April 19 In Radio History

In 1924…A year before the "Grand Ole Opry" hit the airwaves from WSM Radio in Nashville, "The Chicago Barn Dance" debuted on WLS Radio in Chicago. The country music show was later renamed "National Barn Dance" and continued on the air – on WLS, simulcast on the ABC Radio Network, simulcast on the NBC Radio Network, back to WLS only, then Chicago's WGN Radio – until 1968.

According to Edgar Bill, the first WLS station manager: "We had so much highbrow music the first week that we thought it would be a good idea to get on some of the old time music.  After we had been going about an hour, we received about 25 telegrams of enthusiastic approval.  It was this response that pushed the Barn Dance!"  Indeed, Sears-Roebuck management was aghast by this "disgraceful low-brow music" that was being broadcast on their new station.  When Bill and Agricultural Director Samuel Guard were confronted by the angry executives, they pointed to the audiences overwhelming approval.

The Barn Dance served two distinct audiences.  It targeted the rural farm audiences as well as city listeners that had come from rural communities or those whom had been told about the "good old times."

In November 1925, WLS claimed to be the first to build an audience studio when it moved to larger quarters on the 6th floor of the Sherman Hotel in downtown Chicago.  The theatre was designed to hold 100 people as well as technical and control room facilities. (WLS History)

In 1965..WINS 1010 AM in New York City dropped Top 40 to become the first all-news formatted radio station.

Two months earlier, personality Murray The Ki departed WINS...

Billboard Article 2/5/1965

Before 1010 WINS in New York City was “All News, All the Time,” it was one of the country’s first rock-and-roll stations.

WGBS signed on in 1924, owned by Gimbel’s Department Store.  William Randolph Hearst bought it in 1932, changing the call letters to WINS, which referred to Hearst’s “International News Service.”

Crosley bought WINS in 1945, then sold it in 1953 to Gotham Broadcasting Corporation.  WINS started playing rock music. Legendary broadcasters like Alan Freed and Murray “the K” Kaufman were some of the early WINS disc jockeys.  Here’s a sample of WINS from 1960:



Westinghouse bought WINS in 1962.  By that time, WINS was fending off three other stations for New York City’s rock audience.  WMCA, WMGM and WABC all were airing Top 40 and rock music.

WMGM bailed on Top 40/rock in 1962 and flipped to a beautiful music format under its former WHN call letters.

By 1963, WMCA became New York’s No. 1 Top 40 station.  WINS’ ratings slid below WMCA and WABC.

On April 19, 1965, Westinghouse pulled the plug on the Top 40 format at WINS.  The final song was “Out in the Streets” by The Shangri-Las.  WINS became the nation’s third all-news radio station.

Many observers predicted WINS would fail as other early all-news stations had. Westinghouse poured resources into the format and succeeded,  It flipped two other stations, KYW in Philadelphia and KFWB in Los Angeles, to a similar format.

Soon, CBS decided to complete in the all-news arena.  It flipped WINS rival WCBS toward an all-news format in 1967, eventually becoming a full-time all-news station in 1970.  CBS expanded the all-news format to other owned stations around the country, including KNX in Los Angeles and WBBM in Chicago.  NBC tried an all-news approach in the mid 1970s called “News and Information Service,” but it shut down after two years.

In 1995, Westinghouse purchased CBS, making sister stations out of longtime rivals WINS and WCBS in New York.  The two stations continue their all-news formats, but gear them toward different audiences.

WINS has a harder approach, providing more of a headline service.  It has stronger ratings in New York City itself.  WCBS has a more conversational style, which does well with suburban listeners.  Both remain highly-rated stations and are among the nation’s biggest-billing radio stations.

