Saturday Aircheck: Jack Diamond On WRQX 1997

The Jack Diamond Morning Show, was on the air at Washington, DC's WRQX 107.3 FM Mix 107-3 for nearly 24 years. The final broadcast of the Jack Diamond Morning Show on WRQX was Friday, April 26, 2013

From the Ellis B. Feaster Collection

July 6 Radio History

In 1924...in an experiment, the first photo was sent across the Atlantic by radio from the United States to England.

In 1957...Liverpool teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time after a performance by Lennon's band, the Quarrymen.



In 1963...Dick Biondi - the once-popular evening DJ on WLS 890 AM inChicago, begins on KRLA 110 AM in Pasadena, Calif. He walked out on WLS about 2 months ago in a disagreement. KRLA is in a top-40 battle with KFWB.Even though KFWB is #1 - the new KRLA lineup looks like this - Reb Foster, Casey Kasem, Bob Eubanks, Dick Biondi, Ted Quilin. (Today, Biondi airs on WLS 94.7 FM in Chicago.)

KRLA overtook KFWB by the mid-1960s. In 1965, KHJ start its “Boss Radio” Top 40 format, which launched it to the No. 1 position.  KRLA was the second-place Top 40 station.  KFWB abandoned music and flipped to all-news in 1968.



As music listeners moved to FM, KRLA evolved to adult contemporary by 1982.  It became an oldies station in 1983.  That lasted until 1994, when KRLA moved to urban oldies.  In 1998, KRLA went to an all-talk format before flipping to all-sports KSPN in 2000.  Today, it’s KDIS, a Radio Disney children’s music station.

When KRLA became KSPN in 2000, the KRLA call letters went to 870 AM, which carries a conservative talk format.


In 1974..."A Prairie Home Companion," a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor and first broadcast from Macalester College in St. Paul, made its debut on Minnesota Public Radio.

SiriusXM Fires Anthony Cumia Over Twitter Tirade

Anthony Cumia

Anthony Cumie, one hald of The Opie & Anthony Show, has been fired  for a shocking racist tirade on Twitter.

Cumia called a black woman a 'c***' and an 'animal b****' on Wednesday after claiming she punched him in the face as he took photos in NYC's Times Square.

On Friday, a spokesperson for SiriusXM said that the rant was 'abhorrent' and 'wholly inconsistent with what SiriusXM represents'.

'SiriusXM has terminated its relationship with Anthony Cumia of the Opie & Anthony channel,' Patrick Reilly said. 'The decision was made, and Cumia informed, late Thursday, July 3 after careful consideration of his racially-charged and hate-filled remarks on social media.

"SiriusXM has terminated its relationship with Anthony Cumia of the Opie & Anthony channel. The decision was made, and Cumia informed, late Thursday, July 3 after careful consideration of his racially-charged and hate-filled remarks on social media. Those remarks and postings are abhorrent to SiriusXM, and his behavior is wholly inconsistent with what SiriusXM represents."

Despite the latest development, the fouled-mouthed shock jock still showed no sign of remorse.

Sirius decided to cave and fire me. Welcome to bizarro world. Fired for shit that wasn't even on the air & wasn't illegal. So, who's next?
— Anthony Cumia (@AnthonyCumia) July 4, 2014

He wrote that he was fired via email, adding: 'F*** Sirius.'

His firing came after he explained on Twitter on Wednesday that he was trying to take photos of the area in New York City on Tuesday night when the unidentified woman was caught in the frame.

SEE ORIGINAL POSTING: Click Here.

July 4 In Radio History

In 1929...WOWO-AM, Fort Wayne, Indiana lost its transmitter when it burned down.

WOWO resumed broadcasting the next day, as operations were moved across the street until damages could be repaired. In November 1929, the station held a grand opening of the rebuilt studios


In 1958...WKBW 1520 AM, Buffalo, changed its format to "Top 40".

In 1970...American Top 40 began on the Independence Day weekend in 1970, on seven radio stations, the very first being KDEO in El Cajon, California (now KECR), which broadcast the inaugural show the evening of July 3, 1970.

The chart data broadcast actually included the top 40 songs from the week ending July 11, 1970. The very first show featured the very last time both Elvis Presley and The Beatles had songs simultaneously in the Top 10.

It was originally distributed by Watermark Inc., and was first presented in mono until it started recording in stereo in September 1972.

 In early 1982, Watermark was purchased by ABC Radio and AT40 became a program of the "ABC Contemporary Radio Network". The program was hosted by Casey Kasem and co-created by Kasem; Don Bustany, Kasem's childhhood friend from Detroit, MI;radio veteran Tom Rounds; and 93/KHJ Program Director Ron Jacobs, who produced and directed the various production elements. Rounds was also the marketing director; the initial funder was California strawberry grower Tom Driscoll.



The show began as a three-hour program written and directed by Bustany, counting down the top 40 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The show quickly gained popularity once it was commissioned, and expanded to a four hour-program on October 7, 1978, to reflect the increasing average length of singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The producing staff expanded to eight people, some of them still in the business: Nikki Wine, Ben Marichal, Scott Paton, Matt Wilson, Merrill Shindler, Guy Aoki, Ronnie Allen and Sandy Stert Benjamin. (Bustany retired from AT40 in 1989; since 1994, he has hosted a political talk show on listener-sponsored KPFK.)

By the early 1980s, the show could be heard on 520 stations in the United States and at its zenith, the show was broadcast on 1,000-plus stations in some 50 countries.

Kasem told the New York Times in 1990 "I accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. That is the timeless thing."

