San Diego Radio: CCM+E To Launch EXTRA Sports

CCM+E/San Diego has announced  the launching of KLSD 1360 AM XTRA FOX Sports.

This new sports radio collaboration will bring some of the best local and nationally recognized sports talent to San Diego, beginning Monday, July 21, 2014.

XTRA 1360 FOX Sports San Diego will be a San Diego Chargers broadcast partner, covering the team’s training camp activities beginning next week with daily live broadcasts from the practice field.  The station will broadcast all Chargers Preseason and Regular Season games in addition to airing a Chargers Power Hour Show weekdays from 6-7:00 p.m.

XTRA 1360 FOX Sports San Diego (KLSD-AM) weekday programming lineup:

• 6:00a    Dave & Jeff
• 9:00 a   Jay Mohr Sports
• 12:00 n The Dan Patrick Show
• 2:00 p  Loose Cannons with Steve Hartman and Mike Costa
• 6:00 p  Chargers Power Hour with Judson Richards
• 7:00 p  XTRA at Night with Judson Richards
• 8:00 p  FOX Sports Tonight with Jason Smith

XTRA 1360 FOX Sports San Diego lineup will include nationally recognized sportscaster Steve Hartman as host of the Loose Cannons Show during afternoon drive with Mike Costa.  Hartman’s career in sports began at UCLA as a football color commentator for the Bruins.  Following graduation, Hartman worked at KABC radio and then with the LA Raiders for four years as media relations/publications director before taking a position at KFOX Radio in 1989.  A year later, he helped launch XTRA, the first all-sports radio station in southern California where he worked with Chet Forte and later Billy Werndl.  Throughout his broadcast career, Hartman has covered 21 Super Bowls, 16 Final Fours, and six Major League All-Star Games.

Fox Sports Network duo Dave Palet and Jeff Dotseth have been signed to host mornings on XTRA 1360 FOX Sports San Diego. Dave Palet is a 20-year TV and radio veteran who has worked for major networks.  Jeff Dotseth is a San Diego native who began his radio career in 1991 and has since covered four Super Bowls, the World Series and Stanley Cup Finals.

July 20 In Radio History

Loomis in 1865

In 1872...Mahlon Loomis was awarded a patent for wireless technology heralding the beginning of radio. Loomis was the first wireless telegrapher.

Loomis was also a dentist, the inventor of artificial teeth (patent #10,847 May 2, 1854), and the earliest inventor of wireless communication (patent #129,971).

He claimed to have transmitted signals in October 1866 between two Blue Ridge Mountain-tops 14 miles apart in Virginia, using kites as antennas, but without having identified the names of independent witnesses.

He was born July 26, 1826 in Oppenheim, New York, and died October 13, 1886 in Terra Alta, West Virginia.

In 1935…NBC Radio debuted "G-men," renamed "Gangbusters" in January 1936 when it moved to CBS. The series ran for 21 years.


In 1937…Inventor Guglielmo Marconi, often credited as being the inventor of radio, died after a series of heart attacks at age 63. As a tribute, all radio stations throughout the world observed two minutes of silence on the next day.

When Marconi made his famous first transatlantic radio transmission in 1901, rival inventor Nikola Tesla claimed that it was done with 17 Tesla patents. Thus began years of patent battles over radio with Tesla's patents being upheld in 1903, followed by a reverse decision in favor of Marconi in 1904. In June 1943, the United States Supreme Court restored patent rights to Tesla, saying their decision had no bearing on Marconi's claim as the first to achieve radio transmission, just that because Marconi's claim to certain patents was questionable, he could not claim infringement on those same patents.





In 1940...Billboard magazine published its first singles record chart. The first Number One song was "I'll Never Smile Again," by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra.

Where In The World Are Casey's Remains?

Not only are the remains of Casey Kasem not buried, a month after his death....it seems his body is now missing.

TMZ is reporting fingers now point in the direction of Casey's widow, Jean.  Family sources say Jean took the body from a funeral home the day before a judge ordered her to keep it there so an autopsy could be performed.

The autopsy is crucial to an ongoing criminal investigation targeting Jean.  The Santa Monica PD is looking into elder abuse allegations ... that Jean took Casey on a wild, week-long multi-state car ride which caused him to develop bed sores that got infected and contributed to his death.

As for where the body is ... no one but Jean seems to know, and no one can find her either.  It's interesting ... Jean listed Jerusalem as her address on Casey's death certificate.

Casey's daughter Kerri believes Jean is out of the country.

The disappearance comes adfter a Pierce County (WA)  judge has granted Casey Kasem’s eldest daughter a temporary restraining order preventing the famous radio host’s widow Jean Kasem from cremating or removing his remains from a Tacoma funeral home.

A recent copy of Kasem’s death certificate stated that Jean planned to lay the “American Top 40” star to rest at the Urgel Bourgie cemetery in Montreal, Canada, by mid July.

Hubbard Radio Names Drew Horowitz President and COO

Drew Horowitz

Hubbard Radio today announced that Drew Horowitz, executive vice president and chief operating officer, would become president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

Ginny Morris will remain chairman and chief executive officer.

“For the past few years I have had the privilege to work with Drew and see first-hand what a gifted broadcaster he is,” said Morris. “Drew’s passion for the radio business and for the people with whom he works is evident in how he approaches every opportunity and every challenge. I look forward to further partnering with him as we continue to move our business forward.”

Before joining Hubbard Radio in 2011, Horowitz was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Bonneville International, where his tenure began in 1992. His prior experience also includes leadership positions with Lakeshore Communications, WFYR Radio/Chicago and WUSN Radio/Chicago.

He currently serves on the boards of the Illinois Broadcasters Association and La Rabida Children’s Hospital, and previously served on the City Year board of directors in Chicago for 14 years. He was also named the Vincent T. Wasilewski “Broadcaster of the Year” by the Illinois Broadcasters Association in 2013.

