April 5 In Radio History

In 1922…KOB-AM, Albuquerque, New Mexico began broadcasting.

Ralph Willis Goddard

The station was founded at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in Las Cruces (now New Mexico State University) by Ralph Willis Goddard, and began broadcasting tests in 1919 under the call letters 5XD. On April 5, 1922 the station began regular operation as KOB, a callsign which had belonged to marine radio aboard the Princess Anne before its February 2, 1920 shipwreck on Rockaway Shoals, Long Island.  New Mexico A&M sold the station after Goddard was electrocuted while adjusting the transmitter on December 31, 1928. In 1933 the station moved to Albuquerque, and was later bought by the Albuquerque Journal.

In 1948, Tom Pepperday, owner and publisher of the Journal, signed on KOB-TV, the first television station between the Mississippi River and the West Coast. The stations passed to Time-Life in 1952 and to Hubbard Broadcasting in 1957. Hubbard Broadcasting sold the radio stations in 1986. In order to trade on the well-known KOB calls, the new owners simply added an extra "K" to the radio station's call letters.

KOB was involved in a 38-year-long dispute with New York City station WABC (originally WJZ) over the use of the 770 kHz frequency. KOB was moved there from 1030 to make room for WBZ in Boston. While the Federal Communications Commission requested that WJZ install a directional antenna to allow the stations to interoperate over large areas, the station refused to comply, encroaching on the range KOB was intended to cover. Only after reaching the U.S. Supreme Court was the issue settled, when the FCC assigned KOB to a new license class. KKOB and WABC became sister stations when Citadel Broadcasting purchased ABC Radio in 2007; Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.

In 1922…WDZ-AM, Decatur, Illinois began broadcasting.

WDZ started in the office of the James Bush grain elevator in Tuscola, Illinois. The original call sign was 9JR and the original intent of the station was to broadcast grain reports, making it the first radio station to do so. The station later started mixing some music in with the grain reports.

The radio station's power was increased to 1000 watts in 1939 with a new 252-foot (77 m) tower. During that time, WDZ used remote broadcasts that was unique for a rural station. The station started the use of remote broadcasting equipment which included a truck called, the "WDZ 'White Relay Truck"', equipped with a 100-watt transmitter to relay broadcasts from area locations, and some two-watt, battery operated transmitters that could be worn on the backs of assistants when a program originated from remote sites.   The station was on 1020 kHz in 1941, but changed to 1050 kHz, and has remained there since.

1050 kHz has been a Mexican Clear Channel since 1941 (was a U.S. Clear Channel before 1941), and U.S. operations on Mexican Clear Channels was restricted to 1,000 watts and to daytime operations, only, until the "Rio" treaty took effect in the late 1980s (before 1941, 1020 kHz was a U.S. Clear Channel and that, too, was restricted). After "Rio" took effect, it was a simple matter for WDZ to add night operations with as little as 250 watts, and today the station is indeed operating with its pre-"Rio" maximum daytime power and its post-"Rio" minimum nighttime power. Anything more than 1,000 watts days and 250 watts nights very likely would require installation of a directional antenna system at great capital expense. WDZ is diplexed (i.e., it uses the very same vertical radiator) with co-owned WSOY.

WDZ Performer's Studio

In 1949, the station moved from Tuscola to Decatur.   The relocation of WDZ from Tuscola to the west and to Decatur greatly facilitated the eventual allocation of a station on 1080 kHz in Oak Lawn, suburban Chicago, IL.

WDZ Transmitter Studio

On March 31, 2008, the station switched to a sports radio format as part of the Fox Sports Radio network. Within a year the station switched programming from Fox Sports Radio to ESPN Radio.

WDZ and its sister stations WCZQ 105.5 FM Monticello and WDZQ 95.1 FM, 1340 WSOY 1340 AM and WSOY 102.9 FM Decatur, were sold to Neuhoff Media in February 2009.

Today, WDZ 1050 AM, powers with 1000 Kw-Day, 250 watts Night. and airs ESPN Sports.

In 1982…After 36 years, the record industry trade magazine Record World ceased publication and filed for bankruptcy protection.

Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but in 1964 it was changed to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin. Many music industry personalities, writers and critics began their careers there in the early 1970s to 1980s.

Record World was considered the hipper, faster-moving music industry publication, in contrast to the stodgier Billboard and the perennially-struggling Cash Box. Record World's collapse was the result of discord between the two owners, and a sudden downturn in record sales.


In 2014…Former Pittsburgh radio and TV host (WTAE, KQV, WTAE-TV) Lynn Hinds, who hosted "AM Pittsburgh" from 1972 until 1983, died at the age of 79. Hinds also produced and hosted "The Pennsylvania Game," a quiz program broadcast on the Pennsylvania Public Television Network.

R.I.P.: Lynyrd Skynyrd Drummer Bob Burns Has Died

Bob Burns

Sad news to report. Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns was killed late Fridasy night in a single car accident in Cartersville, Georgia, according to the Georgia State Police.

He was 64-years-of-age.

Burns was the original drummer for the band when it was formed in 1968.

