will kick off with commercial-free music for the entire summer featuring the newest hits from Country artists such as Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church and Miranda Lambert.

In addition, 101.7 The Bull will feature award-winning Country morning program The Bobby Bones Show beginning this summer.  The morning show entertains listeners with a unique mix of pop-culture, news and music and features on-air personalities Bobby Bones, Lunchbox and Amy, with special guest appearances from the biggest names in Country music straight from Nashville. 

101.7 The Bull programming will also include local news and events, exclusive album premieres, new song releases and a team of local Boston personalities to be announced soon.

LISTEN LIVE: Click Here.

“We are excited to launch 101.7 The Bull, a fresh new take on Country music, for our Boston listeners.  This station is for the new generation of Country music fans and will give our listeners a front-row seat to Country’s biggest artists and concerts,” said Dylan Sprague, VP/Programming for CCM+E Boston. “Listeners will also enjoy waking up with the Bobby Bones Show and his unique and entertaining insight on Country music.  No one is closer to the heartbeat of Nashville than Bobby Bones.”

WEDX 101.7 FM (1.7Kw) 60dBu Coverage

The 101.7 FM signal had been airing Electronic Dance Music (EDM) as Evolution 101.7. Boston’s EDM fans can continue to listen to Evolution 101.7 on the station’s website, www.evolution1017.com, on 107.9 HD2 and on iHeartRadio.

“Evolution 101.7 attracted a passionate and loyal audience on iHeartRadio in a short period of time, and the number of fans listening digitally continues to grow rapidly,” Sprague continued.  “We’re excited to continue to provide Boston’s EDM fans with the same great programming on Evolution 101.7 through iHeartRadio, featuring local shows from Pete Tong, Sisanie, DJ Costa and DJ Cesar. Also Evolution Underground, which supports local DJs by letting them take over the station, will continue to air after hours on Saturdays.

Tribune Publishing To Carry $350M Debt In Spinoff

Tribune Publishing will carry $350 million of debt when it spins off as a stand-alone company, $25 million higher than previously stated.  That figure includes a $275 million cash dividend payable to Tribune Co., which remains the same, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The increased debt load was included in an amendment filed late Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, likely the final update before setting a spinoff date for the publicly-traded publishing company.  Tribune Co. also detailed the latest financial performance and digital progress of its newspapers in the filing.

Tribune Co. is expected to spin off the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and six other daily newspapers, by midyear. The Chicago-based media company will retain the higher-growth broadcasting and entertainment assets, as well as real estate holdings and valuable equity investments.

Under the revised capital structure, Tribune Publishing will carry $350 million in debt when it spins off, with the bulk of that to cover a $275 million dividend payable to the parent company.  In addition to the $350 million senior term, Tribune Publishing is seeking a revolving credit facility of $140 million, and approximately $50 million in letters of credit, according to Thursday’s SEC filing.

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Report: Univision On The Block

The owners of Univision Communications Inc., in their search for an exit, have held preliminary discussions in recent weeks with several media companies, including CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc., according to a story at wsj.com.

Univision is controlled by a consortium of investors including billionaire Haim Saban. The owners are seeking north of $20 billion for the company, according to people familiar with the matter. The group bought Univision for $13.7 billion, including debt, in early 2007.

Univision has long been the dominant Spanish-language broadcaster in the U.S. Even so, there is no sign any of the preliminary discussions have led anywhere, however. Among other issues, one person familiar with the situation said, was the price.

The discussions come in the wake of two megamergers struck in the pay-television industry that are sending tremors across the media landscape.

Comcast Corp.'s proposed $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable  and AT&T Inc. $49 billion deal to buy DirecTV have left entertainment executives wondering whether they also need to bulk up to have leverage in negotiating against the soon-to-be giants.

Propelled by the country's rapidly growing Hispanic population, Univision's flagship network was the only one of the top five networks to increase its prime time viewership in the 2012-13 season in the coveted 18-49 demographic.

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St. Louis Radio: Dan Marshall Resigns From KFNS

Dan Marshall

Dan Marshall, the man who had been steering Grand Slam Sports though one of the roughest times in the last two decades of St. Louis radio, turned in his resignation on Thursday from overseeing the operation, according to stltoday.com.

That follows a week of massive turmoil, which began last Friday with a fist fight in the station’s offices in south St. Louis that sent Marshall to a hospital for treatment and Brian McKenna — who had been doing mornings at KFNS 590 AM — to jail for the night. McKenna was arrested and police presented their case to prosecutors, but as of Thursday no charges had been filed. Authorities have been conducting interviews this week with people who were on the property at the time of the incident.