Listening to a WINS broadcast today is not radically different from the station’s early days.  The teletype sound effect, the slogans (“All news, all the time,” “The newswatch never stops,” “Listen 2, 3, 4 times a day,” “You give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world”) and the basic 20-minute wheel format have remained in place for nearly 50 years.  (Faded Signals)

April 18 In Radio History

In 1939…In Los Angeles, Gene Autry recorded "Back In The Saddle Again," a song he co-wrote with Ray Whitley. It was included in the Autry movie "Roving Tumbleweeds," then became the theme song for his "Gene Autry's Melody Ranch" radio series which aired on CBS from 1940 to 1956.



This is the original pilot episode that debuted on KNX Radio in Los Angeles as a private preview for the Doublemint Gum Merchants of America and was presented during the last 15 minutes of the final broadcast of Gateway to Hollywood on December 31, 1939.


In 1983...KMO 1360 AM in Tacoma Wash changes call letters to KAMT (now KKMO)


In 1999...Last broadcast of the Mutual Broadcasting System

On September 29, 1934, four AM radio stations—WXYZ in Detroit, WGN in Chicago, WOR in New York, and WLW in Cincinnati—agreed to form a cooperative, program-sharing radio network. WGN and WOR controlled the operation (first dubbed the Quality Group), and the Mutual Broadcasting System was incorporated in Illinois one month later. When WXYZ (which had contributed the popular western adventure program The Lone Ranger) withdrew to join the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network in 1935, Canadian station CKLW in Windsor, Ontario (serving the Detroit market), replaced it. (The Lone Ranger remained on Mutual until 1942 under contractual obligation.)

After a year on the air, the new network carried 40 hours of sustaining (non-advertiser-supported) programs and 20 hours of commercial programming per week. The network’s first coast-to-coast broadcast came in September 1936, and by 1940 Mutual had 160 affiliates, nearly 20 percent of the stations then on the air. As Mutual’s stations in rural areas often had less power than the affiliates of the older national networks, many stations held primary affiliations with the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) or NBC and only a secondary relationship with Mutual. Nevertheless, Mutual had more affiliates than any other network—a record it held into the 1980s.

MUTUAL BROADCASTING TRIBUTE WEBSITE:  Click Here

Mutual ended its cooperative operation in 1952 when the network was purchased by General Tire and set up in New York. In the late 1950s network ownership changed several times, often within months, and none of its owners had sufficient funding to move Mutual into television. On at least two occasions, a shortage of funds threatened to close network operations, and Mutual filed for bankruptcy in 1959. The number of employees dropped to only 50, compared with 350 at its peak in the 1940s. The network faced a scandal when it was discovered that one short-term owner had secretly accepted money from a Caribbean country in return for favourable comment on the air, and Mutual lost 130 of its affiliates.

Ownership changes continued as the network shifted its headquarters from New York to Washington, D.C., in 1971. In 1972 Mutual began special network feeds to African American and Spanish-programmed stations with news and sportscasts.

One of the few primary network programs outside of news and sports that Mutual initiated during this era became one of the most successful in its history: the first nationwide, all-night call-in show, which launched on November 3, 1975, with Herb Jepko as host.  Jepko, who had run a telephone talk show out of KSL in Salt Lake City for years, so determinedly avoided controversy that some callers simply talked about the weather where they lived.

Jepko was briefly succeeded by Long John Nebel, before Mutual tapped a local talk show host at WIOD in Miami. Larry King made his network premiere on January 30, 1978; by the turn of the decade, he was being carried by 150 stations and credited with attracting many new affiliates to Mutual.  King continued his Mutual call-in show for years, even as he began appearing on television in the mid-1980s. From 1970 through 1977, Mutual was the national radio broadcaster for Monday Night Football.

In 1977 then-owner Amway bought Mutual’s very first outlet owned and operated by the company, WCFL in Chicago, followed in 1980 by the purchase of WHN in New York. Mutual also signed a contract with Western Union to use its satellite facilities, thus becoming the first radio network to employ satellite distribution. Aided by its satellite network, Mutual served 950 affiliates by 1979, but the number slowly declined.

