Broadcast Company of America has announced veteran radio personality Jack Diamond has been signed to do mornings on it's XHPRS 105.7 FM in San Diego (licensed to Tijuana).
The move is effective Monday, August 18 when the Classic Hits station rebrands as 105.7 MaxFM.
Diamond will be joined by co-host Kim Morrison and producer Kayla Yap. He returns to the San Diego market where he hosted KSON’s top rated morning show in the early 1990s, and also appeared nightly on KNSD-TV doing weather and entertainment reporting.
XHPRS OM/PD Mike Shephard stated, “We are thrilled to welcome him back home. It’s an exciting time for us at BCA Radio as we unveil our new logo and re-branded name and the final evolution of our musical recipe."
The Classic Hits format has evolved over the years from '60s-'70s to '70s-'80s. Based on extensive market research in San Diego, we saw a demand for a fun, upbeat station focused on the biggest hits from the late '70s all the way through the early '90s, ‘songs that make you feel good!’ While our music mix had already progressed to that point, our research also indicated that the ‘Walrus’ brand was primarily associated by the market with 60s music. Thus, the re-branding to 105.7 MaxFM."
Jack Diamond photo
Diamond is probably best known for his successful 24-year run in mornings on WRQX 107.3 FM in Washington. He got the boot from Cumulus's then-Mix 107.3, in the spring of 2013 after doing the morning show for two decades. Later that year, he did a short-lived gig at WLYF-FM in Miami. And earlier this month, Diamond hosted a week's worth of morning shows on Chicago's WLS 94.7 FM. His major market resume also includes KNBR/San Francisco, WABC/New York, WRKO/Boston and WQXI (94Q)/Atlanta.
Diamond commented, "When I left San Diego before my 24-year run with ABC Radio in Washington, DC, I told my KSON PD, Mike Shepard that I'd be back. He said, 'Great -- when you're ready, call me!' and I did. California Dreamin' has once again become a reality. Shepard and VP/Market Manager Norm Feuer have a great strategic plan, and we have two great partners in place in Kim & Kayla. Let the games begin!"
Diamond has also performed as a stand-up comedian and opened for comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Tim Allen. Jack's band has shared the bill with national touring acts such as Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, The Moody Blues, and Elton John, as well as headlining their own shows.
The new MaxFM line-up includes Diamond from 6-9am, Jay Coffey 9am-2pm, and Christina Martinez joins MaxFM for afternoon drive 2-7pm.
Cumulus Media officially launched their “NASH Icon” brand to radio on Friday (8-15), changing thirteens stations over to the new format that favors country music released from a 25-year “classic” period. Included is Atlanta’s Oldies 98.9 (translator W255CJ, main channel WWWQ 99.7 FM-HD2).
It is just one of the thirteen total radio stations that are scheduled at the moment to take on the new NASH Icon brand, including Nashville’s WSM 95.5 FM.
Of the thirteen radio stations looking to change over to the new format, only two of them are country stations—95.5 WSM in Nashville, and KJJY 92.5 FM in Des Moines. Three are classic or oldies stations mostly catering to older rock & roll, three are sports stations, three are contemporary hit radio stations, and one is news/talk.
The current flip list includes:
DesMoines 92.5 KJJY (Country)
Bloomington, IL WJBC Pontiac (News/Talk)
Albuquerque KBZU (Classic Rock)
Atlanta 98.9 W255CJ (Classic Hits) and WWWQ 98.7 FM-HD2
Oxnard, CA 106.3 KRRF (Classic Hits)
Lake Charles KQLK (CHR)
Birmingham, AL 99.5 WZRR (CHR)
Albany, GA WNUQ (CHR)
Fort Smith, AR 100.7 KLSZ
Savannah, GA 102.1 WZAT (Sports)
Kansas City 102.5 K273BZ (Sports)
Detroit 93.1 HD2 WDRQ
NASH Icon was first announced in May as a joint venture between Cumulus Media and Big Machine Records. As mainstream country music radio has abandoned most of country music’s older artists, the idea with NASH Icon is to give a home to artists who still have large audiences, but no home on the radio dial. Meanwhile the NASH Icon record label is looking to sign artists from the 25-year window, and also wants to be involved heavily in merchandising and touring. The announcement of NASH Icon has many people in radio talking about a format split in country with contemporary country and “classic” country.
During a earnings conference call with financial analysts last week, Cumulus chairman Lew Dickey said about NASH Icon, “We expect to announce a slate of signed artists before the holidays, and we’ll be working with our artists to monetize their work through recorded music, touring, merchandise and other related ventures. Following a start-up period in 2014, NASH ICON is expected to be profitable beginning next year.”
The origins of WEAF go way back to 1919 when original owners, AT&T, inaugurated an experimental radio-phone station, 2XB, at 463 West St. in Manhattan. Then, on May 18, 1922, the Commerce Department granted a license to AT&T's Western Electric subsidiary to upgrade 2XB.
Original calls, taken from an alphabetical list, were WDAM, however they were deemed too profane. On May 29, 1922, the next available calls were assigned: WEAF.
WEAF stood for "Water, Earth, Air, Fire", the four elements of matter.