“I am honored to have this wonderful opportunity to work more closely with Ginny and to be part of this extraordinary family-owned company,” said Horowitz. “I’m looking forward to continuing my work with the rest of the leadership team to further Hubbard Radio’s success across our seven nationwide markets.”

Russia Today Reporter Resigns Over Plane Crash Coverage

Sara Firth

Sara Firth, who joined the channel in 2009, told BuzzFeed that she decided to resign from the Kremlin-funded news channel because she felt it was “disrespectfully” attempting to pin the blame for Thursday’s Malaysia Airlines disaster on the Ukrainian government.

“When this story broke I ran back into the newsroom and saw how we were covering it already and I just knew I had to go,” she said.

“It was the total disregard to the facts. We threw up eyewitness accounts from someone on the ground openly accusing the Ukrainian government [of involvement in the disaster], and a correspondent in the studio pulled up a plane crash before that the Ukrainian government had been involved in and said it was ‘worth mentioning’.

“I couldn’t do it any more. Every single day we’re lying and finding sexier ways to do it.”

I resigned from RT today. I have huge respect for many in the team, but I'm for the truth. pic.twitter.com/mZ1g0R7N0D
— Sara Firth (@Sara__Firth) July 18, 2014

Russia Today has been hit by high-profile staff resignations before, most spectacularly when anchor Liz Wahl resigned live on air earlier this year.

Firth, a Briton who graduated from City University in 2009, worked out of the news channel’s Moscow base initially, before coming to work in London. She claims that inexperienced staff would be assigned to important stories in order to ensure they did not go off-message.

Secrets Revealed For Great Radio Voice

The distinctive voices of radio broadcasters may be a result of their vocal cords being more elastic, say Australian researchers.

Gary Owens

According to discovery.com, the suggestion follows a new study that found the vocal cords of such radio performers close faster than others.

The researchers filmed the vocal cords of 16 male radio announcers, broadcasters, newsreaders and voice-over artists using a high-speed video camera. They hoped to find out what made them sound different to non-broadcasters.

"There is an element of a radio voice that is incredibly distinctive but it's incredibly difficult to isolate and measure," said speech pathologist Dr Cate Madill, from the University of Sydney.

This quality is described in different ways in various studies, as warm, resonant, powerful, emotive, and authoritative.

Air from the lungs vibrates the vocal cords, which causes sound. This then travels through the vocal tract and out through the mouth, and to a lesser extent the nose.

The vocal tract has a particular shape and characteristics that interact with the sound to create 'resonance'. It's the resonance that gives the voice what we think of as depth, or warmth, or a 'ringing' quality.

The researchers placed the camera, which takes pictures at 4,000 frames per second, into the mouth to film the vocal cords as they vibrated.

Ted Williams

The camera revealed that the closing phase of every broadcaster's vocal cords was faster than the opening phase, Madill and colleagues report in the journal PLOS ONE.

When they analyzed the video taken of 16 men who were not radio presenters, they found that the time that it took for their vocal cords to open and close was about equal.

Madill inferred from the research that the vocal cords of radio presenters may have a little bit more elasticity, or that there was some manipulation of the tension in the vocal cords so that their recoil was maximized.

A second study looked at the acoustic differences between radio broadcasters who worked for either public or commercial radio stations. It found that public broadcasters and non-broadcasters had voices that were slightly warmer and deeper than commercial broadcasters, who had a slightly brighter and possibly harsher resonant tone.

CCM+E To Launch Syndicated Evening Country Show

We're hearing word that CCM+E is about to launch a nationally syndicated Country evening show featuring Tige & Daniel from WTQR 104.1 FM in Greensboro.  The duo currently are doing wake-up duty there.

The show will be based at WSIX 97.9 FM in Nashville, which is also home to The Bobby Bones Show and syndicated by Premiere Radio. To allow Tige & Daniel to relocate, the Bobby Bones Show will take-over the morning hours at WTQR starting July 28.

We’ve got @TigeAndDaniel on the show right now who are starting a national night show while we take over the mornings in Greensboro!
— Bobby Bones Show (@bobbybonesshow) July 18, 2014

Each station airing “Tige & Daniel” at night will reportedly retain control of its respective playlists, with the duo providing content and an emphasis on localization of the show, similar in structure to what the company is now doing with its "Romeo on the Radio " evening show on nine of its Top 40 outlets.

Our last morning show on Q 104.1 is next Friday! Our bud @mrBobbyBones so we can concentrate on a new nationwide night show!
— TigeAndDaniel (@TigeAndDaniel) July 18, 2014

No launch date for T&D has been announced.

CBS Radio Pool Party Celebrates New Brad Paisley Album

Brad Paisley

CBS Radio today announced an exclusive event with country music superstar Brad Paisley in celebration of his upcoming album “Moonshine In The Trunk.”

Fans of the acclaimed Arista Nashville singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer will gather at the Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Wednesday, Aug. 27 to hear Paisley perform a variety of tracks from his ninth studio album, including the smash first single “River Bank,” as well as a number of his most popular singles.

Also joining Paisley at the event will be Love and Theft, Leah Turner, and Dee Jay Silver.  Paisley made the announcement this morning live on CBS RADIO’s K∙FROG 95.1 and 92.9.

“Moonshine In The Trunk” will be released on Monday, Aug. 25.  Tickets go on sale for the show on Thursday, July 24 at 10:00a.m., pt.


#paisleypoolparty Tweets

Fans from cities across the country will also have the chance to win their way to #PaisleyPoolParty for this incredible experience as part of a national promotion featured on CBS Radio’s legendary country stations and Radio.com.

iHeartRadio's 'On The Verge' Opens Door To Success

Iggy Azalea

“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea is the biggest hit of the summer. The song has dominated Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and it broke the record for the longest running Number 1 single by a female rap artist. According to a report by the Washington Post, “Fancy” got a some help from the largest radio group in America.