According to the GA. State Police PIO,  he was traveling on Tower Ridge Road in Bartow County when he approached a curve and left his side of the roadway. The musician struck a mailbox and a tree with the front of his vehicle at approximately 11:56 p.m. Friday night.

He was not wearing his seatbelt.

The drummer helped form Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1964 with Gary Rossington and Larry Junstrom. They were later joined by Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins. He played on the band’s first two official albums:  (Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd) and Second Helping. “Free Bird,” one of the songs featured on the band’s debut album, helped catapult them to music stardom.


Bob stayed with the band until 1974. He was replaced by Artimus Pyle. Bob rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd for one special performance on March 13, 2006. He played with Billy Powell, Ed King, Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and The Honkettes at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Cincy Radio: WLW's Jim Scott Signs-Off

Jim Scott

Friday morning, listeners heard the final broadcast for WLW 700 AM morning host Jim Scott who retired from radio after nearly 50 years on the air in the Queen City.

Cincinnati listeners first heard him in 1968 on WSAI spinning Top40.   He started in radio in 1960 while a high school senior in Binghamton, N.Y.  and in 2002 Scott won a Marconi Award for Large Market Radio Personality of the Year.

Mike McConnell, who served WLW for 25 years before a three-year radio stint in Chicago from 2010 to 2013, will replace Scott beginning Monday, April 6.

"I'm really happy for you personally," McConnell told Scott on Friday. "And, yes, I'm thrilled about getting started as well."



Scott's program director for many of his years at WLW was broadcast veteran and blogger Darryl Parks.

Parks recalls, "when Jim first arrived in Cincinnati from WKBW in Buffalo, he made it a point to introduce himself to everyone.  And I mean everyone.  He’d finish his morning show on WSAI and then head to Cincinnati’s Fountain Square where he’d hand flowers to women and ask them to listen to him.  Other days, Jim would literally knock on doors, going house to house, neighborhood to neighborhood, introducing himself and asking those that answered if they would listen.  That was decades ago and he never stopped."

Parks added,  "Scott understands his place in the market.  Never abuses his power or notoriety. Keenly knows the importance of ratings, the advertiser and revenue.  He’s a competitive personality and a radio icon that has survived and flourished ratings book after ratings book because of his ability to adapt and learn from an ever changing marketplace and audience."

April 4 In Radio History

In 1922...WAAB, Baton Rouge, Louisiana became the first station in the United States to have call letters that began with "W".


In 1996...the Howard Stern Radio program debuted on KJFK-FM, Austin, Texas.

Don Imus

In 2007...Don Imus called the Rutgers women basketball team "nappy-headed hos". The comment erupted into a firestorm of condemnation which a week later led to him being fired from his nationally syndicated radio show.

On April 4, 2007, during a discussion about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, Imus characterized the Rutgers University women's basketball team players as "rough girls," commenting on their tattoos. His executive producer Bernard McGuirk responded by referring to them as "hardcore hos". The discussion continued with Imus describing the girls as "nappy-headed hos" and McGuirk remarking that the two teams looked like the "jigaboos versus the wannabes" mentioned in Spike Lee's film, School Daze; apparently referring to the two teams' differing appearances.



After outrage from the initial reports, Imus dismissed the incident as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing".  He also stated that "nappy-headed hoes" is a term that rap artists use to refer to African-American women.

He said: "That phrase [nappy-headed ho] didn't originate in the White Community. That phrase originated in the Black community. Young Black women all through that society are demeaned and disparaged and disrespected by their own Black men, and they are called that name in Black hip hop."

In response to mounting public censure, Imus issued a statement of apology:

I want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, which lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday. It was completely inappropriate and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry.

On April 9, Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's syndicated radio talk show, Keepin' It Real with Al Sharpton, to address the controversy. Sharpton called the comments "abominable", "racist", and "sexist", and repeated his earlier demand that Imus be fired. Imus said, "Our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far. Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it."

The Rutgers basketball team held a news conference at which coach C. Vivian Stringer stated that the team would meet with Imus to discuss his comments. Several of the players expressed their outrage over his remarks. Team captain Essence Carson said Imus' remarks had "stolen a moment of pure grace from us".

On April 11, 2007, Steve Capus of NBC News, announced that MSNBC would no longer simulcast Imus in the Morning, effective immediately. The next day, CBS Radio canceled Imus in the Morning, effective immediately. CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves stated:

From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent. There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.  Moonves had met with Sharpton and Jesse Jackson shortly before the announcement was made.

NAB To Honor Radio/TV's Bud Paxson

Bud Paxson

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced Friday that it will present the Spirit of Broadcasting Award posthumously to radio and television entrepreneur Lowell “Bud" Paxson during NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Marla Paxson will accept the award for her late husband during the NAB Show Television Luncheon, sponsored by RBC Capital Markets, on April 13 at the Westgate Hotel. Actress Sharon Stone and entertainer Wayne Newton, longtime friends of Paxson, will pay tribute to his memory during the award presentation.

Paxson is the creator and co-founder of Home Shopping Network and family-friendly television network PAX TV, and was a key advocate within the federal government for broadcast television.