On August 16, 1922, WEAF hit the air on 360 meters (or 833 AM on our present AM band.)
WEAF was the first station to offer commercials, with the Queensboro Corp, a real estate company, being its first sponsor on August 28, 1922.
During hours when they had time to fill, AT&T recruited their office personnel who could sing or play music.
In July 1926, RCA took over WEAF as the flagship for the Broadcasting Company Of America, a name soon changed to the National Broadcasting Company. The purchase price was $1 million.
On November 11, 1928, WEAF moved to 660 AM.
The move that solidified WEAF's position as the most pretigious of all broadcasters took place in the autumn of 1933, when NBC moved to 30 Rockefeller Plaza and became the "radio" that gave Radio City its name.
WEAF Transmitter 1932
In October 1943, sister station, WJZ, dropped out of the NBC Blue Network and establshed the American Broadcasting Company and eventually became WABC.
In August 1946, "Buffalo" Bob Smith began hosting WEAF's morning show, then left in 1951 to concentrate on "Howdy Doody."
Later in 1946, NBC came to an agreement with a small station in New Britain CT to relinquish that city's initials from its call letters and on November 2, 1946 at 5:30p, WEAF presented its last broadcast, entitled "Hail And Farewell," and at 6p turned into WNBC
Then on October 18, 1954, WNBC switched calls to WRCA, as a tie-in to their parent company, RCA.
On June 1, 1960, WRCA became WNBC once again.
In 1937....The American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) was organized as a part of the American Federation of Labor. On September 17, 1952, the Television Authority and AFRA merged to create a new union, the present-day American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal
In 1977…At his Graceland home in Memphis, Elvis Presley took the book he'd been reading, Frank Adams' "The Scientific Search For The Face Of Jesus," and went into his bathroom. "Don't fall asleep in there," said girlfriend Ginger Alden, knowing he had a habit of nodding off. "Okay, I won't," he said. Ginger went back to sleep.
At 1:30 p.m. CST, Ginger awoke and saw Elvis was still gone. When knocking on the bathroom door produced no reply, she entered and found his lifeless body on the floor in front of the toilet.
Alden called for Elvis associates Joe Esposito and Al Strada, who arrived and called the fire department. An ambulance was dispatched. Daughter Lisa Marie and father Vernon arrived in the bathroom, but Lisa Marie was quickly removed. Elvis was rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital, where, after several attempts to revive him, he died at 3:30 p.m. CST. He was 42.
His autopsy was performed at 7:00 p.m. The official coroner's report listed "cardiac arrhythmia" as the cause of Presley's death, but this was later admitted to be a ruse by the Presley family with the help of autopsy physicians to cover up the real cause of death: a cocktail of ten prescribed drugs, taken together in doses no doctor would ever prescribe.
In 1989...WCVG, Cincinnati, Ohio dropped its "All Elvis" format in exchange for a business news format.
In 1995...Joseph Priestley "J-P McCarthy" died.
McCarthy was a radio personality best known for his over 30 years of work as the morning man on WJR in Detroit.
He got his first radio job at Flint radio station WTAC. While at WTAC he frequently auditioned for WJR, a leading radio station in Detroit, with a 50,000-watt clear-channel signal that could be heard in much of the Eastern United States and Canada. After frequent auditions, McCarthy was hired by WJR as a staff announcer in 1956.
The position of staff announcer was merely straight forward announcing, and McCarthy aspired to do more in radio. When Marty McNealy, the host of WJR's Morning Music Hall, left for WKMH in 1958, McCarthy was chosen to replace him. The station promoted him heavily, and he was soon the #1 rated radio show in Detroit.
WJR did not pay particularly well, and J.P. was offered the opportunity to do commercials for Stroh's, the top brewery in Detroit. Station management would not allow it, and after some discussion McCarthy left Detroit for KGO in San Francisco, where he took the morning show from #6 to #3.
In 1964, Goodwill Stations sold WJR to Capital Cities Broadcasting and the president, Dan Burke, asked station manager Jim Quello why they lost McCarthy. After explaining the situation, Quello re-recruited McCarthy to return to WJR, with a raise and the right to do commercials for anybody he wanted. J.P. returned to WJR in December 1964.
Upon his return to Detroit, McCarthy not only hosted the Morning Music Hall from 6:15 to 9, but also the Afternoon Music Hall from 3:15 to 6. Eventually, McCarthy's duties were relegated to morning drive, and a noontime interview program, "Focus". It wasn't long before McCarthy's morning show was #1 in Detroit, a perch that he held for about 30 years until his death, a feat unmatched in Detroit radio.
J. P. McCarthy was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1992, the first Detroit broadcaster to be inducted.
While at the peak of his career he contracted Myelodysplastic Syndrome, a very rare blood disease. J.P. McCarthy died of pneumonia in his sleep on the afternoon of August 16, 1995, with his entire family at his bedside. He was 62.
In 2003...DJ and General Manager, Dick Pike, died at age 78. Pike is best known for his work at WNOP-AM, a tiny, 1,000-watt, jazz-formatted Radio station licensed to Newport, Kentucky, that became legendary.