Clear Channel started a program called “On The Verge.” The initiative was designed to help rising acts get more exposure on many of their 840 stations. Program directors from across the country vote on a song and the winning tune is committed to get at least 150 spins on all the stations for about six weeks.

Azalea was selected as an “On The Verge” artist, and her chart smashing single benefited from access to Clear Channel’s 245 million monthly listeners via radio and its iHeartRadio streaming app.

“On The Verge” does not guarantee an artist will have the level of success of Azalea, but it does give the chosen singles a huge push out the gate, according to allhiphop.com.

Tom Poleman

“I think it’s good for everybody when we can break more artists,” said Clear Channel Radio’s president for national programming platforms Tom Poleman.

“The listeners win; we win as a company that relies on music as our lifeblood; and our artists certainly win as well.”

Poleman added “On The Verge” is not meant to give certain artists or labels an unfair advantage.

He insists the acts picked to participate are based completely on the quality of the music and not on label pressure.

Prankster Calls Anchor 'DumbAss' On Live TV

A Howard Stern fan caught CableTV's MSNBC off guard Thursday during the network’s coverage of the Malaysian Flight tragedy in Ukraine.

Pretending to be a witness to the crash of flight MH17, the man called MSNBC’s Krystal Ball (Really?) a “dumbass” on live TV after she failed to pick up on his description of the incident.

“Let’s turn now to an MSNBC exclusive. U.S. Staff Sergeant Michael Boyd, he is at the U.S. embassy in Ukraine and he says he saw a missile in the air hit the plane, he is on the phone with us,” Ball said. 

(Caller) “Well I was looking out the window and I saw a projectile flying in the sky and it would appear the plane was shot down by a blast of wind from Howard Stern’s ass,” the caller said. 

Ball didn’t catch the joke.

  “So it would appear the plane was shot down, can you tell us anything more from your military training of sort of missile system that may have been coming from?” Ball said in response.

“Well you’re a dumbass aren’t ya?” the caller said. 

Ball, still confused, said “I’m sorry sir?” before pausing for a moment and saying they were taking a break.

Buffalo Radio: WWKB 1520 AM New Home for UB Bulls

Ried, White

In a joint press conference Thursday between Entercom and the University at Buffalo, UB Athletics' Director Danny White and Entercom Buffalo Vice President/General Manager Greg Ried announced a new radio partnership with WWKB 1520 AM ESPN to broadcast football and men's and women's basketball games, as well as other programming surrounding UB Athletics beginning next month.

The agreement is yet another move in White's vision to make UB one of the premier athletic institutions in the country.  ESPN 1520, a 50,000-watt station, has one of the strongest signals in the nation. At night, the station can be heard from New England to South Carolina and through out the entire state of New York. ESPN 1520 is home to such popular national radio shows as Mike and Mike in the Morning, The Herd with Colin Cowherd and SVP and Rusillo.

"An exciting day for UB Athletics, as we continue to expand our footprint and make our product available to over 100,000 alumni across New York State and over 200,000 across the country," said White.  "50,000 watts is a huge factor for us to, for the first time, have all our football and men's and women's basketball games available throughout the entire state of New York in a prolific way."

The partnership will also enable a cross promotion of UB athletics across other Entercom-owned stations, including WGR 550 AM , WBEN 930 AM, WKSW 98.5 FM Kiss and WTSS 102.5 FM Star.

"Western New York has an insatiable appetite for sports, and that's why we launched ESPN-1520 last September," said Ried. "One of the purposes of that station was to provide a better outlet for local collegiate sports in Western New York. Everyone's taking notice that things are happening here at UB and we're excited to be a part of it."

ESPN 1520 will be the flagship station of the UB Bulls Radio Network. UB games will also air on 1280 WHTK in Rochester as well as select games on WMCA 570 AM in New York City and WTMM 104.5 FM The Team in Albany.

Detroit Radio: Greater Media Taps Chapman For Pistons Net

Jake Chapman

WMGC 105.1 FM Detroit Sports has announced Jake Chapman has been named as the Executive Producer and Air Talent for The Pistons Radio Network.

He will begin his new position on August 6, 2014.

Chapman most recently served for the past five years as the Executive Producer of The Orlando Magic Radio Network. In his new role, Chapman will be responsible for creating Pistons content for the radio station and team to be used on the station’s various digital platforms.  In addition, he will be responsible for day to day operations of The Pistons Radio Network and will serve as host for Pistons Pregame shows, post-game shows, and various other programming aired on the station and digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jake to The Detroit Sports 105.1 and Pistons Radio Network team,” said Jason Dixon, Program Director of Detroit Sports 105.1. “His skill set and his experience working in The NBA made him a perfect fit to join us.  Jake shares our vision to provide Pistons fans with unparalleled content and coverage of their team.”

“We’re pleased to join Detroit Sports 105.1 in welcoming Jake Chapman to Detroit,” said Charlie Metzger, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Palace Sports & Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons.  “We appreciate Jake’s ability to provide entertaining and informative year-round content for our fans and look forward to his coverage of Detroit Basketball.”

What a Fox-Time Warner Merger May Mean for Advertisers

A 21st Century Fox acquisition of Time Warner would create a high concentration of the all-important 18-to-49 TV viewing demographic within one media conglomerate, giving the joined entity significant pricing power over advertisers, according to AdAge.

The new company would command 27% of total-day TV viewership across the top 15 cable networks, and 24% of it among the 18-to-49 demo, said Kannan Venkateshwar, analyst at Barclays, in a research note.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox confirmed on Wednesday that it made an offer to buy Time Warner for about $80 billion. Its offer was rebuffed, but observers are confident that Mr. Murdoch can have his prize if he really wants it, citing previous acquisitions such as Dow Jones that came only after a fight, and an enriched bid.