Mutual was purchased by Westwood One in 1985. In its last 15 years Mutual largely produced newscasts. Westwood One closed Mutual on April 18, 1999, but its newscasts continued under the marketing name of CNN Radio. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

In 2012…Radio/TV host Dick Clark died following a heart attack at 82. He had suffered a significant stroke in 2004.

Nielsen: CHR, Classic Rock Formats Poised For A Hot Summer

Things could be sizzlin' this summer for CHR and Classic Rock.

According to Nielsen, radio listening habits are already beginning to fall in line with summertime trends. And Nielsen’s March portable people meter (PPM) results show how Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) and Classic Rock could continue their recent runs of success and open the debate about which format consumers will flock to this summer.

Pop CHR doesn’t always grab the headlines—even though it’s consistently one of the most listened-to radio formats across the nation. But in scanning the March results, it’s hard to ignore the upward movement, which is setting the format up for what could be another big summer.

CHR Trending according to Nielsen:

Click to enlarge

Among all listeners aged 6+, Pop CHR saw the best share (8.7%) since its historic summer of 2012, which was a high point for the format. And while the same story played out with 18-to-34 year-olds (12.8% this month),the real news came in the 25-54 demographic. There, Pop CHR set a new record for listening share (9.5%).

Classic Rock Trending:

Click to Enlarge

Classic Rock is also on the upswing this month, setting new records for share of audience across each of the major listener groups.  Classic Rock has gone from being the 11th-ranked format among all listeners 6+ to the sixth-ranked format. Among listeners 25-54, it ranked 10th in March of 2012 and ranks fifth this year.

Milwaukee Radio: Country WMIL Remains Tops

Bolstered by another No. 1 finish in March, iHeartMedia's country-music mainstay WMIL 106.1 FM retained the top spot (6+ AQH Total Week) in the Nielsen PPM ratings among Milwaukee radio stations during the winter ratings book, which includes the month of March.

But news-talk-sports station WTMJ 620 AM showed some significant year-to-year gains as it solidified its No. 2 ranking overall.

In Nielsen Audio's trend report covering January through March, WMIL had an average 10.4 share of the overall listening audience, down 0.5 of a share point from the same period a year earlier. WTMJ-AM had a 10.1 share, up nearly 63% from the 6.2 share the station had in the winter 2014 ratings book.

"We've done much work to separate ourselves from the radio and TV pack by moving beyond 'cops and robbers' stories in our news coverage — to reporting on things that affect people throughout the Milwaukee area and Wisconsin," Tom Langmyer, vice president and general manager for Milwaukee radio operations for WTMJ-AM parent E.W. Scripps Co., said in an email to jsonline.com. "The response has been very positive."

Nielsen Releases Final Batch Of March PPMs

Nielsen released the final batch of March PPM data on Thursday for the following markets:

 35  Austin

 38  Milwaukee-Racine

 40  Indianapolis

 42  Raleigh-Durham

 43  Norfolk-Virigina Beacgh-Newport News

 44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

 45  Nashville

 46  Greensboro-WinstonSalem-High Point

 48  West Palm Beach

 50  Jacksonville

 51  Memphis

 52  Hartford-NewBritain-Middletown

To view the Topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen Stations: Click Here

R&R HOF Induction Ceremony Is Saturday

2015 Inductees

The 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony returns to Cleveland’s Public Hall.   There is no live broadcast. HBO will air an edited version of the ceremony on May 30.

The Presenters:

• Paul McCartney inducting Ringo Starr
• Stevie Wonder inducting Bill Withers
• Patti Smith inducting Lou Reed
• Peter Wolf inducting the Paul Butterfield Blues Band
• Fall Out Boy inducting Green Day
• John Mayer inducting Stevie Ray Vaughan
• Steve Cropper inducting the “5” Royales
• Miley Cyrus inducting Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

The Performers:

• Gary Clark Jr.
• Zac Brown
• Karen O
• Nate Ruess 
• Beck
• Dave Grohl
• Joe Walsh
• Tom Morello
• John Legend
• Jimmie Vaughan

Stage Set For ACM Music Awards

The stage is being set at AT&T Stadium for the 50th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the largest live awards show ever staged.