“Bud Paxson was a visionary entrepreneur and superb advocate for over-the-air radio and television,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “We are proud to honor his spirit with this award.”

Paxson developed a passion for television, radio and showmanship at an early age. He was the star deejay on radio show “Kiddie Go Round” at 14 years old, and following his graduation from Syracuse University, he became an owner of his first TV station by his early twenties.

In 1977, when an advertiser on his Clearwater, Florida radio station could not pay his bill, Paxson accepted 118 avocado green can openers instead of money. Needing to make payroll the next day without the funds to do so, Bud took to the radio microphone and announced he would sell the $30 can openers for $10 to anyone who could come to the station and pay cash. He made payroll and that day started the concept for the most successful television direct sales network in history—Home Shopping Network. By 1985, Home Shopping Network was grossing $1 billion annually.

From 1991 to 1997, Paxson built a 46 station radio and television conglomerate, which became the largest group of broadcast properties in Florida. In addition to its Florida presence, Paxson’s radio holdings included state radio networks in Tennessee and South Carolina, and sports networks in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In 1997, Paxson sold Paxson Communications’ radio stations to Clear Channel for nearly $700 million.

The Spirit of Broadcasting Award recognizes general excellence and leadership and is given to individuals or organizations that have made lasting contributions to over-the-air broadcasting.

S-F Radio: Airborne KCBS Traffic Reporter Forced Down By Laser

A KCBS traffic plane made an unexpected landing after a pilot was hit in the eye with a laser Thursday morning.

KCBS 740 AM /106.9 FM traffic reporter Ron Cervi was in the plane when a green laser struck the pilot above San Ramon at about 6:40 a.m.

Cervi said it happened without him noticing until the pilot turned to him and said he got hit.

“It was very, very strong,” Cervi said. “Someone pointed this laser and got my pilot right in the eye.”

Feeling a minor burning sensation, the pilot immediately called the Oakland Airport tower and told them what happened. CHP was notified, and the FBI launched a plane to investigate the laser’s origin.

According to KCBS, the pilot safely landed the plane and felt fine enough to drive himself to the doctor for a medical check. A doctor said his eyes appeared healthy on initial examination, but recommended a visit with a specialist.

A green laser in particular is 20 to 30 times brighter than a red laser and can temporarily blind pilots and even cause damage to the human eye.

Cleveland Radio: WDOK Rebrands As Star 102

Announcing on their Facebook page, and via Instagram "We could only be "new" for so long - start spreading the news, we finally landed on a name".

CBS Radio's HotAC WDOK 102.1 FM has rebranded as Cleveland's Star 102 Better Music. Morning hosts Jen & Tim made the on-air announcement Friday morning.

Since January 9, 2012, WDOK had been branding as The New 102, but this morning WDOK unveiled its new name. That's Tim hanging the new banner in the control room.


The weekday schedule continues to feature WDOK personalities Jen Toohey and Tim Richards (mornings), Desiray McCray (middays), Jeremiah Widmer afternoons, and Jaci Fox (evenings).

WDOK 102.1 FM (12 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

Feds Eyeing Apple's New Music Streaming Service

The Federal Trade Commision and the Dept. of Justice may undertake a review of Apple's soon-to-launch streaming service.

The NY Post reports the Feds have been holding talks with key music-industry executives in order to figure out whether to launch a wider antitrust review of the tech titan’s business practices.

US interest in possible antitrust issues follows a similar move in the European Union, where the Competition Commission is querying music executives over actions by Apple, other music streamers and record labels that are aimed at stemming freemium business models.

Justice already has an antitrust monitor at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., offices. The monitor was placed there after Apple lost a case over e-book price fixing and colluding with publishers. Apple has appealed that verdict.

The main issue is a concern that Apple will use its global dominance to push the music business not to license its songs to freemium services — and to obtain exclusive deals.

Read More Now

Nielsen: Radio's Great ROI for Telcoms

Advertisers have long believed in the power of radio advertising, but many struggle to draw direct correlations between their investment and campaign performance metrics. The days where advertisers can get by without justifying their investments are dwindling, which is why it’s never been more important for them to have direct insight into whether their efforts are paying off.

According to Nielsen, the good news is that advertisers can assess whether their radio ad campaigns affect consumer purchase behavior, as illustrated by the results of a recent case study that looked at the return on ad spend (ROAS) of a top five telecommunications (telco) company. For the analysis, Nielsen worked with the Katz Radio Group to examine the telco company’s share of the adult (18+) customer base in two ways: with and without exposure to the radio ad campaign.

To assess return on advertising investment, the study linked Nielsen Portable People Meter (PPM) data for first-quarter 2014 campaign exposures on the specific stations used during the campaign with consumer purchases using credit and debit card transaction data from more than 125 million Americans 18+ who had heard the ads. The results showed that radio delivered $14 dollars in incremental sales for each dollar invested in advertising.

The listeners who were exposed to the radio campaign spent $210 million more on the telco’s products and services over the three-month period than if they had not been exposed to the radio campaign. The telco advertiser spent approximately $15.3 million dollars in radio advertising in the PPM markets during the quarter. When the increase in sales is compared with the radio investment level, the study found the ROAS for this radio campaign to be $14 to $1.