That fight came shortly after McKenna was ridiculed on KXFN 1380 AM — Grand Slam’s other station — on Nick Trupiano’s show that included racially-charged comments and the use of a vulgar word, a program that a company official said probably went to a level even well-known shock-jock Howard Stern wouldn’t go.

Mike Calvin

Mike Calvin, who had been in charge of several aspects of the operation, now is in charge of them all. And he faces a daunting task.

“I consider it a massive project,” he said. “A total overhaul of 590 is needed. We’ve lost a lot of good talent in the last week that needs to be replaced somehow, with zero to little budget.”

The latest departure is Jay Randolph Jr., who has been on at middays. He also does golf shows on Thursdays and Sundays but is moving those to KTRS 550 AM in early July.

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Casey Kasem Teaches Lesson On End Of Life

Casey, Kerri Kasem

It appears that the life of famed Top 40 Countdown host Casey Kasem is nearly at an end.  Wednesday, a Los Angeles Judge ruled that Casey Kasem’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, could suspend the artificial delivery of food and water to Casey due to his grave suffering.

Specifically, according to Forbes, Kerri Kasem’s attorney filed documents with the court reporting the doctors’ conclusion that “continuation of artificial nutrition and hydration is not in the patient’s best interests because it will at best prolong the dying process for him and will certainly add suffering to an already terribly uncomfortable dying process.”

He has been hospitalized in critical condition with sepsis (serious infections that have reached the blood stream), other infections, bed sores, and late-stage dementia from Lewy Body disease, among other complications.

The reason that Kerri was able to win legal authority to end Casey’s suffering stems from a legal document he signed in 2007, called a health care directive.  Sometimes, documents of this nature are called living wills or medical power of attorney, but they all can play the same role — allowing a trusted loved one to end life support when it appears that the suffering is too severe and the hope of recovery too slim.

In 2007, after Casey Kasem was diagnosed with Lewy Body disease, he executed such a document and appointed Kerri, his daughter from a prior marriage, instead of his wife, Jean, to make his medical and end-of-life decisions.  The document stated that Casey did not want to be kept alive if it “would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning.”  Casey’s document nominated Kerri, not Jean, to make the important decision of when it was time to honor this wish and effectively end Casey’s life.

Hopefully Casey Kasem’s dramatic story can teach important lessons to others.  Every adult over the age of 18 — especially older adults — need to execute health care directive documents, such as Casey Kasem’s, in case they ever suffer a debilitating injury or disease.  Very few people would want to suffer indefinitely with no quality of life or reasonable hope of recovery.  Because Casey planned ahead and chose the person he most trusted to make the right decision, his suffering can now end.

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KC Radio: Steel City Media to Acquire Four Stations

Wilks Broadcast Group has announced it is selling its Kansas City cluster to family-owned Steel City Media of Pittsburgh.

The stations involved are Country KFKF 94.1 FM, Country KBEQ 104.3 FM, Top 40 KMXV 93.3 FM, and AC KCKC 102.1 FM.

Steel City Media currently owns WLTJ 92.9 FM Q92.9, WRKK 96.9 FM Bob and Pittsburgh City Paper, and several internet portals.

Vice President of Steel City Media Michael Frischling said, “We are excited about this great opportunity to add Kansas City’s premier radio cluster to our portfolio.”

Wilks CEO Jeff Wilks said, "We think Steel City is a great owner for these assets as an entrepreneurial, family-owned-and-operated business, which is not dissimilar to the culture at Wilks. We continue to look for compelling opportunities to create value in our business whether we are considering buying or selling radio assets in addition to focusing on strong operating performance across all of our market clusters."

Sale is subject to FCC approval and terms have yet to be disclosed.

ACC Awards Show Coming To TV

FOX, Cumulus and dickclark productions announced Thursday the television debut of the American Country Countdown Awards, bringing country music’s longest-running radio countdown show to a national television audience for the first time.

The two-hour live concert event will broadcast from Nashville on Monday, Dec. 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, and will honor the year’s best country music with awards, thrilling performances, special moments and additional surprises. Country music’s biggest stars will participate in the show and also pay tribute to the first-ever “NASH Icons” award winner.

“American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks” celebrates its 41st year as America’s longest-running country music countdown show on radio. Since launching in 1973, the radio show now airs on more than 280 radio stations in 155 markets, covering 90% of the country.

ACC Studio

“Fans of the ‘American Country Countdown’ are some of the most loyal and passionate fans around, so it’s a natural next step to bring that popular brand to television,” said Simon Andreae, Executive Vice President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX. “FOX has a long history of big, bold music events, and we can’t wait to bring down the house in Nashville this December with some of the most popular names in country music.”