"We're going to have over 60,000 people in the stadium for an awards show, which is breaking a Guinness world record," said Kate Kramer, the ACM's manager of operations and events.

Flipping the home of the Cowboys to a colossal music venue took a month of work, more time spent than for hosting the Final Four, the college football playoffs, or even the Super Bowl.

The changes include: 350,000 pounds of rigging, jumbo speakers on big trucks and 1,000 square foot performance stages.

NASH Icon Partners With Bob Kingsley For ACC-Rewind

NASH today announced the launch of an extension of its nationally syndicated weekend show American Country Countdown hosted by Kix Brooks.

Bob Kingsley

NASH’s new nationally syndicated weekend show, American Country Countdown Rewind with Bob Kingsley, extends the Tiffany brand of American Country Countdown and reunites Kingsley with the brand to bring Country fans closer to the iconic artists of the last 25 years. American Country Countdown Rewind with Bob Kingsley brings back American Country Countdown shows of the past and the most iconic moments of Country music… all hosted by the most listened-to voice in Country music history, Bob Kingsley.

The three-hour Countdown program will debut the weekend of May 2-3, 2015, on all Cumulus-owned NASH Icon stations, as well as select NASH branded stations. The show is available now to all stations and markets on a first come, first served basis through Westwood One, which will handle syndication of this new American Country Countdown product. The show is offered to stations for airing on Saturday or Sunday in the 6:00 a.m. to Midnight window.

Country Radio Hall of Famer Kingsley also hosts the long-running Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 (www.ct40.com), a popular weekly show syndicated by Westwood One that attracts and engages legions of listeners and loyal fans across the country.

"I am first and foremost a fan of Country music," said Kingsley, "and I'm delighted that we're opening the vaults of ACC during one of Country's great eras. These shows spotlight both Hall of Famers and exciting young acts and, as always, my role is part tour guide, part storyteller. What could be better than being part of the weekend of millions of Country fans? How about doing it twice? I'm looking forward to the launch of American Country Countdown Rewind with me!"

Kingsley was named American Country Countdown’s producer in 1974, and took over as host four years later. His long and successful run as host set the stage for modern-day syndication, and with the formation of KCCS Productions, he and his wife and partner Nan Kingsley established a highly successful business approach where they distributed and retained ownership of the content created for the show. Kingsley’s career entered new territory in 2006 with the launch of Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, a show KCCS solely owned and distributed, partnering with Dial Global, now Westwood One, for national ad sales.

His wins as the CMA's National Broadcast Personality of the Year awards in 2001 and 2003 and his 2006 Academy of Country Music Award for On-Air Personality-National showed his impressive staying power, bookending over 40 years of industry honors that began with 1966 and 1967 trophies as the ACM’s Radio Personality of the Year, during his tenure on-air at KGBS in Los Angeles. Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 can be heard currently on more than 350 radio stations around the world.

For more information and to get American Country Countdown Rewind with Bob Kingsley in your market, contact Shawn Studer at shawn@ct40.com or at 817-599-4099 x2238.

Atlanta Radio: Sean Shannon New VP/MM For Cumulus

Sean Shannon

Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed Sean Shannon as Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Atlanta.

Shannon fills the position formerly held by Jon Pinch, who announced his retirement Thursday.

Shannon, a 25-year radio veteran, was formerly Vice President/Market Manager for Entercom Sacramento. Prior to that, he served as Director of Sales for Entercom Seattle. Shannon has also held positions with iHeart Media/Clear Channel and Fisher Broadcasting. He holds an MBA from the Foster School at the University of Washington. Shannon will take the Cumulus Atlanta Vice President/Market Manager reins on Monday, April 20.