There was also meaningful lift in average spend per month during the campaign period among those exposed to the radio ad campaign. Their outlay was $8 more per month than consumers who were not exposed. The impact of this particular campaign resonated particularly well with Millennials, who represent the largest generation of nationwide radio listeners, according to Nielsen’s recent Audio Today Report. In fact, Millennials exposed to the campaign had double the increase in their monthly spending ($16 verses $8) for the Telco’s products and services.

Lehigh Valley Radio: WLEV Moves Josh Gears To Morning Show

Josh Gears

Cumulus Media, Inc. announces that WLEV 100.7 FM Allentown-Bethlehem afternoon personality Josh Gears officially moves to 100.7 WLEV Mornings as co-host of “Josh & Scott in the Morning”.

The show airs weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and features co-host Scott Evans.

Gears hosted Afternoons on the AC-formatted station since 2012. Prior to that, he was on-air at Clear Channel/iHeart Media’s B104 WAEB in Allentown-Bethlehem and at MIX 106.1 WISX in Philadelphia.

Laura St. James, Program Director for 100.7 WLEV said: "Josh has shown us over the last few months in mornings just how deserving he is of this role. It's always great when you can promote from within-- and in this case, all the pieces fell perfectly into place."

WLEV 100.7 FM (11 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

New dad Gears says daughter Aimee's feeding schedule has helped him adjust to mornings. "I'm already getting up early with the baby, so I figured I'd stroll in and entertain the Lehigh Valley with Scott Evans."  He added: "I would like to thank Laura St. James, Emily Boldon and Mike McVay for making this opportunity possible."

St. James, who has been filling in on Afternoons, takes over PM drive duties.

Scripps Likes Radio's Ability To Connect With Listeners

Rich Boehne

E.W. Scripps Co. of Cincinnati is returning to the radio business for the first time in more than two decades as part of the company’s takeover of Journal Broadcast Group’s radio and television stations in Milwaukee and elsewhere.

And, although Scripps executives wanted the Journal Broadcast Group deal primarily for TV stations, the Scripps team is intrigued by the radio business and the medium’s ability to connect with consumers — and therefore with advertisers, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.

“You walk down the streets and you go into these markets and people know these radio personalities,” Scripps president and CEO Rich Boehne told Rich Kirchen. “My favorite is a political talk show host up in Milwaukee named Charlie Sykes. I guess he’s conservative in a somewhat liberal state and everybody dislikes him so much that everybody listens to him. That’s fantastic.”

Boehne said he spent time with Sykes when Scripps executives visited Milwaukee to familiarize themselves with Milwaukee-based Journal Broadcast Group and its outlets, including WTMJ 620 AM, WTMJ-TV4 and WLWK 94.5 FM.

NYC Radio: Report..CBS Radio, Mike Francesa Still On the Outs

Mike Francesa first went public about his frayed relationship with CBS Radio seven months ago. On Wednesday, he made it clear time has not healed any of the wounds.

The WFAN host called his relationship with executives at CBS Radio, which owns WFAN, "very poor," "awful" and "terrible" and said it has "never been worse."

Speaking to Newsday during a break in his show at the Hard Rock Café in Manhattan, Francesa said that for legal reasons he cannot go into detail about the nature of the dispute.

Mike Francesa

But he acknowledged one source of tension is his ongoing frustration over his often-preempted simulcast on Fox Sports 1 and 2, and CBS' inability or unwillingness to find a contractual solution.

"We have a difference of opinion on a number of issues now, and Fox is one of them, yes," he said.

"But I've been asked not to discuss it in any detail and I'm going to abide by what I was asked not to do."

In September, he said on the air that he had received a letter from CBS threatening to sue if he continued complaining about the simulcast. CBS said there had been no discussion of a lawsuit, causing him to fire back and insist there had been.

Read More Now

Philly Radio: Sean Brace OUT At WPEN The Fanatic

Sean Brace

Wednesday, former SportsRadio WIP 94.1 FM radio host Anthony Gargano made a surprise appearance on Mike Missanelli’s WPEN 97.5 The Fanatic Show, leading to speculation that Gargano would join his formal rival after reportedly receiving a low-ball contract from WIP.

Thursday, the next chips may have fallen to facilitate Gargano's return to the Philadelphia airwaves, according to philly.com.

Sean Brace, who had been co-hosting “The Jon and Sean Show” on The Fanatic weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. with Jon Marks, confirmed he's no longer with the station.

Started in Jan of 08 @975TheFanatic. Want to thank them for the opportunity. It's been a fun ride.
— Sean Brace (@SeanBrace975) April 2, 2015

Brace started as an intern with the station back in 2006, working his way up from producer to on-air contributor to host. According to his Fanatic bio page, he “quickly established himself as an integral part of 97.5 The Fanatic and a burgeoning talent in Philadelphia sports radio."

The bio also notes Brace "is poised for a long career in Philadelphia sports radio," although now it would seem that future will have to occur at a different station.

NYC Radio: WABC To Cover Final Four Weekend

WABC 770 AM announces that it will report live during NCAA® Final Four weekend, in conjunction with sister company Westwood One, the official radio partner of the NCAA.