“Expanding our NASH brand and the audience for our iconic ‘American Country Countdown’ franchise to a national TV audience is an exciting example of how we’re committed to serving the needs of America’s rapidly growing passion for country music,” said John Dickey, Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Cumulus. “We’re also grateful to our partners, dick clark productions and FOX, for making this possible."

“The ‘American Country Countdown’ radio show is one of the most respected brands in country music, highlighting the most successful stars on country radio,” said Mike Mahan, President of dick clark productions. “Through our broadcast partnership with FOX and Cumulus, we are able to create an innovative and new television format honoring superstars and spectacular emerging talent that fuel American country radio.”

SF Radio: Mac Daniels Named PD For KSJO NashFM

Mac Daniels

Cumulus Media has announced that Mac Daniels has been appointed Program Director of KSJO, NASH-FM 92.3 San Francisco/San Jose. Daniels has been Program Director of KSKS, 93.7 KISS Country in Fresno since 2010.

Prior to that, he programmed Austin Country stations KASE and KVET for Clear Channel, serving as Operations Manager and Program Director for those stations. He was also Regional Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel. Daniels was previously Program Director of WYCD in Detroit and WMZQ in Washington, and was Assistant Program Director and on-air personality at KPLX Dallas/Fort Worth from 1980-1993.

Daniels takes the wheel at NASH-FM 92.3 on July 7.

Cumulus recently acquired KSJO and flipped to the NASH format on Memorial Day. The station is the only Country radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently airing 10,000 songs in a row to launch the station.

Mike McVay, Senior Vice President, Corporate/Programming for Cumulus Media, said: “"We are fortunate to have the bench strength to be able to bring a programmer as experienced as Mac to San Francisco."

Jan Jeffries, Senior Vice President, Corporate/Programming for Cumulus Media, added:  "Mac's attention to detail, major market battle experience and winning track record put him at the head of the line to take the reins of programming at NASH FM 92.3".

Daniels said: “I am very excited to be leading the charge for the NASH brand for the entire Bay Area. Our goal is to provide Bay Area Country fans with a full compliment of top quality Country Music and Country Lifestyle content across every platform to meet the increasing demand. Thanks so much to John Dickey, Mike McVay and Jan Jeffries for showing their confidence and enthusiasm with this select opportunity.”

Charlotte Radio: Brad And Britt OUT At WBT

Greater Media's N/T WBT 1110 AM / 993. FM has announced it has parted company with hosts Brad Krantz and Britt Whitemire.

Brad and Britt had hosted the 6p-9pm timeslot.  The time for now will be filled with a 6pm news hour and Doc Washburn 7 to 9pm.

Post by WBT.

The duo originally joined WBT in 2012 for PM Drive from Curtis Media's WZTK, WPTF.

They plan to launch of podcast in July and consider new opportunities.

Charlotte Radio: Al Gardner, Marty Hunley Team For New Show

Marty Hurney

Former Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney will become a full-time talk show host beginning next week on WZGV 730 AM. according to The Charlotte Observer.

Hurney and former WBT 1110 AM morning host Al Gardner will be teamed on “Hurney and Gardner” beginning at 1 p.m. Monday, Lanny Ford, WZGV’s general manager, announced Thursday.

The new show debuts on the same day that rival WFNZ 610 AM “The Fan is expected to announce a new afternoon local show to replace Marc James, who left to host a talk show in Atlanta.

Hurney said one thing he’ll bring to the show, which will air weekdays 1 to 3 p.m., is an analytical perspective honed in the front office.

Al Gardner

Gardner, who has done a couple hours this week with Hurney as a guest, said he remembers considering it a victory when he was able to land Hurney on “Charlotte’s Morning News” back on WBT.

“He was always a good get on our morning show,” Gardner said.

Ford said that “The Pulse” with Bobby Rosinski and Chris Allison will air daily 3 to 7 p.m. on ESPN 730 beginning Monday.

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Cox Media Group, Big Machine Ink Direct Licensing Deal

Leading independent record label Big Machine Label Group and Cox Media Group (CMG) have announced an agreement to work together to bring the best in music and entertainment through radio and new digital technologies to their music fans and radio listeners. With the partnership, which includes revenue sharing for both broadcast and digital play, Big Machine and its artists will become the first record company to ink a direct licensing deal with CMG.