According to the Radio Advertising Bureau, Radio's Q2 '14 revenue performance was moderate, down 3% from the same period last year based on diminished Spot activity. Spot declined 5%, tempering respective gains of 13% and 9% from the Off-Air and Digital sectors and flat Network spending.
Q2 represents the third consecutive quarter in which Radio has seen double-digit growth in Off-Air revenue.
First-Half results were flat (-1% overall) as double-digit increases in Off-Air (+15%) and Digital (+12%) helped offset 3% dips in both Spot and Network.
Erica Farber
"Based on pacing and industry insights, we anticipated a relatively flat to down Q2," stated Erica Farber, RAB's President and CEO. "While we don't forecast, a greater percentage of Radio's total annual revenue historically comes through in the second half, and we're anticipating that we'll see better results by the end of this year."
"Among Radio's top 10 advertisers, the standouts are operating in industries where there's intensified competition for top market share. As they spend to solidify their positions or introduce new products, these brands include Radio as a key component of their advertising, tapping Radio's ability to motivate consumers to action," stated Farber.
The body of DJ Casey Kasem, who died June 15 in Gig Harbor, Washington, is headed to Oslo, Norway, according to a report in the Norwegian newspaper VG, which was confirmed by Logan Clarke, a private investigator for Kasem's daughter Kerri Kasem.
In the Norwegian press account, Wenche Madsen Eriksson, a government official, was quoted by reporter Marcus Husby saying, "It is arranged. He's going to Oslo." The report said the official would not specify which of Oslo's 20 cemeteries and one crematorium was chosen by Kasem's widow, Jean Kasem. Her attorney declined to comment.
Jean Kasem
Oslo may be the end of a more than 7,900-mile odyssey that began in May, when Jean Kasem took the ailing Casey Kasem from a Santa Monica hospital to Las Vegas and then to Washington State, where Clarke tracked them down. Despite a Tacoma judge's restraining order in July, Jean Kasem moved her husband's remains to Montreal.
Santa Monica Police are investigating Kerri Kasem's allegation that her stepmother Jean Kasem abused the late Kasem.
CCM+E/Minneapolis has announced Chris Carr & Company will be the new morning show at its Country KEEY 102.1 FM.
The move is effective Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Carr announced his departure earlier this week as morning host at Hubbard;s WUBE 105.1 FM in Cincinnati (See Original Posting: Click Here)
"I'm so excited that Chris is coming home to K102," said Gregg Swedberg, VP of Programming for Clear Channel Minneapolis. "I think it's safe to say he and Maverick are one of a handful of brilliant Country morning shows and we are so fortunate to have them."
KEEY 102.1 FM (100Kw) 60dBu Coverage
The move marks a K102 homecoming for Carr, who did afternoons there until 2008, when he left for WUBE.
"When I told my wife that we had an opportunity to move back home to Minnesota, I witnessed the brightest smile I have seen from her since our second child was born," said Carr. "We're all excited to reconnect with family, friends, lakes, ice skates and the awesome audience of K102! Plus, I get to do it with one of the most talented and genuine people on this planet, Maverick -- I’m excited for everyone to meet him!"
Current Wakeup Crew host Mike "Muss" Mussman will move to PM Drive and co-host Donna Valentine will take over evenings.
Current evening host Adam West will now focus on his afternoon show over on Classic Hits KQQL (Kool 108).
Jay Dixon doesn’t see any reason why Hot 97 can’t be No. 1 again.
Dixon, now the permanent program director of Emmis' WQHT 97.1 FM, tells media writer David Hinckley at the NY Daily News the combination of hip hop’s pervasiveness and Hot’s brand can make it the city’s top station, at least with the 18- to 34-year-old core of its audience.
“I can only focus on what we’re doing, not on other stations,” he says. “But we can do this. I see some real chances for us to grow.”
In the late 1990s, Hot 97 jockeyed for the top spot in the city. Then Clear Channel started Power 105 and the hip-hop audience was split, which it remains today. In the most recent overall ratings, Power was No. 10 and Hot was No. 12. If their audiences were combined, they would have been tied for No. 1.
NBC named Chuck Todd the new host of "Meet the Press" on Thursday afternoon, beginning a revamp by network news managers who say they want the iconic program to be the "beating heart of politics."
The announcement confirmed widespread speculation that David Gregory, the moderator of the Sunday morning public affairs program for the past six years, would be replaced by Todd, the NBC News political director.
Not only is Gregory leaving "Meet the Press," he is also leaving the network. His next career move is not yet known, according to CNN Money.
I leave NBC as I came - humbled and grateful. I love journalism and serving as moderator of MTP was the highest honor there is . (1 of 2)
— David Gregory (@davidgregory) August 14, 2014
(2 of 2) I have great respect for my colleagues at NBC News and wish them all well. To the viewers, I say thank you.
— David Gregory (@davidgregory) August 14, 2014
"The next-generation 'Meet the Press,' led by Chuck Todd, is certain to be the must-watch political destination on Sundays and beyond," NBC News president Deborah Turness said in an internal memorandum that doubled as the network's announcement.
Todd's first day on "Meet the Press" will be September 7. Veteran NBC correspondent and MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell will fill in this weekend. In other words, last week was Gregory's last edition of "Meet the Press" -- though the viewers didn't know that at the time.