77 WABC’s sports reporter Mike Gunzelman will broadcast from Radio Row in Indianapolis all weekend with extended sports reports within the Imus in The Morning program, Geraldo Rivera Show and Right Now with Doug McIntyre. 77 WABC’s reports will be featured in newscasts and within social media, as well.

77 WABC will also produce two exclusive live streaming programs which will debut NCAA Final Four weekend. Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5 at 12:00 Noon Eastern, 77 WABC’s Mike Gunzelman will provide live commentary and interviews with coaches, sports pundits, and intriguing celebrities passing through Radio Row. This live stream, provided as a separate stream to the main WABC Radio stream, can be found at http://www.wabcradio.com/Sports.

Craig Schwalb, Program Director for 77 WABC said: “With the continuing dialog surrounding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and all the excitement that is college basketball, it’s an important intersection and 77 WABC will be in Indianapolis for all of it.”

Listeners are invited to follow coverage of the men’s basketball national championship on social media. All links to social media posts can be found at wabcradio.com/sports.

S-F Radio: Mike Fadelli New VP/Sales For KFOG, KSAN, KSJO

Mike Fadelli

Cumulus Media, Inc. announces that veteran San Francisco radio sales manager Mike Fadelli has been promoted to Vice President, Sales for San Francisco music-formatted stations KFOG 104.5 FM, KSAN 107.7 FM  and KSJO 92.3 FM.

Fadelli has 13 years experience in radio sales management in the Bay area and was previously General Sales Manager of Cumulus stations KNBR and KTCT. Prior to that, he was General Sales Manager at Entercom’s San Francisco sports station The Game, after serving Entercom as General Sales Manager of 95.7 The WOLF and KUFX 98.5 and 102.1. Fadelli was also General Sales Manager for Bonneville’s Sports 620 and Sales Manager for Susquehanna Radio stations KNBR and KSAN.

Justin Wittmayer, Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus San Francisco said: “Mike's ability to lead, his considerable market equity and deep understanding of the music formats we offer will create significant opportunities for our music platforms. His promotion furthers our commitment to delivering the highest quality music programming and connecting advertisers with this passionate audience.”

Fadelli said: “I’m very excited to be leading these three fantastic brands. KFOG and KSAN are iconic stations with tremendous history in the Bay Area and with the increasing popularity of Country music in the market, NASH 92.3 (KSJO) is a rising star!”

Would You Pay $400 For Internet?

Some of the world's fastest Internet speeds let you download an HD movie within 7 seconds. But next month, according to the Washington Post, Atlanta will get access to Internet service from Comcast that will cut that time in half.

Comcast announced on Thursday that it will soon begin offering a service capable of delivering Internet speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second — that's twice as fast as Google Fiber's top speeds and 200 times what the average U.S. household currently gets. And, the company claims, it will soon be available to 1.5 million Atlanta residents.

The service, which is called Gigabit Pro, is a none-too-subtle shot across Google's bow, and a sign of further broadband competition to come.

Gigabit Pro will cost less than the $400 a month.

SiriusXM Plans Extensive Coverage Of 2015 MLB

SiriusXM, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of Major League Baseball, will provide comprehensive coverage for the 2015 MLB season, offering subscribers the most extensive coverage available in radio.

SiriusXM subscribers will have access to every regular season and postseason game on their satellite radios, as well as on their mobile devices and online.

MLB games are available on Sirius radios with either a Premier or All Access package and on all XM radios.  Through SiriusXM's agreement with MLBAM, MLB play-by-play is also available to all subscribers on the SiriusXM app and online at SiriusXM.com.

SiriusXM subscribers listening to MLB games through the SiriusXM app or online have access to a suite of 30 play-by-play channels dedicated to streaming the official radio broadcasts of every MLB team.  These channels give fans access to both the home and visiting team broadcasts for every MLB game, allowing them to hear their favorite team's announcers all season long.

Listeners also get access to multiple Spanish-language broadcasts each night of the regular season from a select number of teams.

Listeners will continue to get the most in-depth radio coverage of the league 365 days a year with MLB Network Radio, SiriusXM's 24-hour baseball talk channel (XM channel 89, Sirius channel 209).  The channel features the latest baseball news and daily baseball talk with a roster of expert hosts that includes former GMs Jim Bowden, Jim Duquette and Steve Phillips, former Rookie of the Year Todd Hollandsworth, former manager Kevin Kennedy, former All-Stars Brad Lidge, Steve Sax, Mike Stanton and Rico Petrocelli, national baseball writers Tyler Kepner, Scott Miller and Jon Paul Morosi, as well as Casey Stern, Mike Ferrin, Jim Memolo and others.

The channel will continue to feature a simulcast of Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's MLB Network show, High Heat with Christopher Russo, every weekday afternoon, as well as simulcasts of additional MLB Network television programming, including the flagship studio show MLB Tonight.

On Opening Day, April 6, MLB Network Radio will broadcast live from Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals will host their division rival, the New York Mets.  Casey Stern and Mike Ferrin will host live from the ballpark at 1:00 pm ET.