“This agreement represents an exciting opportunity for Cox Media Group to work together with Big Machine and their artists,” said CMG President Bill Hoffman.  “We believe that partnering directly with a label across our broadcast and digital platforms is mutually beneficial. We will ultimately enhance the opportunities for our fans, listeners, and our respective companies.”

Under Big Machine Label Group’s wholly-owned imprints Big Machine Records and The Valory Music Co., artists such as Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert and Thomas Rhett will benefit from this agreement.

"Bill Hoffman and Kim Guthrie have done an incredible job with the Cox Media Group by simultaneously building and preserving their great radio station brands while also reimagining what the future of broadcasting is going to be. Their station apps are among the very best,” said Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta. "Big Machine understands that a forward move in the digital broadcasting space is a must to get ahead of the many opportunities that a digital dashboard and other digital initiatives are going to bring.  We are thrilled to continue to elevate our partnership with this incredible company as the broadcasting sea change continues.”

CMG’s Executive VP of Radio Kim Guthrie added, “Among the many choices in the audio entertainment landscape, radio is now available to consumers through CMG’s exclusive radio apps, smartphones, NextRadio, HD Radio, radio streaming on offerings like iHeart Radio and Tune-In, and more. This deal and partnership will keep us in step with the listening habits and lifestyles of our listeners.”

CMG owns some of the nation’s top country stations, including the NAB Marconi Awards 2013 top country station of the year, KKBQ in Houston. CMG’s other leading country stations include Orlando’s WWKA, San Antonio’s Y100 KCYY, Dayton’s WHKO, Tulsa’s KWEN and Athens’ WNGC.

Infographic: Many Americans Trust Ads

Do you believe all the advertisements you hear and see?

A new infographic from Finances Online reveals that Americans are most wary of commercials for diet products, and most likely to trust ads for eco-friendly products.

Hillary Clinton Scolds NPR Radio Host

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got into a testy exchange Thursday with “Fresh Air” radio host Terry Gross, accusing her of “playing with my words” when pressing Clinton about when, and why, she decided to support same-sex marriage.

ABC Reports Gross asked Clinton multiple times whether the reason she now publicly supports the issue was because her own position changed from the 1990s or because the U.S. public’s had shifted. Clinton did not answer to the satisfaction of Gross, so the host asked her repeatedly to clarify. The exchange incited a heated back and forth between the two women, and showed a rarely seen, defensive side of the potential presidential candidate.

“You know I really, I have to say, I think you’re being very persistent, but you are playing with my words and playing with what is such an important issue,” Clinton said, after Gross suggested Clinton’s opinion had changed since the ’90s.

“I’m just trying to clarify so I can understand,” Gross responded.

“No,” Clinton snapped. “I don’t think you are trying to clarify. I think you are trying to say that I used to be opposed and now I am in favor and I did it for political reasons. And that’s just flat wrong. So let me just state what I feel like I think you are implying and repudiate it. I have a strong record. I have a great commitment to this issue and I am proud of what I’ve done and the progress were making.”

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW:  Click Here

Gross, whose Philadelphia-based show is distributed nationally by NPR, told Clinton that’s not what she meant either. “I was saying that you maybe really, believed in gay marriage all along, but felt for political reasons America wasn’t ready yet and you couldn’t say it. That’s what I was thinking,” she said.

“No. That is not true,” Clinton said, audibly annoyed. “I did not grow up even imagining gay marriage and I don’t think you did either. This was an incredible new and important idea that people on the front lines of the gay rights movement began to talk about and slowly, but surely, convinced others about the rightness of that position. When I was ready to say what I said, I said it.”

“OK,” Gross responded. “Thank you for clarifying that.”

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GA Radio: WKAK's Jaxon Riley Nominated For GRHOF

Jaxon Riley

Rodney Rouse, whose distinct, bigger-than-life voice has introduced Southwest Georgians to their favorite music and offered “at least one weird thing an hour” over the radio airwaves for the past 41 years, laughs as he talks about that career that recently landed him a Georgia Radio Hall of Fame nomination, according to The Albany Herald.

“People meet me out in the community, and they say two things,” Rouse, who is best-known by his nom de radio Jaxon Riley, said in between songs during a recent 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday-through-Friday airshift at WKAK 104.5 FM  NASH FM. “They say they’re astonished at how old I am (63, as of June 4) and how short I am (5-foot-3).”

Rouse may be diminutive in stature, but his big, big voice has made him one of the region’s most loved and widely known personalities. That, and the charity work that he’s tirelessly promoted and taken part in during his four decades on the air, landed him the GRHOF nomination.