AT40's first countdown:

40: END OF OUR ROAD - MARVIN GAYE
39: SILVER BIRD - MARK LINDSEY
38: SPILL THE WINE - ERIC BURDEN
37: GO BACK - CRABBY APPLETON
36: I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING - B.J. THOMAS
35: SPIRIT IN THE DARK - ARETHA FRANKLIN
34: MISSISSIPPI - JOHN PHILLIPS
33: WESTBOUND #9 - FLAMING EMBER
32: IT'S ALL IN THE GAME - FOUR TOPS
31: SAVE THE COUNTRY - FIFTH DIMENSION
30: OHIO - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG
29: EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL - RAY STEVENS
28: CHECK OUT YOUR MIND - IMPRESSIONS
27: QUESTION - MOODY BLUES
26: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED - STEVIE WONDER
25: SUGAR, SUGAR - WILSON PICKETT
24: TEACH YOUR CHILDREN - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
23: WHICH WAY YOU GOIN' BILLY - THE POPPY FAMILY
OLDIE: LITTLE OLE MAN - BILL COSBY
22: LOVE ON A TWO-WAY STREET - MOMENTS
21: MISSISSIPPI QUEEN - MOUNTAIN
20: MAKE IT WITH YOU - BREAD
19: ARE YOU READY - PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC
18: LOVE LAND - CHARLES WRIGHT & THE WATTS 103RD STREET RHYTHM BAND
17: TIGHTER & TIGHTER - ALIVE AND KICKING
16: MY BABY LOVES LOVIN' - WHITE PLAINS
15: A SONG OF JOY - MIGUEL RIOS
OLDIE: HELLO DOLLY - LOUIS ARMSTRONG
14: UNITED WE STAND - BROTHERHOOD OF MAN
13: GET READY - RARE EARTH
12: OOH CHILD - STAIRSTEPS
11: GIMME DAT DING - THE PIPKINS
10: HITCHIN' A RIDE - VANITY FAIR
OLDIE: SPINNING WHEEL - BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS
9: THE WONDER OF YOU - ELVIS PRESLEY
8: THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - BEATLES
7: CLOSE TO YOU - CARPENTERS
6: LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE WIND) - MELANIE
5: BAND OF GOLD - FREDA PAYNE
4: RIDE CAPTAIN RIDE - BLUES IMAGE
3: BALL OF CONFUSION - TEMPTATIONS
2: THE LOVE YOU SAVE - JACKSON FIVE
OLDIE: SATISFACTION - ROLLING STONES
1: MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME - THREE DOG NIGHT



In 1972...WCBS 101.1 FM, New York, changed its format to "Oldies".

At first, the station focused on rock-and-roll hits from 1955 to 1964 and mixed in some softer hits of the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as a few then-current songs. WCBS-FM also played a moderate amount of adult standards from the rock era. The station played two current hits per hour known as "future gold". By the late 1970s however, the station dropped most of the adult standards, with a few exceptions, and added rock hits from the late 1960s.

WCBS-FM's oldies format weathered many trends and corporate moves.

By 1979, three FM stations owned by CBS had begun playing disco music. In 1981, all of CBS's FM stations, except for WCBS-FM, adopted a CHR format known as "Hot Hits". The oldies format on WCBS-FM continued to be a success.

One ongoing favorite feature was a countdown of the top 500 songs of all time, as voted by the station's listeners. The countdown always took place on Thanksgiving weekend (with a new survey taken every other year. On even years, up to 1990, the survey from the previous year was played. In the first Top 500, The Five Satins' doo wop classic "In the Still of the Night" was #1 and "Earth Angel" by The Penguins was #2.

In 2003...financial expert and Radio personality, Larry Burkett, died at age 64. Best known for his show "Money Matters", which aired on 1,000 radio stations.

Report: Sinclair Hires Investigative Reporter Sharyl Attkisson

Sharryl Attkisson

Sinclair Broadcasting has hired former CBS Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson to work as an Investigative Reporter for the company, as first reported by FTV Live.

Attkisson left CBS News after she said that the network kept spiking her stories. She has shown that her leanings are very conservative and will fit in perfectly with Sinclair, which leans the same way.

Attkisson working at Sinclair is akin to the mothership calling her home.

An internal memo from Scott Livinston sent out to News Directors at the Sinclair stations stated:

"I'm pleased to announce that Sharyl Attkisson will be working as a freelance independent investigative reporter for Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sharyl is an award winning journalist, whose work has been recognized for more than a decade. She has broken many major stories including Fast and Furious, Benghazi and numerous government accountability stories. Sharyl will focus on stories that follow the money and waste watch type of investigations. I have admired her determination and desire to track the truth. As you know, she resigned from CBS News due to frustration over the network's perceived bias and lack of support for investigative reporting. She will be a great fit with our commitment to holding public officials accountable and being a viewer advocate. You can expect Sharyl's first story later this month."

NYC Radio: Lucy Hale Visits NashFM For Performance

Country artistLucy Hale stopped by the WNSH 94.7 FM NashFM studios in NYC Wednesday for a meet-and-greet and  up close performance for listeners!

Lucy performed songs from her debut album “Road Between” to an intimate group of lucky fans who won tickets by listening to NashFM 94.7.

Streaming Continues To Impact Music Sales

The music industry contracted again in the first six months of 2014 — but the decline slowed from a year ago.

The NY Post reports total sales, including physical CDs and albums, digital downloads and streaming, slipped 3.3 percent year-over-year through June 30, to 227.1 million units, according to Nielsen/Billboard stats released Wednesday.

The decline is smaller than the 4.6 percent fall music labels tallied in the first half of 2013.

A 42 percent increase in on-demand audio and video streams helped to stem the slippage.