Putting a quarter of the demographic in one company's hands could create new pressure for ad buyers to themselves consolidate further.

"Advertisers today are looking more and more for strategic partners that can do enough for them and put together a meaningful marketing plan rather that doing bits and piece with a bunch of partners," said Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO, Clear Channel. "Scale means a lot in this new world. You want to have your best creative discussions with those who can deliver the biggest scale. The more assets a partner can bring to the table the more powerful it can be."

Report: CBS Romancing The NFL Network

Five months after scoring the enviable broadcast rights to share eight Thursday Night Football games with the NFL network — at a $275 million price tag — the network is trying to parlay the run into a long-term deal, according to THR.

"We knew going in this is a one-year deal," says CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves. "It's our job to show the NFL what we do and how great this can be. We're confident that after this year, they'll sit down and give us a longer deal."

Moonves made a rare appearance at the Television Critics Association summer press tour to help hype his acquisition, a passion project, and he was joined by CBS Sports' Sean McManus, New England Patriots' Robert Kraft and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Goodell, more reserved in his enthusiasm, made sure to emphasize that the split with the NFL Network is not intended to slow the growth of the league's cable effort — by far the lowest-rated venue for TV's most-watched sport.

"We believe very much in the NFL network as a strategic asset," said Goodell, "and i fully believe going forward we'll have games on the NFL Network. ... We have not made a determination beyond the one-year. We made a short-term decision in what we think is a long-term strategy.

The NFL Network may not see the audience that CBS will inevitably get on Thursdays during the first half of the season, but it will share in the slick upgrade to the graphics and production.

Read More Now

APN Buys Clear Channel Stake In Hong Kong Outdoor

APN News & Media has taken full ownership of Hong Kong’s Buspak, after buying the remaining 50 per cent stake from its long-time joint venture partner Clear Channel Hong Kong for $14 millionm according to the Business Specator.

Buspak provides advertising for over 1,700 buses in Hong Kong, including on-board multimedia services. It’s Cody Outdoor unit also provides over 160 billboards in locations across the Asian city.

APN raised about $132m earlier this year to boost funds as it bought Clear Channel's stake in Australian Radio Network and The Radio Network in New Zealand for $246.5m. The media group has been restructuring its business, quitting assets such as its unprofitable brandsExclusive online shopping site, a separate outdoor advertising business and a suite of New Zealand magazines

Toronto Radio: Alan Cross Returning To CFNY

Alan Cross

Canada’s pre-eminent musicologist and authority in rock music, Alan Cross, returns to CFNY 102.1 FM The Edge, Toronto’s alternative radio station.

Details regarding Alan’s new role will be announced in early fall.

“Alan Cross is synonymous with alternative music – he’s credible, authentic and true to the Edge brand,” said Dave Farough, General Manager, Corus Radio Toronto. “Having Alan back represents the next phase of the station’s evolution – returning to its music-based roots with intelligent conversation.”

CFNY 102.9 FM (61Kw) 60dBu Coverage

“I spent a long time at the Edge — 1986 through 2011 — so it feels good to be back in the fold,” said Alan Cross. “A lot of people will say the Edge is my natural home, so let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?”

Dover NH Radio: Mike Pomp Celebrates 30-Years At WTSN

From spinning the Bee Gees, watching the fall of the Iron Curtain, through the War on Terror to fielding calls on topics such as ObamaCare and whether it's appropriate for parents to holler from the sidelines at sporting events, Mike Pomp been the voice of the Tri-City region on WTSN 1270 AM, Dover's radio station.

Pomp has worked at there since 1984, according to fosters.com.

“I never expected to be anywhere for 30 years ever. Does anybody expect to be at a job for 30 years? Probably no,” Pomp said.

In 2012, the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters named Pomp as the state's “Radio Personality of the Year.” Three years prior, in 2009, he was named “New Hampshire Broadcaster of the Year” by the same group.

Awakened by three alarms each morning at his home in Barrington, to him the career has been a labor of love.

“The work that I do, it's different, it's creative,” he said. “Information changes on a dime now. It changes every millisecond.”

Listeners only know that he works on the air from 5:30 to 10 a.m. each day. They don't realize that Pomp puts in long hours of preparation in those hours after the show. Pomp starts his day in the WTSN studio a little before 5 a.m., gathering last-minute information, pulling his chair up to the microphone and sliding on a pair of headphones. The routine is familiar and the on-air conversations with colleagues and listeners feels effortless, like chatting with a friend over coffee (though Pomp would opt for tea).

That's how he thinks of his time as host of the weekday Morning Information Center and the talk show segment that follows, Open Mic With Mike Pomp. That personal delivery of information and entertainment is also what challenges him each day.

His love for radio began at Rutgers College in the 1970s and continued as a graduate student at Emerson College in Boston. Emerson is where he really got into his broadcasting career with both radio and television.

Read More Now

July 18 In Radio History

In 1964…Lots of Beatles/Radio noise. United Artists -the label which issued  the soundtrack to “A Hard Day’sNight” and Capitol Records - locked horns on the songs from the film. UA had the rights to the original soundtrack album which contains seven songs and instrumental music by George Martin. Capitol was going “all-out” to buck the soundtrack album. Capitol has the rights to issue singles off of the album.

UA rush released advance copies of the “A Hard Day’s Night” soundtrack album to radio stations and stores, after WMCA 570 AM New York got an advance copy and began playing it to their huge New York audience. Capitol issued a single disc by the Beatles, coupling the movie’s title song “A Hard Day’s Night” with “I Should Have Known Better.”

The Capitol album contained the seven picture songs and five new tunes, but will not be identified as a soundtrack album – only UA had those rights.  