“Jaxon has certainly had a distinguished career and has been involved in a lot of charity work,” Georgia Radio Hall of Fame President John Long, who worked briefly with Rouse in the Albany market during the 1980s, said. “He, along with all the other nominees, is deserving of this recognition.”

WKAK 104.5 FM (98Kw) 60dBu Coverage

Rouse got his start in radio at WBIB in Centreville, Ala., but he soon came back “home” to Albany and became a fixture on Southwest Georgia airwaves. He left the market once, for a job at WKXY in Sarasota, Fla., but has otherwise remained a regional fixture at WQDE, WJAZ and WKAK in Albany; Y-100 in Tifton; WAZE in Dawson … 12 area stations in all.

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Indy Radio: CCM+E Rebrands X103

CCM+E's X103 has rebranded itself as "Alt 103.3," without making major changes to its playlist, according to indystar.com.

WOLT 103.3 FM replaced WRZX-FM at 6 p.m. Thursday. It appears the change is more cosmetic than sonic.

The first four songs played on Alt 103.3: Sublime, "What I Got"; Mumford & Sons, "Little Lion Man"; Black Keys, "Gold on the Ceiling"; and Pearl Jam, "Jeremy."

All four tunes would be at home on the X103 format. The fifth Alt 103.3 song, Fitz & the Tantrums' "The Walker," skews closer to pop than metal-leaning X103 acts such as Godsmack and Shinedown.

WRZX 103.3 FM (18Kw) 54dBu Coverage

"Music fans in Indianapolis have spoken," station director of operations Rob Cressman said in a statement. "When we asked, they were very clear about their desire for choice and their craving for new music discovery."

Chico Radio: Wiring Theft Silences Two Stations

Christian radio stations KYIX 104.9 FM Air One and KKXX 930 am / 104.5 FM went off-air Wednesday because according to management there someone removed wiring owned by the station from their tower.

Andrew Palmquist, the station manager at KKXX, provided KRCR NewsChannel 7 an image from surveillance video of someone inside the tower near the time the stations went off the air around 1:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Palmquist said this is due to a contract dispute.  He said the stations' contract with Incomm Sites, a property management company, had expired but Incomm Sites believes the contract is valid for another year.

"We have about $50,000 worth of equipment up there," Palmquiest said. "And Incomm sites told me over the phone that we had 48 hours or they could not guarantee that our equipment wouldn't be vandalized or removed from the tower."

"The wife of the owner told me that they're willing to tear down the towers and cut down the wires."

KYIX 104.9 FM (260watts) 60dBu Coverage

R.I.P. St. Louis Radio Personality Lou Thimes

Lou Thimes

The family of Lou “Fatha” Thimes says the St. Louis radio DJ legend has died.

He was 85 according to fox2now.com.

“Fatha” Thimes was a mainstay in the St. Louis radio broadcast industry for over 50 years.

Thimes started his radio career 1952 in Okinawa, Japan but started in St. Louis in 1956 and served for years with popular 60s radio stations like KXLW, KWK, and KADI.  But generations of listeners remember him best for KATZ 1600  AM playing Blues and Gospel music for over 50 years.

He leaves behind his son, Lou Thimes, Jr. (The Real J.R.) and his international Jazz diva daughter, Ms. Denise Thimes.

Radio's Triskaidekaphobia Tactics

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday. The fear of Friday the 13th has been called friggatriskaidekaphobia (Frigga being the name of the Norse goddess for whom "Friday" is named in English and triskaidekaphobia meaning fear of the number thirteen), or paraskevidekatriaphobia a concatenation of the Greek words Paraskeví, and dekatreís (meaning "thirteen") attached to phobía. The latter word was derived in 1911and first appeared in a mainstream source in 1953.

Blair Garner from America's Morning Show on NashFM tempted fate by broadcasting from under a ladder.
And...

In Atlanta, WSTR 94.9 FM's Jimmy demonstrated what he thought of Friday the 13th.  He opened an umbrella, broke a mirror and walked under a ladder in the Star 94 Studio Friday.

By the way, not only is today Friday the 13th but there's a full moon. The next one won't happen again until August 13, 2049!

June 13 In Radio history

In 1897...Reuben Larson was born. Larson was a missionary pioneer who co-founded the World Radio Missionary Fellowship in 1931. The organization has been located in Opa Locka, Florida since 1969.


In 1946...Edward Bowes, who was the Radio host on "Major Bowes Amateur Hour", died at age 71.

Maj. Edward Bowes

Bowes made his first business success in real estate, until the cataclysmic San Francisco earthquake of 1906 wiped out his fortune. He then went to New York City, in search of other opportunities. He soon realized that the theatrical world was lucrative, and he worked busily in New York as a musical conductor, composer, and arranger. He also produced Broadway shows, such as Kindling in 1911-12 and The Bridal Path in 1913.