Meanwhile, traditional music streaming, as it had in 2013, was a bright spot for the industry, expanding unit sales 24 percent, the stats show. Music streaming jumped past digital downloads in 2013 for the first time, when it came to popularity among music lovers.

That continued in the first half with overall album sales falling 14.9 percent, to 120.9 million units.

The big winners were Disney’s soundtrack album “Frozen,” which topped the album charts with 2.6 million sold followed by Beyoncé’s self-titled album, which sold 702,000 copies. “Frozen” also topped the digital album charts.

Pharrell Williams had the top-selling digital song of the period with “Happy,” which sold 5.63 million copies and won the most radio airplay of the period with 571,000 spins.

'Opie and Anthony' Host Goes on Twitter Tirade

Anthony Cumia

Opie and Anthony host Anthony Cumia went on an offensive Twitter tirade after he claimed a woman attacked him in Times Square, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The incident sparked a racist rant from the SiriusXM DJ, who said on Tuesday that he was taking photos of New York City when an African-American woman, who was in his frame, punched him in the face.

The woman said she did not want to have her picture taken, according to Cumia.

"Then she punched me 5 more times. She's lucky I was a white legal gun owner or she'd be dead. Then 5 blacks started giving me shit!" the 53-year-old host tweeted. Cumia proceeded to angrily rant on Twitter throughout the night until Wednesday morning.

I was assaulted and used "mean" words on twitter and I'M the bad guy in all this?? Lol! This fucking world is completely ass backwards!
— Anthony Cumia (@AnthonyCumia) July 3, 2014

"The switch to violence is immediate. No discussion, just violence. When will THAT be addressed? Oh, right, never. Slavery did it? Oh, ok," he wrote.

Cumia claimed that he wasn't hurt by the woman's blows and managed to block most of them. He later wrote that the incident ended with him walking away with "no cop around" to stop the situation.

Tweets by @AnthonyCumia

Indy Radio: Tony Katz Moves To AM Drive On WIBC

Steve Simpson

June 13 was the last day on the air at N/T WIBC 93.1 FM for longtime radio news personality Steve Simpson.

According to the Indianpolis Business Journal, his contract would not be renewed by Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp., which owns WIBC.

“We now have more empathy than ever for what the [Indianapolis] Colts went through with Peyton Manning,” said Emmis market manager Charlie Morgan. “This certainly has nothing to do with Steve’s performance. … This should not be taken in any way as our lack of appreciation for Steve’s 22 years of service at WIBC.

“He’s just not the right guy for what the role of host now requires,” Morgan added. “What we’re asking our hosts to do is offer opinion and perspective, and [Simpson] was not comfortable with that. He was more comfortable in a more traditional news role.”

WIBC 93.1 FM (13.5Kw) 54dBu Coverage

Tony Katz

As of Monday (6/30), mornings on WIBC has been filled by conservative news talk show host Tony Katz, Morgan said.

Katz, who is based out of Los Angeles, had been doing a show on WIBC from 9 p.m. to midnight. Katz is in the process of selling his L.A. home and moving to Carmel, Morgan said.

“Tony’s is a local show,” Morgan emphasized, “not a syndicated show.”

The shakeout, Simpson said, didn’t catch him completely by surprise Friday.

“Times change, and the direction they were headed is a place I couldn’t take them,” he said. “I had a nice, long run at WIBC and certainly still have some friends there and wish them the best of luck.”

Simpson, 50, said he’d like to stay in Indianapolis and is considering a number of future career options. “I have some ideas on what I’d like to do … anything from public relations to being a spokesperson to writing are some of the things I’d consider.”

Simpson said he’d also consider another radio gig if one came available.

Simpson, a Syracuse University graduate, started his career in Syracuse, New York at WHEN and WKFM. He moved to Indiana in 1987 to work at WKLR-FM, and in 1992 made the move to WIBC.

Previously, Kats was a host on N/T KFTK 97.1FM in St. Louis. He also hosted various daily shows with the All Patriots Media Network.

Tony is a contributor to TownHall.com and ChristianPost.com, and his work has appeared on Breitbart.com and The Daily Caller.

NAB's Smith Calls Newsroom Study Info Gathering Process

Gordon Smith

National Association of Broadcasters Pres/CEO Gordon Smith talked about the future of television on C-SPAN's The Communicators series this week and gave his perspective on the U.S. Supreme Court decision on ABC v. Aereo, Inc. that Aereo was violating copyright law by allowing its subscribers to stream content from broadcast television networks.

The NAB had filed an amicus brief opposing Aereo. 

Other topics include spectrum auctions, the impact of mergers of large communications companies, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Chairman Tom Wheeler, and efforts to extend the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, which would expire during 2014.

WATCH VIDEO: Click Here.

Concerning the FCC's controversial newsroom study, Smith called it "a regulator getting into the editorial rooms of broadcasters, and I think there were real First Amendment concerns about that approach.  That said, I think the FCC's motives were not to infringe upon the first amendment, but to get the critical information they wanted to have.  But it's frankly hard to do without... the state getting into editorial decisions of newsrooms."

Philly Radio: Fire Hits Tour Busses At WMGK Event

Fire damaged the tour buses belonging to classic rock bands Styx and Foreigner in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia.

Action News6 reports fire broke out on the Styx bus around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.  The flames spread to the adjacent Foreigner bus.

The buses were empty at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

Both bands are appearing at WMGK 102.9 FM's Let Freedom Rock Fest Thursday at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden. The show is scheduled to proceed as normal.

It is not yet known what caused the bus to catch fire.