WINS and WABC weren’t too happy about the “Hard Day’s Night” WMCA exclusive.

WINS got a Beatles exclusive from a special overseas source and began playing “Slowdown” by the Beatles soon after. 

The station said it was first to Millie Small’s follow-up record “Sweet William.”WINS also claimed to have “It Hurts To Be In Love” by Gene Pitney first.  WMCA, not a station to play dead,  debuted “Because” by the Dave Clark Five. WINS thought it had the record first, but with a major gaffe, saying “Because” was the newest Beatles record! (Mr. Pop Culture)

In 1964…Tom Clay departed from station CKLW 800 AM, serving the Detroit area. Both called it an amiable parting. Clay felt he was not doing enough on his show when not allowed to play the records himself (union rules). Clay’s nighttime slot was taken by Terry Knight from WTRX, Flint.

Knight would go on to become a recording artist with Terry Knight & The Pack . Their biggest hit was 1966’s “I Who Have Nothing.”) Knight would then go on to bigger and better things as the manager for Grand Funk Railroad .

In 1974…WKLS-FM in Atlanta changed to album rock this week.

In 1974… KNEW-AM in San Francisco just changed to country

In 1974…Cousin Bruce Morrow departed WABC 770 AM New York to take the spot vacated by Wolfman Jack on rival WNBC 660 AM. 

Rick Sklar, head of  programming for ABC AM stations says he has narrowed a replacement down to four or five people.

In 1974…Don Imus,  WNBC 660 AM personality, is booked for six consecutive weekends at Jimmy’s in New York, following a recent record breaking 10-day stint at the club. His third comedy album is due out on RCA in September.

In 1984…KPLZ Seattle becomes the 11th station to license Mike Joseph’s “Hot Hits” phrase.

In 1984…Chicago Radio Arbitron Ratings… WGN-AM leads with an 8.8...Urban WGCI-FM is up to a 6.1...News WBBM  4.6...Easy WLOO – 5.6...B-96 (WBBM-FM) dips to a 4.6 from 5.0...WLS-AM dips to a 3.2 from 3.7...WLS-FM is up to a 3.5 from 2.9...WCLR (A/C) is up to a 4.1 from 3.4...Country WMAQ scores a 4.1...WLUP up from a 3.0 to 3.4...WLAK (Nothing but love songs) is down to a 3.2 from a 3.9.

In 1984…Programmer Randy Kabrich resigned from Doubleday’s WAVA Washington to form his own consultancy group.

In 1984…Capital Cities bought Metromedia’s KLAC 570 AM in Los Angeles.

In 1984…WGAR 1220 AM Cleveland goes country

Radio Show: Country Artist Hunter Hayes To Perform

Hunter Hayes

The National Association of Broadcasters today announced that country music artist Hunter Hayes will perform at the 25th NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show, sponsored by iBiquity Digital Corporation, the creators of HD Radio Technology.

The event will take place September 11 at the 2014 Radio Show, held September 10-12 in Indianapolis and produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and NAB.

"Hunter Hayes is a talented musician, whose performance will contribute to a memorable 25th NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner," said NAB Executive Vice President of Radio John David. "We thank Atlantic Records and Warner Music Nashville for connecting us, so Hunter can join Radio in saluting the Marconi nominees and winners."

Hayes is a Louisiana-born, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who roared onto the music scene in 2011 with his Platinum-selling, No. 1 self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records. With three No. 1 singles already under his belt (including the multi-Platinum smash "Wanted," "Somebody’s Heartbreak," and "I Want Crazy"), Hayes took his songwriting to a new level with his new album, Storyline. The emotional lead single "Invisible" resonates with fans across the globe and new single "Tattoo" is already warming up the airwaves at Country radio.

Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards recognize stations and individuals for excellence in 21 categories. Winners are announced at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show.

CNN Could Sell For $8B, If Fox Gets Time-Warner

Should 21st Century Fox eventually succeed in its attempt to buy Time Warner, CNN will likely be sold, according to the NY Post.

There is little chance regulators would allow both Fox News Channel and CNN to operate under the same corporate ownership.

A possible sale of CNN got tongues wagging about the most likely buyers of the once-mighty cable news network. Here are the media companies most likely to end up with the Jeff Zucker-led CNN, according to media insiders:

•  Disney’s ABC Network was high on the list. It has a big news division and no cable news operation. It could benefit from CNN’s global reach and its affiliate fees to offset its high costs. Reps for ABC declined to comment.
•  CBS was also mentioned for many of the same reasons as ABC. 

CNN’s global revenue is estimated at $1.1 billion, according to a March study from Pew Research. Variety put CNN’s US ad revenue at $319 million in 2013.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s Sam Grobart reports on possible repercussions to CNN if Twenty-First Century Fox buys Time Warner. Grobart speaks on “Bloomberg West.”



Who owns what?  Click Here

What's Behind Murdoch's Bid For Time-Warner?

General Catalyst Partners' Neil Sequeira and Bloomberg's Jeffrey McCracken discuss Rupert Murdoch's bid for Time Warner. They speak with Emily Chang on "Bloomberg West."

Philly Radio: CCM+E's WUSL May Be Victim of Fraud

The founder of a chain of day-care centers in Philadelphia was indicted this in federal court on charges of stealing money intended to feed low-income children, according to philly.com.

Tracey Parson, 44, of Sicklerville, Camden County, also was charged with filing a bogus lawsuit against Philadelphia radio personality Tarsha "Jonesy" Jones that allowed Parson to receive a "substantial" settlement from Clearn Channel Communications which owns WUSL 98.9 FM Power 99.  Jone was eventually fired.

Parson founded Kiddie Kare Child Care & Education Center Inc. in 2008 and allegedly conspired with others to defraud the government for more than 21/2 years, from around December 2009 until June 2012, prosecutors said.