He became managing director of New York's imposing Capitol Theatre, which he ran with military efficiency and bearing. He insisted on being addressed as "Major Bowes". His nickname sprang from his earlier military rank, though historians are divided on whether he was an active-duty officer in World War I or held the rank as a member of the Officer Reserve Corps.



In 1934, Bowes brought his best-known creation to New York radio station WHN in 1934. He had actually hosted scattered amateur nights on smaller stations while manager of the Capitol. Within a year of its WHN premiere, The Original Amateur Hour —its original name, according to historian Gerald Nachman, was Major Bowes and His Capitol Family — began earning its creator and host as much as $1 million a year, according to Variety.   The show lasted on radio until 1952. It lasted on television from 1948 to 1970.

The rapid popularity of The Original Amateur Hour made him better known than most of the talent he featured. Some of his discoveries did become stars, including opera stars Lily Pons, Robert Merrill, and Beverly Sills; comedian Jack Carter; pop singer Teresa Brewer; and, Frank Sinatra, fronting a quartet known as the Hoboken Four when they appeared on the show in 1937.

The show consistently ranked among radio's top ten programs throughout its entire run. Bowes's familiar catchphrase, "...around and around she goes and where she stops nobody knows", spoken in the familiar avuncular tones for which he was so renowned, whenever it was time to spin its "wheel of fortune," the device by which some contestants were called to perform. In the early days of the show, whenever a performer was simply too terrible to continue, Bowes would stop the act by striking a gong (a device that would be revived in the 1970s by Chuck Barris's infamous The Gong Show). Bowes heard from thousands of listeners who objected to his terminating these acts prematurely, so he abandoned the gong in 1936. Nachman recorded that Bowes, "a businesslike fellow with a mirthless chuckle who, unlike most emcees, had a gift for nongab," went out of his way to make contestants feel at ease, habitually taking them out to dinner before their appearances. Nachman credits Bowes for featuring more black entertainers than many network shows of the time.


In 1948...WBAM becomes WOR FM in NYC

Report: Jean Kasem Could Face Criminal Charges

Jean Kasem

Police are looking into allegations Casey Kasem's health may have been fatally compromised when his wife removed him from a convalescent home and took him on a surreptitious, multi-state ride and now there's a criminal investigation, TMZ reports.

Casey's daughter Kerri apprently has contacted the Santa Monica Police Dept., claiming her dad is the victim of elder abuse at the hands of Jean Kasem.

Kerri handed over documents which she said showed Jean removed Casey from the Berkley East Convalescent Hospital last month.  Kerri claims Jean drove to Nevada to find a place to keep Casey away from the family.

Nevada proved fruitless, so Jean drove Casey to Arizona, then back to Nevada and then finally flew him to Washington.

TMZ's sources say Kerri has medical documents showing that during the trip Casey developed a bedsore which then became infected and ultimately life-threatening.

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Feeding Casey Kasem 'Would Prolong Dying Process'

Casey Kasem

Casey Kasem lies critically ill in a Washington state hospital, while his three children from his first marriage fight with their stepmother, Jean Kasem, in court and the media for control of his final days.

CNN is reporting a Los Angeles judge reversed his own decision Wednesday and gave daughter Kerri Kasem the authority to have doctors end his infusions of water, food and medicine.

Kasem's doctor concluded that contining the artificial nutrition and hydration would only "at best prolong the dying process for him and will certainly add suffering to an already terribly uncomfortable dying process," said Kerri Kasem's lawyer, Troy Martin.

"The court's decision today upheld our father's explicit wishes as expressed by him in his health directive," Kerri Kasem said in a statement after the hearing. She was referring to a directive her father signed in 2007, saying he would not want to be kept alive if it "would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning."

Jean Kasem

An attorney for Jean Kasem, Steve Haney, slammed the judge's decision, calling it "the functional equivalent of a death sentence."

"Nobody wants Mr. Kasem to die," Martin said. "The fact is that he is dying from sepsis and dementia."

Kasem became the world's best-known radio host as his syndicated shows grew in popularity and distribution through the 1970s and 1980s. His famous signoff was "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars." He finally handed off his duties to Ryan Seacrest in 2004.

He retired from hosting and voice work in 2009, two years after a doctor diagnosed him with Parkinson's disease, a diagnosis that was later changed to Lewy body dementia, which has no cure, according to court documents.