Charlotte Radio: Brad&Britt Launch Online Content

Former WBT Charlotte radio hosts Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire have launched their show online and launch The Brad & Britt Podcast, via the RELM Network.

Pleased to announce we've joined @RELMNetwork for a daily,FREE podcast beginning Mon. On @iTunesPodcasts @Stitcher & http://t.co/dZnRXS8JiX
— BradandBritt.com (@BradandBritt) July 2, 2014

RELM also hosts Don Geronimo's daily subscription show and other offerings on the Internet audio service.

Bitt stated, “This is exactly what our fans have wanted. A chance to hear us without being interrupted by traffic and weather every ten minutes or having to wait through long commercial breaks.”

Listeners will also be able to download a free podcast each weekday from BradandBritt.com, and get the local duo’s impersonations, skits, and takes on politics, current events, sports and life.

It will be available through subscription apps such as iTunes and Stitcher, and can be played from any computer, smartphone or tablet.

Soccer Ratings: USA-Belgium Averaged 16.59M Viewers

Tuesday’s USA-Belgium match averaged 16.49 million viewers on ESPN, according to updated in-home viewing estimates by Nielsen — making it the second most-watched men’s World Cup telecast ever in the States, behind only USA-Portugal last month (18.2 million).

Variety reports viewership peaked with 19.54 million in the extra-time session. Of course, the estimate doesn’t include millions of viewers watching in sports bars or at the office on a Tuesday afternoon.

Combined with the 5.1 million who watched on Univision, Tuesday’s match drew 21.6 million viewers; the previous high for a men’s soccer match was the 24.7 million for USA-Portugal, which included 6.5 million viewers on Univision.

For the World Cup through the Round of 16, ESPN and ABC averaged 4.08 million viewers — a record audience for the tournament, up 44% from 2010 (2.84 million) and 122% from 2006 (1.84 million).

Read More Now

Show Topics: Big Mac Ranks Last In Taste Study

CAUTION: Consider the sales implications! Suggestion..discuss those at the top, not the bottom. 

Fast food may be unhealthy, but it doesn't stop us from eating it.

A new study from Consumer Reports finds that Americans are spending 680 billion dollars a year on fast food, but have recently developed a taste for higher-quality menu items.

More than 96 thousand Consumer Reports readers were polled about which fast food restaurant items they liked most. McDonald's burgers came in last place, while Chick-fil-A's chicken snagged first place in the chicken category

It's The 35th Anniversary Of The Sony Walkman

The first of Sony's iconic portable cassette tape players went on sale on this week, July 1st, back in 1979 for $150.

A story at theverge.com reports Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka got the wheels turning months before when he asked for a way to listen to opera that was more portable than Sony's existing TC-D5 cassette players. The charge fell to Sony designer Norio Ohga, who built a prototype out of Sony's Pressman cassette recorder in time for Ibuka's next flight.

After a disappointing first month of sales, the Walkman went on to become one of Sony's most successful brands of all time, transitioning formats over the years into CD, Mini-Disc, MP3 and finally, streaming music. Over 400 million Walkman portable music players have been sold, 200 million of them cassette players. Sony retired the classic cassette tape Walkman line in 2010.

R.I.P.: Long Time S-A Talk Host Carl Wiglesworth Dies

Carl Wiglesworth

Carl Wiglesworth, who was a talk show host on Newsradio WOAI 1200 AM for two decades and helped create the conservative talk radio format which became standard in AM radio, has died at the age of 73, family members tell WOAI.

Eliza Sonneland, who worked on Newsradio 1200 WOAI alongside Carl in the eighties and nineties, says the sorts of topics and people you heard on the show weren't what was usually heard on the radio in those days.

"To talk to people who had differing opinions from the status quo, that was the bread and butter of Carl's program," Sonneland said.

Sonneland says Wiglesworth's style of program caught on instantly.

"The groundswell of people who called the station saying, this guy has got to be the host," she recalled.  "This is who we need and who we want."

Longtime KTSA morning talk host, Trey Ware, wrote a tribute to Wiglesworth on his Facebook page Wednesday morning, calling him an “S.A. radio legend.” Lee Woods, another local radio veteran, also wrote special words Tuesday night to honor him: ”A dear old friend and fellow Radio Hall of Famer, Carl Truman Wigleswoth, passed away today. Carl hired me at KONO/KITY in 1975.” Woods then added a bit of humor: “May he rest in peace. Rumor has it he will be doing mid-days at KGOD.”

After leaving WOAI in 1999, Wiglesworth appeared on other stations, including crosstown rival KTSA 550 AM and also was involved in other businesses.

Wiglesworth suffered a massive heart attack Friday night, and never regained consciousness.  He was rushed to Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, where the decision was made by his family to discontinue treatment after doctors said he would not recover.

Carl's wife, Laurie Malfatano Wiglesworth, was also a long time Newsradio 1200 WOAI employee.

July 3 In Radio History

In 1939…Chic Young's comic strip character "Blondie" became a radio sitcom, initially as a summer replacement for "The Eddie Cantor Show" on CBS. When Cantor did not return in the fall, "Blondie" continued on the air and bounced between several networks until 1950.





In  1940…Two years of successful appearances on "The Kate Smith Hour" earned Bud Abbott and Lou Costello a summer replacement show (for Fred Allen) on NBC Radio. In October 1942, the comedy duo launched their own radio show on the network.



In 1949...Actress Jan Smithers, Bailey Quarters on WKRP in Cincinnati, was born


In 1955...Tom Clay, a Buffalo DJ on WWOL-AM, staged a famous billboard publicity stunt in Shelton Squareconducts his famous Billboard stunt in Buffalo's Shelton Square.