The indictment states that Kiddie Kare received $523,148 in reimbursements from a federal food program administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

In 2011, Parson filed a suit against Clear Channel Communications Inc. and Jones, alleging that Jones defamed her during a radio broadcast about a purported altercation between groups of girls involving Parson's daughter.

Prosecutors alleged Parson fabricated evidence that her business suffered, that her property was vandalized, and that she received threats of violence.

In July 2012, Clear Channel paid a "substantial sum" to Parson to settle the lawsuit.

The amount is not specified, but prosecutors want Parson to forfeit nearly $1.3 million, which presumably includes the amount she allegedly defrauded from the government and from the Clear Channel settlement.

Fed Court Tosses Infringement Case Against Clear Channel

A US District Court judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has tossed a lawsuit which alleged Clear Channel and Premiere Networks with trademark infrginement.

The production company Radio Dogs claimed the iHeartRadio Awards was “substantially and confusingly similar’ to its Radio Music Awards.  Radio Dog says their awards were on hiatus

Clear Channel had maintained Radio Dog had allowed its Radio Music Awards trademark to lapse in 2005 and therefore couldn’t support the allegation of trademark infringement.

Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the lawsuit after Radio Dogs failed to respond.

 Radio Dogs, the partnership of Lincoln Financial Media’s Miami marketing director Von Freeman, NTR consultant Paul Joseph and TV producer Tony Eaton, first created The Radio Megablast in 1999, which eventually became the Radio Music  Awards.

Radio Dogs has been trying to revive the show since 2010, but court documents suggest the company has had a difficult time convincing a TV network to pay a licensing fee.

The iHeartMusic Awards are televised on NBC-TV and hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

Albany NY Radio: The Cat Hires Kevin Richards

Kevin Richards

Country radio personality Kevin Richards' absence from the airwaves will be short lived, according to the Albany Business Review.

News came on July 9 that the longtime host at WGNA 107.7 FM had left the station. Starting Monday, July 21, Richards will be hosting middays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at rival Country WKLI 100.9 FM The Cat.

After 19 years with WGNA, the stations owner Townsquare Media, based in Greenwich, Connecticut let him go from the staff.

He announced the departure in a Facebook post that quickly went viral.

"After watching several employees before me depart from Townsquare Media, I am not in shock that I am the next one to leave the station - but sadly corporate radio feels different of my performance," Richards wrote.

Post by Kevin Richards.

Richards has been nominated six times for his on-air performance for a Country Music Association award, winning once in 2006, and nominated once for an ACM Academy of Country Music award.

It didn't take long for The Cat to start talking to Richards.

"So happy that within a few hours I was in talks with them," Richards said, adding that support through friends and fans on social media also helped speed up the process of finding a new station.

NYC Radio: John Gambling Frustrated By Mayor's Brush-Off

After nearly 15 years of weekly chats with New York mayors, legendary radio host John Gambling has found one mayor he cannot book:  Mayor de Blasio

The NY Daily News reports Gambling took his frustration to Twitter on Tuesday, posting that de Blasio has spurned invites to appear on his program but will sit down with Steven Colbert on Comedy Central Wednesday night.

Hey @BilldeBlasio when are you coming on our show? If you can talk to @StephenAtHome why not a local NYC audience?
— John Gambling (@JohnGambling) July 15, 2014

John Gambling

He told the Daily News he believes the mayor’s office keeps giving him the brush off because he’s a conservative.

But, he added, “I’ve been sitting with mayors for 15 years. ... I’m always willing to let somebody speak their mind. I’d like to have a conversation with the mayor.”

Gambling hosted then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg for one hour every Friday on WOR-AM through all three of Bloomberg’s terms, continuing a tradition that began with Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2000.

He announced plans to retire from his longtime home at WOR at the same time Bloomberg left office at the end of 2013 — but Gambling returned to the airwaves this year as a host on 970 AM The Answer

Boston Radio WEEI's Minihane Apologizes To Erin Andrews

Kirk Minihane

WEEI 93.7 FM sports talker Kirk Minihane railed against Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews Wednesday, calling her a “b----” on the “Dennis & Callahan” show over her in-game interview with Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright.

The Boston Herald reports last night, he apologized for the rant saying, in part, "My choice of words was wrong; I was wrong to have used them. To all whom I offended -- particularly Ms. Andrews -- I apologize."

Wainwright told reporters during Tuesday’s game that he grooved a couple pitches to retiring Yankees ace Derek Jeter – and it immediately took off on Twitter. Later, during an interview with Andrews, Wainwright claimed he was kidding.

“Don’t you love social media?” Andrews said.

After playing a clip of her interview with Wainwright, Minihane said:

“What a bitch. I hate her. What a gutless b----. Seriously, go away. Drop dead. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her? First of all, follow-up. Secondly, the guy admitted he did it. He told reporters that he threw a couple of pipe bombs. How is that social media’s fault? I hate her. I seriously hate her so much. Social media is the reason she has a big house. Shut up. Shut up. I shouldn’t call her a b----, I’m sure she’s a nice person.”

Minihane's apology:

"This morning on the radio I used a series of words to describe Erin Andrews' work at the All-Star Game. My choice of words was wrong; I was wrong to have used them. To all whom I offended -- particularly Ms. Andrews -- I apologize. There is no place for what was said. It was immature and completely uncalled for. I am often critical of media members and their work and recognize here that I've made the kind of mistake I would call out if it was done by another sportscaster or writer. Again, to all involved, I'm very sorry."

WEEI parent company Entercom’s Boston Vice President Phil Zachary said Minihane would not be fired or suspended for the on-air comments.

Who's At Fault For N/T Ratings Disaster?

Media consultant and former CCM+E N/T Corporate Exec Darryl Parks has blogged about who is to blame for Talk Radio's ratings disaster.