Jeff Brown, Senior Vice President for Cumulus said: ““Sean has a track record of innovation and top notch results. He is a passionate marketer and a strong and determined coach.  We are excited to be adding Sean to our talented team here in Atlanta.”

Jonathan Pinch

Shannon said: “I could not be more excited about the opportunity to lead these world class brands in this world class city.  I love this medium and am honored to have a chance to lead this team."

Jonathan G. Pinch previously served as EVP/COO for Cumulus. Pinch joined Cumulus after serving as the President of Clear Channel International Radio, where he was responsible for the management of all CCU radio operations outside of the United States, which included over 300 properties in 9 countries.

Pinch is a 30 year broadcast veteran and has previously served as Owner/President WTVK-TV Ft Myers-Naples Florida, General Manager WMTX-FM/WHBO-AM Tampa Florida, General Manager/Owner WKLH-FM Milwaukee, GM WXJY Milwaukee.

NPR Talks FM Chips And Why You Can't Use Them

Jeff Smulyan

NPR's All-Tech Considered this week aired an interview about FM chips in smartphones with Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan.

The NPR story notes most of today's smartphones have FM radios inside of them. But the FM chip is not activated on two-thirds of devices. That's because mobile makers have the FM capability switched off.  The National Association of Broadcasters has been asking mobile makers to change this. But the mobile industry, which profits from selling data to smartphone users, says that with the consumer's move toward mobile streaming apps, the demand for radio simply isn't there.

NPR, along with the NAB, has been part of a lobbying effort to require this free radio feature to be enabled. In 2013 they teamed up to create a free app that allows for free FM listening on smartphones.

Court Agrees To Hear SiriusXM Appeal

SiriusXM's warning to a federal appeals court that broadcasters might pull all pre-1972 sound recordings from the airwaves has paid off. This week, the satellite radio giant got the 2nd Circuit to grant its petition for a review, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

When Congress amended copyright law in the 1970s, only sound recordings authored after 1972 were given protection.

In a series of lawsuits beginning in 2013, the owners of pre-72 songs looked to state misappropriation and unfair competition laws to do something about those like SiriusXM and Pandora that were publicly performing their works. Although free radio airplay has been comfortably assumed for quite some time, California and New York judges have recently given legal victories to those owners of sound recordings who are suing.

Colleen McMahon

SiriusXM aimed to appeal New York federal judge Colleen McMahon's decision last November denying its summary judgment motion in a lawsuit brought by Flo & Eddie of The Turtles. In her opinion, the judge addressed whether New York law protected public performance and wrote that "acquiescence by participants in the recording industry in a status quo where recording artists and producers were not paid royalties while songwriters were does not show that they lacked an enforceable right under the common law — only that they failed to act on it."

The consequences were big — and not just because Sirius XM has spent years broadcasting millions of older songs without paying royalties specifically for such tunes.

As SiriusXM told the 2nd Circuit in its attempt to get a higher authority, "Absent immediate review, the district court’s ruling leaves SiriusXM and other broadcasters with tremendous uncertainty, faced with a choice between stopping the broadcast of pre-1972 recordings to the public’s detriment; submitting to shotgun negotiations with sound recording owners; or facing massive liability as this case and others wend their way through the courts."

Read More Now

SiriusXM Plans NBA Playoffs Coverage

SiriusXM will offer comprehensive coverage of the 2015 NBA Playoffs, featuring live play-by-play of every game, plus daily programming on the SiriusXM NBA Radio channel.

Throughout the playoffs, which will tip off on Saturday, April 18, subscribers will get live play-by-play broadcasts of every postseason game through the Finals on their satellite radios, on the SiriusXM app, and online at SiriusXM.com.  Visit www.SiriusXM.com/NBASchedule for channel listings.