"For the last 11 days, our father has been surrounded day and night by love and care by his daughters Kerri and Julie, his son Mike, his brother Mouner and sister-in-law Mary, and his dear friend Gonzalo Venecia," Kerri's rep said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. "We continue to hope that Jean and Liberty will come join his family during this time."

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Kerri explains reason for 'end-of-life' decision:

Post by Kerri Kasem.

TMZ is reporting Casey's family has been playing old recordings of his "American Top 40" show while he lay dying in hospice.

LA Radio: Report 'Inconsistencies' Delayed Ratings

In an unprecedented move, Nielsen has acknowledged problems with its audience estimates in recent months for Los Angeles radio stations, according to The LA Times.

Monday, Nielsen delayed the release of its May radio ratings, saying it needed more time to perform "quality control reviews" because of concerns that its audience estimates might have been compromised.

The ratings are now expected to be released June 17.  Nielsen also has announced April's PPMs report would be re-issued June 19.

Nielsen said it would revise the ratings issued for April because those numbers also appeared to be tainted.

"After reviewing preliminary data for the Nielsen Audio Los Angeles PPM market, we discovered inconsistencies with the household ratings that lead us to conduct a more in-depth analysis of the data," Nielsen said in a statement distributed to radio stations on Wednesday.

Nielsen has been attempting to verify that individuals who participated in its  sample audience panel were truly independent and did not have ties to any radio stations or radio personalities that were being measured.

The ratings agency said Wednesday that it needed to "remove a household from the panel for not meeting our quality standards."

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LA Radio: 'Inconsistencies' Date Back To Summer 2013

Ricardo Sanchez

Problems with Nielsen's sample audience date back to last summer, according to The LA Times, when NielsenAudio launched an investigation into possible audience pool tampering.

The Nielsen investigation came to light last fall, after Spanish-language radio host Ricardo Sanchez, who then worked at Spanish Broadcasting System's popular La Raza station KLAX 97.9 FM, rocketed to the top of the ratings for morning drive-time programs in the spring of 2013.

Executives at rival stations suspected problems with the ratings, and they complained to Nielsen.

Last fall Sanchez was abruptly taken off the air by Spanish Broadcasting System. At the time, Sanchez was involved in tense contract negotiations with the station. He was told to report for work and sit at a desk. Sanchez has said he did nothing wrong.

See M-C Posting:  Click Here

The problems with the Nielsen audience panel appear to have continued long after Sanchez left the La Raza station. Sanchez, who goes by the nickname "El Mandril," returned to the airwaves earlier this year -- but at a new station, KXOS 93.9 FM.

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Orlando Radio: Four Of Top Five Lose Some Ground

WXXL #1 In Cume

Contemporary Christian WPOZ-FM and Country WWKA both lost some ground, but remain 1-2 in the May PPMs for The City Beautiful released Wednesday.

Central FL Educational's WPOZ 88.3 FM moved 8.1—7.9 and Cox Media Group's WWKA 92.3 FM lost 7.3—7.0.

Cox cluster-mate WCFB 94.5 FM had a 6.7—6.8 uptick to finish in the #3 spots. CCM+E stations have a hold on #4 and #5. Top40 WXXL 106.7 FM shed share 6.5—6.4 for #4 and AC WMGF-FM was down 5.7—5.4 and ended up at #5.

Total Week:
25-54: WWKA...WPOZ....WCFB...WXXL...WTKS

18-34:  WXXL...WPYO...WWKA...WJRR...WOMX

18-49:  WXXL...WPOZ...WWKA...WPYO...WTKS

Cume:   WXXL-FM 534,200...WOMX-FM 500,100...WMGF-FM 492,000...WPYO-FM 417,000...WOCL-FM 407,800

Nielsen Releases May PPM Data For 12 More Markets

Nielsen released Wednesday the third round of the May PPMs for 12 markets.

Markets released were:

• Portland OR
• Charlotte-Gaastonia-Rock Hill
• Pittsburgh
• Sacramento
• San Antonio
• Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Las Vegas
• Orlando
• Kansas City
• Columbus

To see the Top of the Line numbers for Nielsen subscribers: Click Here.

Lawmaker Slam FCC Media Ownership Rules

Rep. Greg Walden

Lawmakers slammed rules at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that critics say constrain traditional media companies as they try to compete with their unregulated online competitors, according to The Hill.

“Pretending that laws designed for an era before smartphones and the Internet will get the job done is an effective death sentence for many local media outlets,” Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) — chairman of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications — said Wednesday during a hearing held by his subcommittee.

“I just think that you guys don’t get it that the market has changed dramatically,” he said pointing to the Internet-enabled radio and music services that fall outside of the FCC’s regulatory jurisdiction.