Tom Clay

Clay in the 1950s was a popular radio personality in the Detroit area on WJBK-AM both as a DJ, and for his on-air comic characterizations. In the early 1950s Clay, using the pseudonym "Guy King," worked for WWOL-AM/FM in Buffalo, New York; on July 3, 1955, he conducted the stunt in which he played "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets repeatedly from atop a billboard in Buffalo's Shelton Square, an incident that led to his firing and arrest.  In the mid-1950s he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and was equally popular.

He was caught up in the payola scandal of the late 1950s, and admitted to having accepted thousands of dollars for playing certain records. After being fired from WJBK, Clay worked at the short-lived Detroit Top 40 station WQTE (now WRDT 560 AM) only to be fired again when the station changed format to easy listening music in 1961. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a popular personality on KDAY and KRLA, Clay returned to the Detroit area and found work at CKLW in neighboring Windsor, Ontario, at the time one of the foremost Top 40 AM stations in North America.

Clay is best remembered for his single on Motown's MoWest label "What the World Needs Now Is Love"/"Abraham, Martin and John", a compilation of clips from the two popular records, interviews, and speeches of Jack and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King emphasizing tolerance and civil rights. It went to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

Clay died of stomach and lung cancer at the age of 66, in Valley Village, Los Angeles, California in 1995.

In 1961...Dan Ingram did his first show on WABC 770 AM, New York. He filled in for Chuck Dunaway.


In 1971...Rock Hall of Fame rock singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died of heart failure. He was 27.


In 1972...Bob Crane went back to radio - but only for one week.



He was filling in for Dick Wittinghill - his former archrival on KMPC 710 AM in Los Angeles beginning July 5. Wittinghill and Crane battled it out for the morning ratings in Los Angeles from 1956 to 1965, when Crane left to star in “Hogan’s Heroes.”


In 1973...KMEN 1290 AM San Bernardino, CA broadcasts an “all-girl” day on Wednesday of this week. Guest DJ’s heard – Jackie DeShannon, Donna Fargo, Sylvia, April Stevens, Jean Knight, Carla Thomas and Maureen McCormick of the Brady Bunch.


In 1976...The Los Angeles comedy radio team of Hudson and Landry split.



Bob Hudson wanted to keep it together with their KFI 640 AM radio show, nightclub appearances and possibly more comedy records, but Ron Landry wanted to go into television as a writer and producer. Ron Landry says – “Doing this show was a lot of fun. We had five great years and, I think we did some interesting things in broadcasting.”


In 1978...Supreme Court ruled 5-4, FCC had a right to reprimand NY radio station WBAI for broadcasting George Carlin's "Filthy Words".

In 1983...KNX-FM – Soft rock in Los Angeles changes calls and format to KKHR (Hit Radio). Looks like it’ll be direct competition for KIIS-FM.

 Courtesy of airchexx.com.


In 1986...It was announced that Howard Stern, the often controversial New York City DJ/talker, will be syndicated by DIR to other stations.

Stern, who joined rocker WXRK (New York) late last year, has seen his ratings rise from a 1.2 to a 3.4 and up to a 5.2 share in the recent ratings. “The Howard Stern Show” will mix music and talk equally. At WXRK, Stern plays about 6 songs per hour. The national show will be weekly only.

Stern is following a pattern with high-profile DJ’s and national weekly shows: Rick Dees at KIIS-FM, John Lander at KKBQ Houston and Scott Shannon from Z-100 all have national weekly shows, but Stern’s will present or lean heavy personality and will not emphasize the music.


In 1987...Tom Snyder will move from TV to radio this fall to host a national call-in talk show announced this week by the ABC Radio Networks. Look for it early September.

DC Radio: FreshFM Hosts World Cup Soccer Watch

Tommy McFly

Courtesy of The Morning Mouth

Over 5,500 Washingtonians gathered to cheer on USA next to The White House Tuesday afternoon for the much anticipated knockout round of the World Cup.  Freedom Plaza was the epicenter of D.C. soccer fandom as fans gathered to watch the game on a 20-foot screen on Pennsylvania Avenue.

WIAD 94.7 FM Fresh FM’s morning crew, Tommy McFly, Kelly and Jen, hatched a plan with the D.C. Government, Downtown D.C. Bid, Events D.C., Pepco, D.C. Water, D.C. United and other partners to create this massive event in an effort to support our country on its way to victory.

With less than 24 hours notice, Tommy and Kelly took to the airwaves on 94.7 Fresh FM and local TV stations to get the word out about the impromptu event. The turnout was insane and everyone was having a great time… until extra time, of course.

Either way, everyone is proud of how far USA went and can’t wait until World Cup 2018.

Report: Total Ad Spending To Be Largest Since 2004

• Radio Expected To Lose Share

Total media ad spending in the US this year will see its largest increase in a decade, according to new figures from eMarketer.

On the strength of gains in mobile and TV advertising, total ad investments will jump 5.3% to reach $180.12 billion, achieving 5% growth for the first time since 2004, when ad spending increased 6.7%.

Mobile will lead this year’s rise in total media ad spending in the US, and advertisers will spend 83.0% more on tablets and smartphones than they did in 2013—an increase of $8.04 billion.

By the end of this year, mobile will represent nearly 10% of all media ad spending, surpassing newspapers, magazines and radio for the first time to become the third-largest individual advertising venue, only trailing TV and desktops/laptops. Though investments in TV advertising will rise just 3.3%, advertisers will spend $2.19 billion more on the medium than they did in 2013, making it the second-leading category in terms of year-over-year dollar growth.