Meanwhile, there's some talk of another "Ann Curry' moment for NBC.
“A decent guy is getting f—ed,” a high-ranking NBC News insider told Confidential at The NY Daily News..
“There’s no reason for it, for them to allow him to be disparaged and brutalized in the media is reprehensible. It’s disgusting and uncalled for,” the source said.
“They know how bad they’ve f—ed him over and they’re scared to death that he will cause an Ann Curry situation, so they’re not letting him go on the air. It’s ridiculous.”
An NBC News spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment that specifically asked if the network feared Gregory would mirror Curry’s weepy goodbye from ‘Today’ in 2012.
Katz Radio Group (KRG) has announced it is launching a new representation division dedicated to Cumulus O&Oed stations.
The new rep firm, Westwood One National Sales, will provide advertisers and agencies direct access to the line-up of Cumulus stations across the country.
Bryan Forbes is appointed Senior VP/GM of WONS. Forbes is currently VP/Director of Sales at KRG, a position he has held since 2003. In his new role, Forbes will oversee National Sales for all 460 Cumulus owned-and-operated radio stations. The new rep firm will have dedicated offices in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.
Westwood One National Sales will offer advertisers and agencies access to Cumulus's newly developed traffic system. The technology is designed to improve speed-to-market, giving Cumulus advertisers and agencies real-time pricing and availability of minute-by-minute, market-by-market opportunities across the country.
Mark Gray
"Our common goal is to get radio a much bigger share of advertiser spending by solving their marketing problems and showcasing the unmatched results radio delivers," said Katz Radio Group President Mark Gray. "Our new partnership with Cumulus to launch Westwood One National Sales strengthens our ability to deliver the most innovative marketing solutions for advertisers and agencies across the expanding advertising platform of one of our important partners."
"We are thrilled about our new agreement with the Katz Radio Group," said Westwood One President Steve Shaw. "This collaboration allows us to focus on creating more multi-platform solutions for our advertisers including our assets in network, spot, digital, sports and spoken word."
For Radio Disney, on-air listening became too small a world after all.
Radio Disney may never have been a ratings blockbuster during its 18-year existence, but in the end it was a different set of numbers that led the Walt Disney Company to silence nearly all of its remaining two dozen over-the-air stations, according to InsideRadio.
Fewer than one in five — 18% — of Radio Disney listeners now consume the network on a broadcast station. So on September 26 a portfolio of mostly AMs will go silent while Disney looks for buyers for 23 of its 24 stations.
“Across all forms of media, digital technology continues to dramatically change consumer habits,” Radio Disney general manager Phil Guerini says in a memo to staff announcing the decision to put the emphasis on digital distribution and music-centric programming. Nielsen data shows twice as many teens, tweens and their parents are already consuming Radio Disney on the web than on AM/FM radio.
And Entercom CEO David Field wrote on Twitter yesterday that in spite of Disney station going on-the-block, he says ABC/Disney still are committed to radio:
Let's keep it real: Disney recently paid $100+ mil to put ESPN on FM in NYC & just made big commitment to ABC News on am/fm....,
— David Field (@DavidFieldETM) August 14, 2014
(2 of 2)....They cut Radio Disney stations because people under 75 don't listen to music on am.
— David Field (@DavidFieldETM) August 14, 2014
The company says it will retain control of KDIS, Los Angeles (1110) which will become the flagship for the brand’s audio programming.
InsideRadio also reports Radio Disney will also retain its channel on Sirius XM Radio and continue in radio syndication through Dees Entertainment’s “Radio Disney Top 30” countdown show.
L-R) Westwood One’s Misti Douglas, Jean Williams, and Chrystal Heidemann, with Governor Bill Haslam, Jim Bohannon, and Westwood One’s Donny Walker
Westwood one talker Jim Bohannon made an appearance Wednesday (8/13) at the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters conference in Nashville.
Jim spoke on a luncheon panel about Spoken Word formats called Give ’em Something To Talk About. He was cheered on by Westwood One’s Nashville Affiliate Sales team and Tennessee governor Bill Haslam.
Jacobs Radio Programming has launched the Smooth Jazz Network format on its KWDR 93.5 FM in Royal City, WA. and simulcast on Translator K272ED (102.3 FM) in Kennewick, WA.
Jeff Jacobs stated, "Radio listeners have missed jazz on the radio," he said. "This is a station that will serve the educated, mature, affluent and professional adult between the ages of 45 and 75 who enjoys and can afford the finer things in life."
Smooth Jazz Network President Allen Kepler said, "We are thrilled to bring the Smooth Jazz Network to o the Tri-Cities. Having developed the Smooth Jazz format since the late '80s, we have experienced many successes and numerous challenges, and we continue to hear the outcry from supporters of the format and adult radio consumers. The audience of the region has some of the most avid supporters we've seen of any radio format and we are thrilled to assist Jeff and his team fill a void for this quality format. The Smooth Jazz format provides an excellent lane for broadcasters who truly want to see a unique position in the market -- adult upscale, intelligent listeners who have otherwise been abandoned by radio."
Dan Cohen, executive director and founder of Music & Memory, explains how music is being used to help patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. He speaks with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg's "Taking Stock."