Albuquerque Radio: KXKS Launches Fox Sports

Rock of Talk LLC has announced the launch of FOX Sports on KXKS 1190 AM / 107.5 T-FM in Albuquerque.   Rock of Talk is operating the station under an LMA agreement with Wilkins Radio.

Fox Sports 1190/107.5 will feature FOX Sports Radio’s live, 24/7 lineup of leading sports entertainment programs, including Jay Mohr Sports, The Dan Patrick Show, The Rich Eisen Show, FOX Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman & Mike North and JT “The Brick,” in addition to the network’s weekend programming.

FOX Sports General Manager Eddy Aragon said, “We’re excited to bring the premier Fox Sports Network to the most powerful sports radio signal in the Albuquerque market. Listeners will be able to tune to the 10,000 watt signal (24 watts at night) of KXKS plus the simulcast signal on 107.5FM.”

K298BY 107.5 FM (55 watts) Red=60dBu Local Coverage

 Dick Govatski, CEO, of ABQ.fm said, “With the introduction of Fox Sports on KXKS, we are pleased to announce that the station will be featured in our Black Label lineup of over 20 stations on ABQ.FM.”

Radio One's Praise Stations Raise $1.4M For St. Jude's

Radio One's national network of praise stations, along with celebrity radio hosts Yolanda Adams, Tom Joyner, Willie Moore, Jr. and Lonnie Hunter, have all lent their voices to help the fight against sickle cell disease, childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Recently, they partnered with other inspirational music stations across the country to raise more than $1.4 million for kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the eighth annual Radio Cares for St. Jude Kids national radio broadcast event designed to increase the community's awareness and support of St. Jude.

Radio One's partners and celebrity friends continued to drum up awareness and support for St. Jude by sharing the hospital's mission through testimonies of patient families and the latest news about groundbreaking research, advances in treatment and the lifesaving work conducted there. This year's top fundraising stations are WPZE Praise 102.5 FM in Atlanta, WPPZ Praise 103.9 FM in Philadelphia and WPRS Praise 104.1 FM in Washington, D.C.

Since 2008, the event has raised nearly $10 million in cash and pledges.

“Radio One is a proud partner of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and we are particularly proud of our highly engaged and loyal listeners for responding to our call and exceeding our financial goal this year. This national radio event proves the continued power of radio to emotionally connect with listeners and move them to action. In this case, the action is literally life–saving for thousands of children,” said Chris Wegmann, president of the Radio Division, Radio One, Inc.

All participating stations encouraged listeners to become St. Jude Partners in Hope by making a $20 monthly pledge. Beginning at 6 a.m. ET, Yolanda Adams, Grammy Award–winning gospel artist and host of her own show, started the day strong with a high energy, celebrity appearance by gospel singer Erica Campbell, followed by the story of St. Jude patient Bella.

Report: Even Casey Kasem Had 'Haters'

Casey Kasem

The legal case of radio icon Casey Kasem is still active some 10 months after his death.  In a statement to The Daily Beast, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office confirmed that Kasem’s case is still active. “Our office is reviewing the case presented to us by law enforcement,” the office said. “No decision has been made.”

Criminal investigations are also still pending, leading to questions of whather his death was the result of foul play.

But, while,  the longtime radio personality claimed devoted fans, he also had devoted enemies, as well. The Daily Beast has learned in a recent FBI document dump that Kasem, who cemented his Hollywood star as the inventor of the American Top 40, was secretly ducking death threats from a few fanatics. All felt entitled to a piece of the radio hotshot, who was making millions and at the top of the charts in his own right.

There was a heartbroken listener from St. Louis who was president of the Missouri chapter of the Casey Kasem Fan Club. During the summer of 1980, the woman made a memorable visit to the Watermark Studio in Los Angeles. The delusional Kasem devotee thought the radio man was in love with her.

And when the divorced Kasem walked down the aisle December 21, 1980, to say yes to the former Jean Thompson in a wedding officiated by Rev. Jesse Jackson, the listener felt she needed to prove her love.

She had a vicious way of showing it. She started writing letters on Christmas Eve in 1980 accusing Kasem of rape, alcoholism, and molesting his kids. “By the end of June or else—I’ll come out to California and kill you, your ‘wife’ and your three kids—this is a promise. I’ll do it too because I know where you work,” she wrote in one letter, found in the FBI trove.

She added, “a bullet through your heart will be first and then I’ll pour kerosene on your dead body and torch you until its charred.”

The feds didn’t have to look very hard to ID her because she included her return address on the postmarked envelope.

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R.I.P.: Bob&Ray Radio Script Writer Tom Koch

Tom Koch

Tom Koch, a creator of the vexingly convoluted game 43-man Squamish for Mad magazine and unheralded author of thousands of comedy scripts for Bob and Ray radio programs that in his words parodied “pompous versions of real people,” died on March 22 at his home in Laguna Woods, Calif.

He was 89 years-of age, according to The NY Times.  The cause was pulmonary failure, said his son, John.

He was prolific writing for Bob and Ray’s regular radio programs, turning out almost 3,000 sketches in the 33 years after he was recruited in 1955 as their silent partner.