The surge in mobile advertising is chiefly attributable to the fact that consumers are spending more and more time with their tablets and smartphones. According to eMarketer’s latest estimates, US adults will spend an average of 2 hours 51 minutes per day with mobile devices this year.

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Austin Radio: Man Arrested For Threatening KLBJ Staffers

Austin police on Tuesday charged a man with a felony after being alerted to Facebook messages they said threatened the staff of Classic Rock KLBJ 93.7 FM, including morning show host Dale Dudley from the morning show Dudley and Bob, according to The Austin Statesman.

Police charged Scott Jeremy Schuster, 38, with making a terroristic threat, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Schuster has not been arrested, police said.

He is accused of sending several threatening messages to KLBJ’s official Facebook account, an arrest affidavit said.

KLBJ staff first came into contact with Schuster on June 10 after he made derogatory comments about a woman who had recently won the station’s “Rock Girl” contest, the affidavit said.

Weeknight radio host Casey Morgan responded to Schuster’s comment asking why he felt he needed to make such comments. Schuster replied with what police called a verbal assault on Morgan, at one point threatening to “slap the hipster beard” off his face, the affidavit said.

The following morning on the Dudley and Bob show, staff located a work telephone number for Schuster and contacted him. Schuster agreed to come in live on the air to talk about his comments on the website, the affidavit said.

It turned ugly at one point with a heated on-air exchange between the hosts and Schuster. However, the conversation ended cordially and Schuster later that day exchanged friendly messages on the station’s Facebook page, the affidavit said.

The affidavit said Dudley became alarmed after seeing that Schuster’s Facebook page contained a picture of an assault rifle and the comment “Do you know what happened to Alan Berg?”

Dudley recognized the comment as a reference to a Denver radio personality murdered after he spoke out against white supremacists in 1984, the affidavit said. Dudley then contacted law enforcement, the affidavit said.

San Diego Radio: KFMB Extends D-S-C For Four More Years

Hot AC KFMB 100.7 FM JackFM has announced a contract extension for longtime morning host Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw.

The trio has logged 25-years at the Midwest Television-owned station.

Co-Hot Dave Rickards stated, "I’m one of the lucky ones who loves his job and loves the people I’ve worked with for 25 years. Just because it’s not mutual is their tough toenails."

Shelly Dunn commented, "I'm just horrified at how old I'll be once these four years are up."

Host Chainsaw noted, "My financial guy said I was set for the rest of my life, provided I die next Tuesday. Therefore, I'm thrilled to be back with the best crew I can imagine."

VP/GM Gina Landau said, "We are truly excited to extend our partnership with the DSC in their 25th year of San Diego radio dominance. Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw are brilliant talents and we are honored their legion of fans will be able to find them on 100.7 JackFM for many years to come."

Alpha Media Closes On Mainline Stations

Alpha Broadcasting & L&L Broadcasting announced Tuesday that they have officially merged, becoming Alpha Media. Corporate headquarters for the company will remain in Portland, OR, where it operates six stations.

Alpha headquarters remain in Portland and operates 43 stations in seven markets. L&L has been overseeing the operation of the Portland stations for the last year under a management agreement with Alpha.

Larry Wilson

L&L Broadcasting has also announced that the purchase of 19 radio stations from Main Line Broadcasting for $57 million has closed. Main Line Broadcasting operated 19 stations in four markets including Louisville, Richmond VA, Dayton and Hagerstown, MD-Chambersburg, PA.

Chairman Larry Wilson, an investor in each company, said that "The merger of Portland's Alpha operation into our newly created Alpha Media results in one Company operating all markets. Our Live and Local Vision continues to be our focus, and now with adding the former Main Line markets we can continue to develop our footprint with four attractive markets operated by great radio people. We are excited to add them to our growing company."

Journalists Fear Robots Will Take Jobs

Automated Insights, a robot-making company, is selling robots to the Associated Press to use for writing business stories, which until now has traditionally been the job of a paid reporter, according to The Daily Caller.

Associated Press Managing Editor Lou Ferrara said journalists shouldn’t worry about losing their jobs.

“If anything, we are doubling down on the journalism we will do around earnings reports and business coverage,” Ferrara said in a statement to Poynter.

According to Ferrara, AP has already been using “automation” for sports stories, so this is nothing new. In March, the Los Angeles Times used a robot to write up a brief on an earthquake only three minutes after it happened on an early Monday morning. That’s faster than any human reporter.

Popular Science explains the technology by reminding readers that stories written by robots are usually based off of data entry and aggregation.

“The most basic reports involve plugging numbers from a database into one of a few standard narratives,” Popular Science reported. “That said, automatically written stories don’t have to be too terrible to read. The biggest argument for robot journalism is that it frees human reporters to do the kind of deeper reporting only people can do.”

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Detroit Radio: Ryan & Rico Go Daily On WMGC

Ryan & Rico

Greater Media announces weekend on-air hosts Ryan and Rico will take over the 10a-12noon slot on WMGC 105.1 FM  Detroit Sports 105.1. The “live and local” move will officially take effect on Monday, July 7th, 2014.

“Ryan and Rico have been with us since day one and have done a phenomenal job with our weekend coverage,” said Greater Media Detroit Market Manager Steve Chessare. “They have had a tremendous run so far and are extremely popular with our dedicated Motor City sports fans.”

“We are fired up to give Detroit Sports fans even more local sports content,” said Detroit Sports 105.1 Program Director Jason Dixon. “Adding Ryan and Rico to the 10 to noon slot is the next step in the evolution of Detroit Sports 105.1.  With Mike and Mike, Ryan and Rico, Matt Dery, Drew Lane and Marc Fellhauer , along with the addition of Detroit Pistons Basketball, I could not be more excited about the future of the station.”