FCC Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake responded that the agency is “looking at those trends in music radio and other sources [which] haven’t indicated to us yet that we should change the rules.

The FCC is “very open to all input on that subject,” he added.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) joined in criticizing the agency, saying he is “absolutely, totally disappointed in the FCC and their position on minority ownership.”

“This is the worst time for media ownership by minorities,” he said.

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Report: Talk Radio May Have Doomed Cantor

Laura Ingram

If Eric Cantor needed evidence that his political career was in real trouble, all he had to do was look outside his living room window one night last week, according to Jeremy Peters at The NY Times:

At a stately country club about half a mile from his home in the affluent Richmond, Virginia, suburb of Glen Allen, so many people had come to see Radio talk host Laura Ingraham stump for Cantor's opponent in the Republican primary, David Brat, that the overflow parking nearly reached his driveway. 

Ingraham was so taken aback at the size of the crowd - inside the clubhouse, hundreds of people crammed onto staircase landings, leaning over railings - she wondered aloud what was really going on. 

"We all looked at each other, saying, 'He could totally win,'" Ingraham said in an interview. "I've had two moments in American politics in the last 15 years where I knew there was a big change afoot. One was when I left the Iowa caucuses in 2008. I walked out of there and said to a friend, 'Barack Obama is going to win.' And the other was when I left that rally last Tuesday." 

Few people did more than Ingraham to propel Brat, a 49-year-old economics professor who has never held elected office before, from obscurity to national conservative hero.

Brat may have been turned away when he asked for financial support from well-funded conservative groups, and he was largely ignored by the national and local media, which considered Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, a shoo-in. But he was a known quantity to the loyal audiences of radio personalities like Ingraham and Mark Levin, a Reagan aide and a revered figure in the conservative movement.

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Harrisburg PA Radio: Bruce Bond Is Back

Bruce Bond

The controversial 'shock' jock is getting his own show on Rock WTPA 92.1 FM. "The Bruce Bond Show" will run 9 a.m.-noon on Saturdays, starting June 14, according to pennlive.com.

Bond is no stranger to radio listeners, having been a well-known host on WNNK 104.1 FM in the 1980s and 90s. He was known for prank phone calls and never shying away from sharing his opinion.

Last year, Bond made headlines as he auditioned for a spot hosting a show on WHP 580 AM. The spot eventually went to Ken Matthews.

The reason to bring back the shock jock was influenced, in part, by advertising.

"I was recently at a function speaking to one of our longtime advertisers, [a] reputable company here in central PA about their thoughts on marketing and advertising," said Tim Michaels, vice president and general manager for WTPA-FM. "It was this company that mentioned Bruce Bond and that advertising on his show in the past was among the most successful marketing tools they have ever had."

WTPA 92.1 FM (1.5Kw) 60dBu Coverage

Bond made ratings history for WNNK-FM when he worked with the station as a program director in 1988, pulling in a 21.7 percent share of available audience among listeners 12 and older. He was ranked the fifth most-listened-to afternoon DJ in the country by Radio and Records Report Directory in 1989 and was nominated for Air Personality of the Year by Billboard Magazine in 1990. He won the National Association of Broadcaster's Marconi Award for Medium Market Personality of the Year in Oct. 1996.

Prior to his WHP 580 audition, Bond became a national news story after being found guilty for involvement in a $4.3 million forged-check scheme in 2008. Bond served roughly two years in prison and was released on parole in 2010.

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WV Radio: Bad Weather Fells WCMI Tower

Kindred Communications lost a 400-foot radio tower Tuesday night when the tower for rock WCMI 92.7 FM The Planet and for WCMI 1340 AM, was blown down by the storms which ripped throughout the Tri-State region of West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky on Tuesday, June 10, leaving thousands without power, according to huntingtonnews.com.

The tower is located in South Point, Ohio, in a remote location in the Lawrence County. There were no injuries or additional damage from the tower’s collapse last night, and crews were on the scene within two hours once management was informed of the problem. However, damage from the storm had to be removed from the access road to the tower first before the repairs could be started.

The Planet will continue on low power until the tower is repaired, and listeners are reminded they can go to The Planet’s website, www.planet927.com.

WCMI 92.7 FM (2.5Kw) 60dBu Coverage

“This is the first time in my 45 yeas in radio I have seen a tower brought down by severe weather,” Kindred Communications President Mike Kirtner said.

“We are happy to report there were no injuries, and our crews will be working to restore The Planet 92.7 FM to full power as soon as possible.”

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