Between games, SiriusXM NBA Radio (Sirius channel 207, XM channel 86 and on the SiriusXM app) will offer fans the best daily talk and analysis available on radio.  The channel's roster of analysts features several former players and coaches including Mike Dunleavy, Sr., Malik Rose, Nancy Lieberman, Stacey King, Eddie Johnson, Antonio Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, Vinny Del Negro, Rick Mahorn, Brian Scalabrine and Mateen Cleaves.

Scott Greenstein

On Friday, April 17, the day before the postseason tips off, listeners can tune in to a special NBA Playoff Preview show, airing from 6:00 to 8:00 pm ET.  Hosts Malik Rose, Eddie Johnson, Frank Isola, Mitch Lawrence and Brian Geltzeiler will break down every series and pick their favorites to win each round.

Starting on Monday, April 20, SiriusXM NBA Radio will offer a special post game show airing immediately after the last game of the night.  A rotating group of hosts - that will include Malik Rose, Eddie Johnson, Gerald Brown, Howie Cowart, Joel Meyers and Brian Geltzeiler - will recap the night's results and invite fans around the country to call in to the show to react to the games.

"As we approach what will be one of the most anticipated and competitive NBA postseasons in years, we're excited to deliver to our subscribers the most comprehensive NBA programming available on radio," said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's President and Chief Content Officer.  "With live access to every game and exclusive analysis from a remarkable roster of talent on SiriusXM NBA Radio, our listeners get an extraordinary level of coverage, in their cars, at home or on their mobile devices."

ESPN Suspends Britt McHenry Over Tirade

Britt McHenry

ESPN reporter Britt McHenry was suspended for one week yesterday (April 16th) after video surfaced on LiveLeak and went viral showing her berating a car towing company employee, cursing and slamming the worker's weight, appearance and intelligence.

McHenry was at the company earlier this month after her car had been towed and her rant was captured on the business's video camera, which the worker pointed out to her.

It begins with McHenry saying to the woman, "I'm in the news, sweetheart, I will f***ing sue this place." She continued, saying, "Yep, that's all you care about, is just taking people's money. With no education, no skillset, just wanted to clarify that. . . . Do you feel good about your job? So I could be a college dropout and do the same thing? Why, 'cause I have a brain and you don't?" She then began even more personally attacking the worker, saying, "Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me, huh? 'Cause they look so stunning . . . 'Cause I'm on television and you're in a f***ing trailer, honey."

And just before she walked out, she said, "Lose some weight, baby girl."


McHenry apologized yesterday in a statement, saying, "In an intense and stressful moment, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me and said some insulting and regrettable things. As frustrated as I was, I should always choose to be respectful and take the high road. I am so sorry for my actions and will learn from this mistake."

Second MSNBC Talker Has I-R-S Troubles

Melissa Harris-Perry

It appears Al Sharpton is the only MSNBC talker with Income Tax issues.

The Internal Revenue Service has placed a tax lien on Melissa Harris-Perry and her husband, James Perry, for about $70,000 in delinquent taxes, according to a notice filed in Forsyth County Hall of Justice earlier this month.

Harris-Perry is a well-known host of an MSNBC talk show and a professor at Wake Forest University.

The IRS filed the notice April 6.

In an email Wednesday to the Winston-Salem Journal, Harris-Perry said she was unaware of the tax lien but knew about the debt. She said she and her husband paid $21,721 of the debt when they filed their taxes Wednesday. The remaining debt, $48,581, covers a tax period ending Dec. 31, 2013, according to the notice.

Harris-Perry said she and her husband had been working to pay off the debt but had to deal with a series of personal crises that caused the couple to pay off the debt a lot slower than expected.

“We were aware that we would continue to need to work to pay off the 2013 debt,” she said in the email.

Harris-Perry said the couple had an official payment plan with the IRS.

Read More Now 

SiriusXM Adds NBC Sports Radio To LineUp

NBC Sports Radio has added an impressive new member to its affiliate lineup—SiriusXM.