The duo will replace ESPN’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

Google Acquires Songza

Google confirmed Tuesday it is acquiring Long Island-based music streaming service Songza.

While neither Google nor Songza would discuss price, sources close to the pact tell The NY Post Google paid around $35 million for the tiny music curation firm. Songza was represented by Mark Patricof’s Mesa Global.

Songza is in the business of learning about what songs people want to listen to when they’re in particular situations such as a summer cookout or relaxing at home.

The 6-year-old company is run by Elias Roman, who won a $4.7 million funding round from Amazon, Lerer Ventures and music manager Scooter Braun in late 2013.

Celebrating an awesome day at #Songza! pic.twitter.com/xZLyVBNXwp
— Songza (@songza) July 1, 2014

The deal comes hot on the heels of Apple’s move to buy streaming music service Beats Music, alongside the Beats audio equipment company for $3 billion.

Google sources said the search giant will add Songza’s staff to bolster Google Play Music All Access. That houses three services — a free locker for music already owned by customers, a $10-a-month streaming service and a music store. Google confirmed the deal in a blog post.

Report: Rdio Acquiring TastemakerX

Rdio has acquired music discovery service TastemakerX, according to venturebeat.com.

Marc Ruxin

TastemakerX started as a streaming music service that sought to appeal to the inner music enthusiast (or music snob) in all of us by enticing people to share new music with friends via a gamification model. It later pivoted to focus on what people were sharing across all music services, including Spotify, Pandora, YouTube.

As part of the acquisition deal, TastemakerX founder Marc Ruxin will become Rdio’s new COO, while the entire seven-employee TastemakerX team will also join the company, Ruxin confirmed to VentureBeat.

While the company has yet to make a formal announcement about the acquisition, the move could have something to do with TastemakerX’s ability to collect data on how people listen to music. Earlier this year, Rdio decided to stop using The Echo Nest’s music data (recommendations, etc.) after Spotify acquired the service. TastemakerX could help fill the gap The Echo Nest has left.

CBS Sports Network To Simulcast Doug Gottlieb Radio Show

CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, will expand its live weekday studio programming with the addition of “The Doug Gottlieb Show.” The popular afternoon show broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Radio will be simulcast on CBS Sports Network beginning Monday, August 25.

The three-hour program is hosted by Doug Gottlieb live Monday-Friday from 3:00-6:00 PM, ET.

“The Doug Gottlieb Show” debuted on January 2, 2013, and features national sports talk, headlines, and interviews with current and former sports icons, as well as newsmakers from the sports world and listener phone calls.  Fans of Gottlieb's radio show enjoy a fast, highly-opinionated program that challenges and engages sports audiences nationwide.  The CBS Sports Network show will originate from the CBS Sports Radio studios in New York City.

“Adding The Doug Gottlieb Show greatly strengthens our afternoon line-up adding three hours of live and relevant content each day,” said Dan Weinberg, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports.

“Doug’s show is high-energy, insightful and entertaining and we are excited to extend the reach of his radio show to the CBS Sports Network television audience.”

Eric Spitz, Director of Programming for CBS Sports Radio commented, “Doug is a cornerstone talent of CBS Sports Radio. To be able to expand the exposure of his program through CBS Sports Network is a win for everyone involved.  I have no doubt Doug’s boundless energy, strong opinions and great passion will play well to a national television audience.”

Gottlieb currently serves as a studio and game analyst for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network’s coverage of college basketball, in addition to his hosting duties of “The Doug Gottlieb Show” on CBS Sports Radio.  Additionally, he serves as an anchor of “CBS Sports Minute,” a 60-second commentary related to the hot topics in sports.

CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DIRECTV Channel 221 and DISH Network Channel 158.  For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

NAB Names Sam Matheny As New CTO

Sam Matheny

The National Association of Broadcasters announced Tuesday that Sam Matheny, Vice President of Policy and Innovation at Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting Co., will join NAB as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer on July 15, 2014.

Matheny, 42, comes to NAB with a proven record of leadership in advanced digital technology strategies at Capitol Broadcasting, a broadcast company long recognized as an innovation leader in the mobile, broadband and social media space.

Before joining the corporate staff in 2012, Matheny was a principal in several Capitol Broadcasting media ventures: General Manager at News Over Wireless, which provided the first local television news applications for wireless carriers; Manager of Digital Cinema at Microspace Communications, deploying digital cinema as a viable market for satellite delivery; and Vice President & General Manager at DTV Plus, which developed and launched the nation's first DTV datacasting service.

In his current role at Capitol, Matheny has guided strategic investment decisions in new media, secured patents enabling distribution of broadcast content via the Internet; engaged North Carolina state emergency management officials in developing emergency services using the ATSC Mobile Alert System (M-EAS) to enhance the use of broadcast airwaves as a lifeline in times of crisis. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and chairs its Standards Transition Subcommittee as well as having served as chair of the Specialist Group on ATSC 2.0 broadcast standards.

NAB Announces Marconi Award Finalists

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the finalists for the 2014 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, honoring radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting.

The winners will be announced September 11 at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards 25th Anniversary Dinner & Show, sponsored by iBiquity and held during the 2014 Radio Show in Indianapolis.