His most recent posting is a follow-up to last week's comments which highlighted the poor ratings showing lately  for the News/Talk format.  See original posting: Click Here.

This week, Park explores the role the General Manager and PD are playing in the talk radio problem.

Candidly, Parks says, the program director of today has no say in programming decisions. "Corporations don’t want a market PD with thoughts, ideas or any clue on how to correct talk radio’s problems.  They don’t get a vote.  Many of today’s talk radio PD’s are glorified board ops, never being taught and mentored in programming, coaching talent or strategic planning.  Many have no on-air experience. They are facilitators and are rewarded for nodding along with the status quo and punished for speaking out.  They know it’s best to keep their mouths shut in order to live another day and survive the next round of RIF’s."

Read More Here.

SiriusXM To Launch 'Dot Complicated' With Randi Zuckerberg

Randi Zuckerberg

SiriusXM announced today that media exec Randi Zuckerberg will host "Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg."  The new weekly one-hour show launches on Wednesday, July 23rd, exclusively on SiriusXM's Business Radio Powered by the Wharton School channel.

Zuckerberg will offer listeners advice on real ways to help untangle their modern tech lives, and how to find a new normal with technology as a true asset and helper, not a burden or distraction.  "Dot Complicated" will also delve into the latest high tech innovations for kids, parents and even pets, examining what is new in technology that can be incorporated into their daily lives.  Randi and her guests will serve as expert guides to gadgets, technology and media and whether they warrant a "Like or Dislike."

"In this world of devices, multiple screens, and constant interruptions via email, text, and video, it's a rare privilege for me to connect with my audience via audio - one of the few remaining mediums where you can still get someone's undivided attention," says host Randi Zuckerberg.

"Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg" will air each week on Wednesday at from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET on Business Radio Powered by the Wharton School, SiriusXM channel 111, and via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com.  

Former Intern Sues Clear Channel Over Back Wages

A former intern for Clear Channel Communications has filed a suit against the company in federal court, alleging that she performed the job of a paid employee in her unpaid internship and should have been compensated as such.

The plaintiff, Liane Arias, worked for Clear Channel’s promotions and marketing department from August through December 2011, during which time her tasks included assembling current events reports and going to giveaways and other events to promote Clear Channel stations.

Now she argues that she—and any other ex-interns included in the class-action lawsuit—is owed back wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets the terms under which an educational internship can be unpaid.

Court filings obtained by Newsweek claim that Clear Channel’s conduct “has been intentional, willful and in bad faith, and has caused significant damages to Plaintiff and members of the putative class.”

Arias is represented by Leeds Brown Law and Virginia & Ambinder, a Manhattan law firm that has brought similar suits against Warner Music, Sirius, Madison Square Garden, Viacom and other companies. Last week it also filed cases against Atlas Media, Coach Inc., UBS Financial Services and several other companies.

These lawsuits all come in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling in 2013 that two unpaid interns on the set of the film Black Swan performed the work of paid employees and so should be subject to minimum wage laws.

AZ Radio: City Wants A-G To Investigate KOFH

The Nogales, Arizona City Council has approved sending information about La Maxima KOFH 99.1 FM to the state Attorney General’s Office in hopes of spurring a criminal investigation of the radio station.

Their beef: negative news coverage, according to Nogales International.

However, a media law specialist and the head of a national journalism group said lawsuits against news media rarely result in civil penalties, let alone criminal charges.

“The chances of the Attorney General being interested in pursuing this, I would think would be extremely remote,” said Phil Higdon, a partner with the Phoenix law firm Perkins Coie who has practiced media law for 40 years.

KOFH 99.1 FM (6Kw) 60dBu Coverage

At the July regular meeting of the Nogales City Council, Mayor Arturo Garino pointed to the $27,000 spent by the previous administration at La Maxima, compared with the $800 his administration has spent since he took office in early 2011, as a possible reason for La Maxima’s ongoing criticism of City Hall.

He made a motion to “send all the information in reference to Maxima 99.1 to newspapers for publication so the general public can form their own opinions and for all information to be sent to the Attorney General and the Federal Communications Commission for criminal investigation.”

The motion passed by a 5-2 margin.

The mayor and council also voted to send allegations against La Maxima to the Federal Communications Commission citing FCC rules about the responsibilities of broadcasters, which state “rigging or slanting the news is a most heinous act against the public interest.”

Philly Radio: Chunky's Weight Loss Makes News

WRDW 96.5 FM morning personality Chunky recently announced on Facebook that he had lost 221 pounds in a year.

Action6 News in Philadelphia picked-up his story this week.

It all started in June of 2013 with his fiance Kristen. He started to think about the future and knew he had to get healthy.

His diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and lots of water.

He cut out sugar, salt and white carbs.

He didn't weigh himself until six months later - that's when he realized he dropped 101 pounds.

And today he's down 221 pounds.

Glenn Beck Asks Ted Nugent About Name Calling

Rock legend Ted Nugent revealed a “hidden secret” on Glenn Beck’s radio program Wednesday that he says the media has kept hidden for 26 years: he and other hunters donate roughly 250 million meals each year through programs like Hunters for the Hungry.

“We process and we cook and distribute 250 million hot meals of pure, nutritious, low-fat, low-cholesterol, wild organic venison,” Nugent said. “250 million meals a year, Glenn.”

“That’s one of the most staggering facts I have ever heard, that I have never heard,” Beck responded. “That’s absolutely crazy that’s not out there.”

“The propaganda ministry hates me, hates hunters, hates freedom, hates private property rights,” Nugent said. “We have so many deer in this country — more than ever in recorded history.”

As Beck prepares to go to the border on Saturday to feed and clothe illegal immigrant children, Nugent said he and his “protein soldiers” will come and help.