“He certainly contributed a big part of the Bob and Ray repertoire on radio,” Mr. Elliott said Wednesday.



“They usually ad-libbed their stuff,” Mr. Koch told The Los Angeles Times in 1996, “but NBC didn’t want things going out over the network without knowing what was coming in advance, so they asked me to start writing for them.”

As a result, in three-and-a-half-page, five-minute scripts, radio audiences were introduced to the president of the Slow Talkers of America; the hapless detectives in Squad Car 119; a bridge builder who went bankrupt (listeners could hear cars splashing in the background); the executive secretary of the Parsley Society of America bemoaning the per capita decline in consumption; and the bumbling correspondent Wally Ballou’s report from a prefabricated igloo factory in Greenland where the temperature was kept at 30 degrees below zero to keep the components from melting.

April 3 In Radio History

In 1948…"The Louisiana Hayride" premiered on radio station KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, with the Bailes Brothers, Johnny and Jack, the Four Deacons, the Tennessee Mountain Boys featuring Kitty Wells, the Mercy Brothers, Curley Kinsey and the Tennessee Ridge Runners, Harmie Smith, the Ozark Mountaineers, and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys performing on the first show, broadcast live from Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium. Admission was 60 cents for adults, 30 cents for children, and remained so for the next 11 years.


In 1949…Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis began their three-year run with "The Martin and Lewis Show" on NBC Radio


In 1949...KQW-AM, San Francisco, California changed its call letters to KCBS-AM.

Charles Herrold

KCBS has its roots in the experiments of San Jose engineer Charles "Doc" Herrold as far back as 1909, making the broadcaster a leading contender for the title of oldest continuously broadcasting station in the United States and possibly the world.

Herrold used a variety of different radio call signs in the early days, including FN, SJN, 6XF and 6XE. In the very beginning, Herrold used a simple greeting like "San Jose calling."

That greeting and the initial FN sign (which was an inverted abbreviation of "National Fone") reflected the fact that he had been partially working on the idea of a radiotelephone.



On December 9, 1921, Herrold received a commercial license under the callsign KQW. It was the 21st licensed radio station in the United States and the 11th in the state of California.

Original KQW Transmitter (courtesy of The Radio Historian)

However, the "arc-phone" Herrold had been using for over a decade had to be scrapped. It would only work at wavelengths above 600 meters, and all radio stations were restricted to 360 meters (roughly the equivalent of 833 kHz). He quickly created a replacement, using a tube-like transmitter drawing power from San Jose's streetcar lines. However, he never recovered financially from the loss of his arc-phone, and was forced to put the station on the market in 1925. After initially giving an option to a civic foundation, he sold it to the First Baptist Church of San Jose. Herrold stayed on as a technician for the station he had created for a few years, but died in obscurity in 1947.

There is at least one authentic broadcast recording chronicling this early history. On November 10, 1945, KQW presented a special program called "The Story of KQW," commemorating Herrold's early broadcasts. It includes a brief recorded statement by Herrold, just before his 70th birthday. During the introduction to the program, a KQW announcer explains that the program was produced to mark the 25th anniversary of the broadcasting industry as well as the 36th anniversary of KQW. The announcer then goes on to say that KQW was the first radio station in the world to operate on a regular schedule. The major events in Herrold's work are then dramatized.

In 1926, station manager James Hart bought KQW's license and facilities, eventually buying the station itself in 1930. A series of power boosts brought the station's effective radiated power to 5,000 watts by 1935. It served as the San Jose affiliate of the Don Lee Broadcasting System from 1937 to 1941; during the time, that it was owned by Julius Brunton & Sons, the station's operations being co-located with KJBS at 1470 Pine Street in San Francisco.

However, in 1942 CBS offered to move its San Francisco affiliation to KQW after KSFO (560 AM) turned down CBS' offer to buy the station. KQW jumped at this offer, having been without a source of network programming for over a year. CBS moved its affiliation to KQW later that year, with an option to buy the station outright. KJBS Broadcasters then sold the station and KQW moved to a lavish CBS-owned studio at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. For all intents and purposes, it became a San Francisco station, though it continued to be licensed in San Jose.

At the end of World War II, KQW found itself in a battle with KSFO for its longtime home on 740 AM, the last Bay Area frequency that was authorized to operate at 50,000 watts. When CBS affiliated with KSFO in 1937, it cut a deal with KQW to swap frequencies with KSFO, which would then boost its power to 50,000 watts. The change was awaiting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval when World War II broke out.

By 1945, however, KQW had become San Francisco's CBS affiliate, and CBS was obviously not about to give up the advantage of having the last 50,000-watt frequency in the Bay Area. While the FCC granted the frequency to KSFO, its owners, Associated Broadcasters, later decided to concentrate on plans for its new television station, KPIX-TV (channel 5). Eventually, Associated Broadcasters traded 740 back to CBS in return for KPIX getting the CBS television affiliation for the Bay Area.