LEGENDARY STATION
KCBS-AM San Francisco, CA
KXLY-AM Spokane, WA
WFAN-FM New York, NY
WIL-FM St. Louis, MO
WLEN-FM Adrian, MI

NETWORK/SYNDICATED PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Bob and Tom, Westwood One
Elvis Duran, Premiere Radio Networks
Rush Limbaugh, Premiere Radio Networks
Ryan Seacrest, Premiere Radio Networks
Rickey Smiley, Radio One/REACH Media

MAJOR MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Carter Alan, WZLX-FM, Boston, MA
Big Boy, KPWR-FM Los Angeles, CA
Kevin and Bean, KROQ-FM Los Angeles, CA
Preston and Steve, WMMR-FM Philadelphia, PA
Toucher and Rich (Fred Toucher & Rich Shertenlieb), WBZ-FM Boston, MA

LARGE MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Bo Matthews, WIL-FM, St. Louis, MO
Dr. Don (with Rachael and Grunwald), WYCD-FM Detroit, MI
Jim "JJ" Johnson, WOMC-FM Detroit, MI
Larry Richert, KDKA-AM Pittsburg, PA
Ryan and Shannon, KSTP-FM St. Paul, MN

MEDIUM MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Brent Johnson, WTCB-FM Columbia, SC
Cole Johnson, WNVZ-FM Virginia Beach, VA
Kevin Miller, KIDO-AM Boise, ID
Chris Kelly and Chris Demm, WKRR-FM Greensboro, NC
Jeff Walker, WKRZ-FM Pittston, PA

SMALL MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Bill Barrett, Tim Fox and Tracy Berry, KKNU-FM Eugene, OR
David Gustafson, KJSK-AM Columbus, NE
Dottie Ray, KXIC-AM Iowa City, IA
Brian Egan, Rusty Bumper and Amanda Walton, WKWS-FM Charleston, WV
Brian Lee and Chris Wolfe, KZOQ-FM Missoula, MT

MAJOR MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KKBQ-FM Houston, TX
WBLS-FM New York, NY
WMMR-FM Philadelphia, PA
WTMX-FM Chicago IL
WUSN-FM Chicago,IL

LARGE MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KRWM-FM Seattle, WA
WBLI-FM Long Island, NY
WCCO-AM Minneapolis, MN
WTMJ-AM Milwaukee, WI
WXYT-FM Detroit, MI

MEDIUM MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KAZR-FM Des Moines, IA
KSTZ-FM Des Moines, IA
WIVK-FM Knoxville, TN
WOWO-AM Fort Wayne, IN
WUSY-FM Chattanooga, TN

SMALL MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KFGO-AM Fargo, ND
KNDE-FM Bryan, TX
KYNT-AM Yankton, SD
WFRE-FM Frederick, MD
WLEN-FM Adrian, MI

AC STATION OF THE YEAR
KIFM-FM San Diego, CA
WBEB-FM Philadelphia, PA
WILV-FM Chicago, IL
WMEE-FM Fort Wayne, IN
WVAF-FM Charleston, WV

CHR STATION OF THE YEAR
KQKS-FM Denver, CO
WBBM-FM Chicago, IL
WNVZ-FM Virginia Beach, VA
WPOI-FM Tampa, FL
WVAQ-FM Morgantown, WV

COUNTRY STATION OF THE YEAR
KCYY-FM San Antonio, TX
WIL-FM St. Louis, MO
WKLB-FM Boston, MA
WLHK-FM Indianapolis, IN
WOKQ-FM Dover, NH

NEWS/TALK STATION OF THE YEAR
KCBS-AM San Francisco, CA
KRLD-AM Dallas, TX
KTMY-FM St Paul, MN
WGCV-AM Columbia, SC
WLW-AM Cincinnati, OH

OLDIES STATION OF THE YEAR
WJMK-FM Chicago, IL
WMJI-FM Cleveland, OH
WSRZ-FM Sarasota, FL
WXGL-FM Tampa, FL
WOGL-FM Philadelphia, PA

RELIGIOUS STATION OF THE YEAR
KKJM-FM Sauk Rapids, MN
KKLA-FM Los Angeles, CA
KLTY-FM Dallas, TX
KNOM-FM Nome, AK
WMHK-FM Columbia, SC

ROCK STATION OF THE YEAR
KROQ-FM Los Angeles, CA
KSWD-FM Los Angeles, CA
WBAB-FM Long Island, NY
WDRV-FM Chicago, IL
WSUN-FM Tampa, FL

SPANISH STATION OF THE YEAR
KLZT-FM Austin, TX
WNUA-FM Chicago, IL
WYUS-AM Milford, DE
WYUU-FM Tampa, FL
WXSH-FM Georgetown, DE

SPORTS STATION OF THE YEAR
KDKA-FM Pittsburgh, PA
KFXN-FM Minneapolis, MN
WBZ-FM Boston, MA
WIP-FM Philadelphia, PA
WXYT-FM Detroit, MI

URBAN STATION OF THE YEAR
KPRS-FM Kansas City, MO
WGCI-FM Chicago, IL
WHQT-FM Coral Gables, FL
WQHT-FM New York, NY
WVKL-FM Virginia Beach, VA

NONCOMMERCIAL STATION OF THE YEAR
KPCW-FM Park City, UT
KUNV-FM Las Vegas, NV
WEAA-FM Baltimore, MD
WRHU-FM Long Island, NY
WSDP-FM Canton, MI

MI Radio: WLDN News Director Busted For Selling Pot

Steve Ruba

WLDN 98.7 FM News Director Steve Ruba of Ludington, Michigan was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of delivery of marijuana, a four-year felony.

According to The Ludington Daily News,  the 49-year-old Ruba was arrested Sunday evening with about 20 grams of marijuana in his possession. The marijuana was allegedly packaged in individual bags.

Ruba was being held on a $3,500, 10 percent, bond. A preliminary hearing was set for 11:15 a.m. July 9.

According to the WLDN radio website, Ruba is the seven-station network’s news director.