A hertiage AM station has been permanently silenced this week as the Federal Communications Commission offically deleted the license of WUTI 1150 AM (5Kw, 1Kw nights) in the Rome-Utica, NY Market.
WRUN, established in 1948 as WRUN, was last owned by Leatherstocking Media Group, Inc., and simulcast with WFBL in Syracuse until going off the air in 2013.
WUTI signed on April 24, 1948 as WRUN, under the ownership of the Rome Sentinel (Rome-Utica-Newspaper, RUN!). The Sentinel was concerned that the Utica-Rome area was not being served adequately by WIBX-AM, which, at the time the paper applied for the construction permit in 1946, had a 250-watt signal incapable of reaching Rome at night; in contrast, WRUN, with its 5,000-watt signal, would have more of a regional reach. (WIBX, which originally was at 1230 AM with 250-watts eventually relocated to 950 AM and upgraded to 5,000 watts.)
Dick Clark
Richard Clark, the father of radio/TV personality Dick Clark was General Manager in the early '50s. Dick Clark got his start on WRUN.
The Sentinel sold WRUN to Woods Communication Corporation in 1970; by then, it had a middle-of-the-road format, which evolved to a contemporary format by 1974. However, WRUN returned to MOR programming the following year. WRUN again changed its format in 1977, this time to top 40. The station was sold to WRUN, Inc. in 1978 and to Oneida Communications in 1985.
Forever Broadcasting bought the station in 1996. In the fall of 1997, the station began to relay sister country music station WFRG-FM. Forever sold its stations in the market to Regent Communications in 1999, and the following year, after a brief period simulcasting erstwhile competitor WIBX, WRUN began a adult standards format.
WRUN Studios/Transmitter Oriskany, NY
The format continued until 2005; that year, the station was sold to WAMC, who switched it to a relay of its public radio network. However, WAMC had been trying since 1998 to launch an FM relay of the network on 90.3 in nearby Remsen. When WRUN-FM signed on at 90.3 FM in December 2008, it determined that the AM station was no longer necessary, and sold it to Digital Radio Broadcasting in exchange for a translator in Cooperstown the following year. Upon assuming control that December, the new owners changed the call letters to WUTI, broadcasting a variety hits format with minimal interruption; by May 2010, the station began branding itself as "Ed 1150", including several thinly-veiled references to Ed Levine, the owner of Galaxy Communications. That September, Leatherstocking Media Group began programming the station and implemented a simulcast of its Syracuse talk radio station WFBL, once again making WUTI a direct competitor to WIBX. Leatherstocking bought WUTI outright shortly afterward.
WUTI went off the air on May 23, 2013 after vandals stole the station's transmission line; at that time, the station was operating at reduced power, and had also been experiencing briefer interruptions due to unrelated technical problems with equipment used to receive programming from WFBL.
In 1965...Beatles concert at Shea Stadium. It was the first time a rock band headlined a stadium concert and, with 55,600 people, it set a new record for largest attendance at a pop concert. Tickets for the show had sold out in three weeks, merely by word of mouth created by young fans who asked the concert promoter about the next Beatles show while he strolled in Central Park. Supporting acts for the concert were Brenda Holloway, the Young Rascals, the King Curtis Band, and Sounds Incorporated. The show grossed $304,000. The Beatles' share was $160,000.
In
In 1969…The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, promising "three days of peace, love, and music," began on Max Yasgur's 60-acre farm in Bethel, New York.
Of the more than 450,000 music fans drawn to the town, three died, two gave birth, four had miscarriages, and two got married during the festival. Performers included Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, the Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, the Band, Canned Heat, Joan Baez, Santana, Melanie, Ten Years After, Sly & the Family Stone, Johnny Winter, Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shankar, Country Joe and the Fish, Blood Sweat & Tears, Arlo Guthrie, and Jimi Hendrix. Joni Mitchell was scheduled to appear but had to cancel due to being booked for a TV show.
In 1986...WAPP 103.5 FM dropped Top40 for dance music as WQHT.
On August 15, 1986 at 6 pm, The Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now" and a bomb noise rang out WAPP and the classic rock titles. The station debuted as "Hot 103.5" with new call letters WQHT and a new CHR/Dance format.
The first song was believed to be "R.S.V.P." by Five Star. Nobody in the radio industry expected it, but the new rhythmic/CHR format was taking shape. WQHT was the second such station with the format, months after Emmis launched it on KPWR "Power 106" in Los Angeles earlier that year.
WQHT moved to 97.1 FM on September 22, 1988 at 5:30pm with WYNY moving to 103.5 FM
In 1988...WPIX 101.9 FM changed call letters to WQCD, "CD 101.9", intially was a AC/Jazz hybrid, later just Contemporary Jazz. In 1989, they added some New Age and Soft AC cuts.
In 2002...Opie & Anthony broadcast the “Sex For Sam” St. Pat’s incident on WNEW 102.7 FM.
One of Opie and Anthony's stunts was "Sex for Sam", an annual contest where the goal was to have sex in notable public places in New York City. Couples from various states would be selected to be trailed by a comedian or member of the show, who would call the program to report the location. The contest was sponsored by Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams beer, and prizes included trips to Boston concerts sponsored by the beer company. The contest was approved by the station and had no major problems for the first two years.