CBS exercised its option to buy KQW in 1949, changing the calls to KCBS (the KCBS callsign predates the use on the CBS-owned television station (then KNXT) in Los Angeles by over 30 years, and KCBS-FM there as well). The station also officially changed its city of license to San Francisco after seven years. In 1951, KCBS signed on at 50,000 watts for the first time from an elaborate multi-tower facility in Novato originally intended for KSFO. However, the station is a class B station, not a Class A (clear-channel).

In 1968, KCBS became one of the first all-news stations in the country. However, it already had a long history in news dating back to World War II, when it was the center of CBS' newsgathering efforts in the Pacific Theater.


In 1956...Elvis Presley makes the first of what would be two appearances on NBC-TV's Milton Berle TV Show performing "Hound Dog"  "Money Honey" and "Blue Suede Shoes" via live remote on the flight deck of the USS Hancock docked in San Diego. The show is seen by 40 million people around the US, approximately one-fourth of all TV sets. (Later in the show, Elvis plays "Blue Suede Shoes" again, this time with "Uncle Miltie" joining in as the King's "brother Melvin.")


In 1959…The British Broadcasting Corporation banned the Coasters' recording of "Charlie Brown" because of its reference to "spitballs." The ban was lifted two weeks later.




In 1974...Murray the K departed WNBC 660 AM NYC.  He had joined NBC in 1972 for the weekend NBC Monitor and also for a regular evening weekend program on WNBC radio. Although it was low-key, Murray's WNBC show featured his own innovative trademark programming style, including telling stories that were illustrated by selected songs, his unique segues, and his pairing cuts by theme or idiosyncratic associations.


In 1978...Mutual Broadcasting System moved the "Larry King Show" from Miami to Washington, D.C.

In 2014…WBT Charlotte  and WSPA Spartnburg radio host Arthur Smith died at age 93. Smith was also noted for his "Feudin' Banjos" (1955), which was also recorded by Lester Flatt. It was revived as "Dueling Banjos" and used as a theme song in the popular movie, Deliverance (1972). Released as a single, it became a hit, played on Top 40, AOR, and country stations alike. It reached the Top Ten and hit #1 in the US and Canada.  Because he was not credited in the film for the song, Smith sued Warner Brothers, and gained a settlement. His name was added to the film credits for his piece, and he received a share of royalties.

Little Rock Radio: Salem Operating KKSP Under An LMA

The civil dispute over a Little Rock radio station came to an abrupt end March 23 with businessman Larry Crain buying out his disgruntled partner’s interest. Crain and Steve Renfro had been involved in a civil lawsuit over the operation of Sports KKSP 93.3 FM in Little Rock.

Earlier in March, the judge in the case  found Crain in contempt of court for  “deliberately thwarting” the work of a court-appointed receiver, who took over business operations at Capital City Broadcasting LLC.  The receiver was appointed after Renfro filed a complaint with the court stating the company had become “deadlocked in the management and operation of its affairs.”

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Crain was sentenced to a five-day suspended jail sentence, which required him to comply with the receiver.

Days after the case appeared to be heating up, with an appeal filed by Crain to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, the parties reached a settlement.

Another lawsuit, filed by Bo Mattingly’s Sports Personality LLC, is heading to trial later this year, according to Arkansas Business.  The LLC claims Crain isn’t upholding his end of a contract, including a renewal that would have lasted through 2016.

KKSP 93.3 FM (5.6 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

As the legal battles continue, Crain is selling KKSP, as well as another station he owns, KHTE 96.5 FM, to Salem Media Group.

Salem Media is awaiting FCC approval on the acquisition andf pending approval is operating the stations under an LMA. Salem has jettisoned sports on KKSP and flipped to its ChristianAC Format, branding as The Fish.

Detroit Radio: WRIF's Dave & Chuck To Put Listeners In Game App

The Dave & Chuck The Freak Morning Show on WRIF 101.1 FM in Detroit has announced the release of a new level to their game app, “Dave and Chuck Gamereak’s Kick Ass Game”.

In conjunction with the announcement of the new level, Dave and Chuck also announced that the Final Level of their game will be released this May.  The Final Level will also feature a unique fan experience.  A couple selected fans of the show will be featured as “thugs” within the gameplay of the final level.

Until April 17th, listeners of Dave & Chuck The Freak will have their chance to register to win the grand prize and become a part of “Dave & Chuck The Freak’s Kick Ass Game”.  The selected listeners will meet with game developer, Red Piston Inc, to have their likeness put into “cartoon” form and also record their voices for their role in the final level.  The listeners will then be featured in the final level of the game as “thugs” trying to stop Dave and Chuck’s characters from beating the final level.

Listeners will be able to listen for their chance to qualify to become a “thug” by listening to WRIF to qualify for a spot in the final level.  In addition to winners come through the on air promotion, new and current subscribers to the game app will also receive a prompt when they open the app in order to register to win.


“Dave & Chuck The Freak’s Kick Ass Game” was developed in Detroit by Red Piston Inc, a firm that specialized in App development and game design.  Developers at Red Piston Inc. are fans of the show, and have worked with Dave and Chuck over the past two years to design the game and give fans an interactive and unique gaming experience.  The game is an App available for IPhone and Android users which can be downloaded for only 99 Cents through both ITunes and Google Play Store.