During the show, Beck asked Nugent why he often resorts to name-calling (at the 6:50 mark):

ESPYs: Stuart Scott Honored With Jimmy V Award

Stuart Scott

ESPN anchor Stuart Scott was honored at Wednesday night's ESPY Awards with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award for his ongoing battle with cancer since 2007.

Kiefer Sutherland presented the award to the Sportscenter personality, who is known for injecting excitement and his "booyah" catchphrase, as he lightheartedly noted that 24 is his favorite show: "Jack Bauer saved the world and he introduced me!" he laughed to a standing ovation.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott invoked the award's namesake, Jim Valvano, the former North Carolina State University basketball coach who died of bone cancer in 1993. His legendary speech at the first-ever ESPYs announced the creation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and its motto: "Don't give up … don't ever give up."

"To be honored with this," he said, "I know I have a responsibility to never give up. I'm not special; I just listened to what the man said."

Scott offered plenty of inspiration of his own, crediting the people around him and even his bosses for fighting on his behalf when he no longer had it in him. "I just got out of the hospital; I had four surgeries in the span of seven days," he revealed, silencing the Nokia Theatre audience.

Before beginning his speech, a video documenting Scott's treatments and road back to work showed the lively anchor in a doctor's room, drained, struggling to smile for the camera. "I'm not losing. I'm still here fighting," he managed to tell the camera.


"I've got to amend that," Scott said onstage, clutching the award. "When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, while you live and the manner in which you live," which triggered a roaring applause.

Poll: Florida Ranks #1 As 'Scariest' State

The real estate search site Estately says there are hundreds of worries when choosing where to buy a home, so to help house hunters make a more informed decision they've mapped out where Americans’ darkest fears are most readily found. Estately used these 15 common fears as criteria, and then we ranked each state from 1-50 from most scary to least scary.



Read More Now

Gallup: Immigration Most Important U.S. Problem

With thousands of undocumented immigrant minors crossing the nation's southern border in recent months, the percentage of Americans citing immigration as the top problem has surged to 17% this month, up from 5% in June, and the highest seen since 2006.

As a result, according to Gallup, immigration now virtually ties "dissatisfaction with government," at 16%, as the primary issue Americans think of when asked to name the country's top problem.

The economy and unemployment rank just below immigration and dissatisfaction with government in perceived importance, at 15% and 14%, respectively. However, no other issue reaches double-digit concern this month. This includes healthcare, which declined by half as a perceived top problem since the open-enrollment period to buy health insurance through health exchanges (and the associated press coverage of the enrollment process) ended in April. Gallup's monthly trend shows mentions of healthcare dropping from 16% in January and 15% in April to 11% in May, 10% in June, and 8% today.

July 17 In Radio History

In 1934…FCC adopts Order No. 1

In 1981…Bruce Bradley did his final show on WBZ 1030 AM, Boston.

Bradley joined WBZ in 1960, when the station is still playing middle of the road pop music. Gradually, as the music becomes more top-40, “Juicie Brucie” Bradley’s night-time show became extremely popular.

The station moved from Top40 to Full-Service AC in 1974.

In 2009…CBS newsman Walter Cronkite, anchorman of "The CBS Evening News" on television for 19 years (1962-1981) and called "the most trusted man in America," died of cerebrovascular disease at age 92.

In 2011…WRXP NYC drops Triple A format.

On June 21, 2011, it was announced that majority ownership of WRXP was acquired by Merlin Media LLC, a new entity headed by veteran radio executive Randy Michaels.   The sale, which the FCC approved in September 2011, included two other Emmis-owned stations in Chicago, WLUP-FM and WKQX. They then registered several domains for what the new format of the station would be, including a return of WYNY's country format, but many promoted an FM news format. WRXP's rock format ended with the song "Long Live Rock" by The Who.

After a brief period of dead air, WRXP (whose call sign was changed to WEMP on July 21) switched to a stunt of Adult Contemporary music branded as "101.9 FM New," a stunt that served as a transition to the station's new format.  "FM New" featured a live morning show that began at 6AM on July 18, hosted by veteran New York City radio personality Paul Cavalconte (who has been with 101.9 since 1998), with Jeff McKay (formerly of Shadow Traffic and WINS) providing traffic and weather updates(until the next day when Meteorologist Scott Derek began).   News reports and news blocks were gradually introduced beginning with a 3PM newscast on July 25, 2011, anchored by Dave Packer and Mike Barker.

Walt Sabo

On August 12, 2011, the station ended its Adult Contemporary stunt and went full-time all-news as "FM News 101.9," following in the footsteps of its Chicago sister station WWWN (the former and current WKQX), which flipped to all-news on July 29.  As conceived by Merlin's then-COO, Walter Sabo, "FM News" was what Sabo considered a "redefining" of the all-news format;  the on-air presentation was generally looser and conversational in tone, while an emphasis was placed on lifestyle, health, and entertainment features.  The initial news staff at WEMP included those with experience in New York radio, including WINS alums Catherine Smith, Alice Stockton-Rossini, and Brett Larson, as well as former WCBS anchor Therese Crowley and WRXP holdover Paul Cavalconte.

Over time, the "FM News" approach on WEMP would be adjusted: The reliance on lifestyle and entertainment features was decreased; the station turned towards a tighter, polished on-air presentation; and several new features were added, including "ten minutes of non-stop news," the "top 5 trending stories" leading off every hour, and hourly sports and business updates.  Coinciding with the on-air changes was a major promotional push, including television ads and promotions that tweaked WINS' longtime "22 minutes" slogan, with WEMP proclaiming "Give us 10 minutes, we'll give you the world."   (After WINS owner CBS Radio sent a cease-and-desist letter to Merlin Media, WEMP dropped its "world" slogan.) 

Merlin’s WEMP-FM  NYC drops news in 2012 in favor of new rock format