However, in "Sex for Sam 3", comedian Paul Mecurio encouraged Brian Florence and Loretta Harper, a Virginia couple visiting Manhattan, to have simulated sex in a vestibule at St. Patrick's Cathedral on August 15, 2002, which was also a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, and a Mass was going on at the time. When a security guard ordered Mecurio and the couple to leave the church immediately, Mecurio began to argue with the guard, who then contacted police. The couple was arrested and charged with public lewdness. Intense media scrutiny led to the Catholic League demanding that Opie and Anthony be fired. The Catholic League also threatened to get WNEW's license revoked.
Brian Florence, Loretta Harper
Opie and Anthony broadcast the next day, but were ordered not to directly address the incident for legal reasons. The show went into reruns the following week. On August 22, Infinity suspended Opie and Anthony for the duration of their contract, and canceled the show. However, the company continued to pay the duo to stay off the air for the balance of their contract. The Catholic League immediately dropped its bid to have WNEW's license revoked.
Infinity was fined a total of $357,500 by the FCC, the maximum amount allowed by law, and the second-largest indecency fine in American radio history. Infinity appealed the fine but again lost the case.
WNEW's ratings had been dreadful overall aside from Opie and Anthony. With the forced cancellation of its only strong performer, its ratings dropped even lower than those of noncommercial stations and never recovered. The station began playing music again in January 2003, starting with a Top 40 format, then going to an adult contemporary format, and later switching to a classic dance music format before returning to the AC format, at which point the station's call letters were changed to WWFS. The station has since been moderately successful. In a bit of irony, Opie and Anthony would make fun of an incident at WNEW in late 2004, in which the program director got drunk, went on air, and confused the call letters with those of WNEW's arch-rival WKTU.
Harper pleaded guilty a month later to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to seven days of community service. Her partner, Brian Florence, died of a heart attack on September 25, 2003
In 2008...Chris “Mad Dog” Russo calls Mike Francesa to say goodbye at WFAN 660 AM
In 2008…Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who helped define R&B music with recordings by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge and Solomon Burke, died of heart failure at age 91. Wexler coined the term "rhythm & blues" while writing for Billboard magazine in the late 1940s.
It’s something that you’ve either spent hours listening to, or something you’ve never heard of. Yet in today’s modern world of digital music downloads, Sirius satellite radio and the portable music player, there’s still a place for the humble AM radio station.
Yet as anyone who has purchased a BMW i3 will tell you, while BMW’s first mass-produced electric car comes with a choice of very capable audio systems, not one features an AM receiver.
The reason? BMW was worried the powerful 125 kilowatt electric motor powering the i3′s rear wheels would produce just enough electromagnetic interference on the frequencies used by AM radio to make listening to it unpleasant, according to transportevolved.com.
As a consequence, the brand known for no-compromise solutions had to make a one: ditch the AM radio, or face consumer complaints about poor reception.
Given the very few complaints Transport Evolved has heard form BMW i3 drivers about this since the BMW i3 launched almost a year ago, the lack of AM radio isn’t a major issue for them. But one group of individuals — namely the U.S. National Association of Broadcasters — is upset about the decision.
And it wants BMW to rethink its position.
In an official letter posted earlier this week to BMW North America President Ludwig Willish, the NAB has asked BMW North America to rethink its position on AM receivers in the BMWi3.
“AM radio has long been associated with America’s love affair with the automobile, and that connection remains undiminished as a free source of local news, music and entertainment,” the letter states. “Today, more than 4,700 AM radio stations provide millions of Americans with local news, weather and emergency information every day.”
Pointing out that the AM band is still extensively used across the U.S. for everything from talk radio to local community channels, emergency response information and sports coverage, the NAB says BMW needs to reverse its decision on the i3′s radio.
The Federal Communications Commission may finalize rules to help revitalize the struggling AM radio broadcast industry by the end of October, Commissioner Ajit Pai said Aug. 13.
In opening remarks at the Ohio Association of Broadcasters Town Hall meeting on revitalizing AM radio, Pai doubled-downed on his support for the commission's proposed rules to help reinvigorate the service, saying commenters “overwhelmingly” expressed support of the October 2013 FCC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), according to Bloomberg.
“I've been amazed how AM revitalization has struck a chord throughout the United States,” Pai said in his remarks.
The NPRM received the support of large and small broadcasters, civil rights organizations, diversity advocacy groups, and Democrats and Republicans alike, Pai said.
“Since 1949, AM has been the ‘heritage technology' for minority entry into media and telecom ownership,” David Honig, president of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg BNA. “These stations may be using old technology, but they're vital lifelines for underserved communities,” Honig said.
In his remarks, Pai focused on the commission's proposals to relax some rules regulating AM radio. These rules hadn't seen a real overhaul in decades, he said.
Pai also expressed his support for the FCC's consideration of new technologies to help AM radio down the line.
The October 2013 NPRM considers opening a filing window that would exclusively allow AM stations to license FM translator stations for broadcasting purposes.
“If we act soon, that window could open next year and give many stations much-needed relief,” Pai said in his remarks.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler‘s office declined to say if the NPRM would come to a vote this year, but the item received unanimous commissioner support before Wheeler become chairman.
Pai also said the “ratchet rule,” which sought to cut down on cross-station signal interference, should be eliminated.
The rule, which Pai said was perhaps “well intentioned,” has only served as a road block to AM stations trying to improve their service.
Despite a call from RTDNA for authorities to recognize the rights of journalists working to cover the events in Ferguson, Missouri, at least two reporters were arrested by police Wednesday evening while doing their jobs. (See original posting, Click Here)
Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowry says he was slammed into a soda machine, handcuffed and arrested, only to be released later when Ferguson's police chief sent orders. (Photo by Robert Cohen, McClatchy-Tribune News Service)
The Huffington Posts's Ryan J. Reilly says the officer arresting him slammed his head against the glass at the restaurant near the site of the shooting of Michael Brown where he was filing a story.
RTDNA condemns the physical violence and unjustified arrest of the journalists, and demands authorities respect the rights of reporters covering the unfolding situation in Missouri. RTDNA Executive Director Mike Cavender wrote a new letter to the city's police chief Thursday morning:
NBC will offer a digital-only premiere of its new Thursday night comedy "A to Z" on Thursday, Aug. 14, seven weeks before its linear launch in October.
In a first of its kind, NBC is partnering with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, which reaches 245 million listeners each month, to premiere the pilot across Clear Channel's vast network of digital properties. The first-of-its-kind campaign will include strong local and national integration airing the "A to Z" pilot digitally on iHeartRadio - everywhere it is available, providing promotional support on air across contemporary hits radio stations and their websites, mobile sites and social networks throughout the country, as well as featuring on-air discussions with Clear Channel's nationally syndicated top on-air personality Ryan Seacrest to drive awareness for the digital screening availability.
In addition to Clear Channel's digital properties and apps, the "A to Z" pilot will also be available on the NBC app, NBC.com, Hulu, Xfinity, the NBC owned and affiliate station websites and cable, satellite and telco providers On Demand and online services.
"NBC is very excited to partner with Clear Channel on this first-ever digital opportunity that will give viewers and audiences a chance to fall in love early with 'A to Z,'" said Len Fogge, President, Marketing and Digital, NBC Entertainment. "Viewers today love to customize their viewing experience - deciding not only what to watch, but when and how - and we couldn't imagine a more fitting project than 'A to Z' to debut in this innovative way."
"A to Z" is perfect for the millennial audience, who often watches content first online before traditional linear viewing. The music supervisor for the series, Alexandra Patsavas, is a three-time Grammy Award nominee who was responsible for the music on dozens of films and television shows including the "Twilight" series, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Gossip Girl."
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment (CCM+E) announced today that the Audience Delivery Optimizer (AuDiO), its groundbreaking, proprietary radio targeting tool for political advertisers, now incorporates Nielsen’s radio audience measurement data to further enhance its ability to identify key voter segments.
This marks the first time that Nielsen’s Portable People Meter (PPM) currency data, the industry standard, has been combined with specific public voter information – creating a powerful new tool for political advertisers.
Launched in June 2014, AuDiO is a first-of-its-kind radio optimization tool that enables political campaigns to precisely identify the 10 voter segments that are most crucial in key election districts.
AuDiO matches key information for approximately 245 million Americans who listen to Clear Channel’s 840 U.S. terrestrial radio stations to leading political databases to make actionable predictions about which desired voter segments are listening to which stations at which times.
With the integration of Nielsen’s industry-standard audience measurement data into AuDiO, political advertisers now have access to even more robust identification capabilities for their radio buys.
Nielsen Audio’s PPM panel measures the radio listening habits of more than 75,000 respondents across 48 different markets. Nielsen uses an independent third party to conduct a blind, direct match of the panelist’s listening data to Clear Channel-selected voter data sources including voter registration. The result is a combination of the highest quality listening data directly linked to anonymized and aggregated key voter characteristics and political views. Now part of AuDIO, Clear Channel’s political advertising tool, the matched data enables Clear Channel to recommend radio stations that deliver specific voter segments based on advertising objectives with pinpoint accuracy.
“Political advertisers increasingly demand insights and accuracy at the most granular level, understandably, since a small segment of voters can determine the outcome of an election,” said Nathan Daschle, Clear Channel’s Executive Vice President for Political Strategy.
Pandora Media Inc (P) shares jumped 10.3% Wednesday after analysts at Stifel Nicolaus resumed coverage on the stock, with a ‘Buy’ rating, according to bidnessetc.com.
The company has not reported a yearly profit in the ten odd years it has been in existence; but sell-side analysts seem largely convinced that the future is bright for the internet-radio company.
Analysts at Stifel believe that integration of Pandora radio in automobiles as well as plans to expand the company globally will lead to a significant increase in the number of listeners and listening hours in the near future. Moreover, Pandora is the only digital company that has the potential to make its mark in the radio-advertising industry.
Additionally, Pandora CFO Mike Herring presented today at a conference hosted by Oppenheimer. Apart from reiterating many figures from the 2Q earnings call, Herring spoke about how the company’s revenues had been increasing due to rising average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for the ads that run on its platform. Pandora started selling local radio two years ago and has expanded the service, which is now present in 37 local markets across the US.
On CNBC, Mike Herring discussed Pandora Internet radio's music genome project and competition with Apple.
If you feel as if you don't recognize any of the acts getting played on your local Top 40 station these days, you're not alone.
A year ago, the artists who have the five singles at the top of USA Today's current Top 40 airplay chart were virtual unknowns in the U.S. All of them are just now having their first U.S. hits as lead artists.
Canadian band Magic! tops the chart with its multiplatinum single Rude, followed by British soul singer Sam Smith and Stay With Me; Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz's Am I Wrong;English electronic act Disclosure, whose Latch features vocals from Smith; and Boom Clap from British singer Charli XCX, who first got American audiences' attention by singing the hook on Fancy, the breakout single from Australia-born rapper Iggy Azalea.
"The beautiful thing about Top 40 is it's different every day," says Tom Poleman, Clear Channel Communications' head of programming. "You never know what music is going to come out. The format never constricts itself to one genre. It's just whatever's hot."
"A lot of times, the fourth quarter is when the big superstars come out with their music," says Sharon Dastur, program director at New York's WHTZ-FM. Dastur also says Top 40 playlists tend to be cyclical. "Certain sounds go away for a while; then they come back. We haven't had that Magic! sound in a while. We haven't really had many rappers on Top 40 for a while, so when Iggy came out, it was a unique sound."
Wesley Lowery, a Washington Post political reporter, and Ryan Reilly, a Huffingotn Post justice reporter, were arrested in a Ferguson MO McDonald's shortly before 8 pm ET Wednesday
According to reports, police entered and told patrons to leave. They then asked the reporters for their ID, and according to the reporters, arrested them because they weren't packing their bags fast enough
Lowery said when the officers came in and said they had to leave, he pulled his phone out and began recording video. "An officer with a large weapon came up to me and said, "Stop recording." I said, "Officer, do I not have the right to record you?" He backed off but told me to hurry up.
Lowery also said the police officers "assaulted" him. "Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of," he tweeted. Lowery said he and Reilly were released without paperwork or charges and that the officers refused to provide the reporters with their names.
Reilly said he evidently wasn't packing his bag fast enough for the cops' liking and was given a 45 second countdown. "He handcuffed me...he used his finger to put a pressure point on my neck."
"The worst part was he slammed my head against the glass purposely on the way out of the McDonald's then sarcastically apologized for it. ... The mentality of the officers was extremely disturbing."
Once at the police station, they were placed in a holding cell. No mug shots. They were held "for what felt like" 10 or 15 minutes. Then they were told they were free to go. They asked to see an arrest report and were told there wasn't one and that they wouldn't be provided with names of officers.
WaPo's Exec Editor Martin Baron called the behavior of the police "wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news. ... We are appalled by the conduct of the police officers involved."
Riviera Broadcasting is pleased to announce the Valley’s newest radio station, KVIB 95.1 FM The Oasis, which made its debut in Phoenix at 12:00 noon MST on Wednesday.
95.1 The Oasis is the only place in the Valley to find “Lite and Refreshing” music from artists such as Billy Joel, Madonna, Lionel Richie, Adele, Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson, Elton John, Whitney Houston, The Eagles, Mariah Carey, and Phil Collins. 95.1
The Oasis promises 55 minutes of music every hour.
“We’re excited to bring this new format to Phoenix, and provide a place to escape the over-hyped, high-energy world we live in today,” said Jose Rodiles, Riviera’s COO. “By playing familiar songs from superstar artists, 95.1 The Oasis will quickly become a favorite in the Valley, not only to the listening audience, but to our advertising partners as well. Many of the songs we will play on The Oasis are not currently being heard anywhere else in Phoenix.”
Locally owned and operated, 95.1 The Oasis will deliver the best Soft Adult Contemporary music in Phoenix.
Omaha radio station KOOO 101.9 FM has changed its music format from classic rock to adult hits, according to omaha.com.
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The station, which had called itself “the Big O,” now is “the Keg.” A press release said the new tag is geared to remind listeners around either side of age 40 of their days sipping beer and listening to Guns N’ Roses, Journey, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Van Halen and Def Leopard. The emphasis shifts from programming that included 1970s pop hits to more of a focus on 1980s music, said Andy Ruback, the station’s general manager.
“Omahans want more of this music than they have been getting,” Ruback said, citing results of a recent survey of potential listeners ages 25 to 54. KOOO’s recent ratings have consistently placed it toward the bottom of Omaha’s top 10 for that demographic, he said. He expects the new format to boost ratings among 25- to 54-year-olds.
KOOO 101.9 FM (96Kw) 60dBu Coverage
Todd “Crash” Davis will be KOOO’s new morning on-air host. Dave Wingert’s last day as morning host was Monday. Wingert’s future at the station is not yet decided, Ruback said.
KOOO is owned by NRG Media, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. NRG owns 45 radio stations in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois. Omaha is its largest market. Among its six Omaha stations are KOIL 1290 AM and KQKQ 98.5 FM. It also owns stations in Grand Island, Lincoln and Kearney.
NRG’s Iowa markets include Algona, Humboldt, Webster City and Boone.