This week the satcaster rolled out the debut of the 24/7 sports talk network on Channels 213/Sirius and 202/XM, offering its subscribers access to NBC Sports Radio content around the clock. SiriusXM joins the 437 affiliated broadcast radio stations around the country.

Jack Silver, Program Director for NBC Sports Radio, said, “We are thrilled to have SiriusXM join our roster.  They bring a whole new audience and a wealth of avid sports fans who can now access our content and interact with our hosts no matter where they are around the country.”

"We are thrilled to extend the reach of NBC Sports Radio to SiriusXM subscribers" said Rob Simmelkjaer, SVP of NBC Sports Ventures.  "This is a major step forward in the growth of our audio platform."

NBC Sports Radio is fully-amped, 24/7 sports talk programming that entertains, informs, and engages sports fans nationwide.  The network features an array of dynamic and passionate sports talk personalities, expert analysts, former players and coaches, and special contributors.

PA Radio: Woman Arrested For Driving Into iHM Building

Williamsport Sun-Gazette

A woman who reportedly frequently called a disc jockey on a Williamsport radio station is accused of ramming a rental car into the station's building and trying to set it on fire.

Crystal Michele Glantz, 30, was arraigned Thursday on arson, criminal mischief and drunken driving charges and committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.

According to pennlive.com, she is accused of driving a car on March 5 into the building that houses five iHeartmedia radio stations, including WRAK 1400 AM and WKSB 102.7 KISS FM.

A neighbor told police she saw an individual set fire to the car's back seat just before 11 p.m. on March 5. Investigators said there were fire starters, charcoal briquettes and an empty plastic gasoline can on the backseat.

Glantz was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the DUI processing center where her blood alcohol level was determined to be .167, which is twice the legal limit for driving, the arrest affidavit states. She had been free until her arrest Thursday.

Damage to the building and car was estimated at nearly $19,000, according to the affidavit.

The disc jockey who Glantz is alleged to have called was no longer employed at the station and had moved out of the area, police said.

Providence Radio: Cumulus Stations Raise $400K For Kids Hospital

Cumulus stations in Providence, RI are saying 'thank you' to listeners who helped make the 2015 Hasbro Children’s Hospital Radiothon an incredible success. The outpouring of generosity from the local community during this year’s Radiothon was nothing short of extraordinary.

The Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts community donated $400,000 - for the Hasbro Children’s Hospital during this year’s Radiothon supported by N/T WPRO 630 AM / 99.7 FM. Top 40 WPRO 92.3 FM and AC WWLI 105.1 FM.

In it’s tenth year, Cumulus Media Radio Station listeners have helped raise over $7 million dollars for Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

April 17 In Radio History

In 1923...Newscaster Harry Reasoner was born. He died Aug. 6, 1991 at 68.  After WW2, Reasoner went into radio with CBS in 1948 and then worked for the United States Information Agency in the Philippines. When he returned stateside, he went into television and worked at station KEYD (later KMSP) in Minneapolis. Reasoner later joined CBS News in New York, where he eventually hosted a morning news program called Calendar on top of doing commentator and special news narration duties.

After a stay of several years in the '70s at ABC. Reasoner returned to CBS and 60 Minutes where he remained until his retirement on May 19, 1991.  He died three months after his retirement from a blood clot in the brain received from a fall at his home in Westport, CT


In 1934...WLW Cincinnati licensed to operate at 500kW.



In January 1934 WLW began broadcasting at the 500 kilowatt level late at night under the experimental callsign W8XO. In April 1934 the station was authorized to operate at 500 kilowatts during regular hours under the WLW call letters. On May 2, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a ceremonial button that officially launched WLW's 500-kilowatt signal.  As the first station in the world to broadcast at this strength, WLW received repeated complaints from around the United States and Canada that it was overpowering other stations as far away as Toronto.

In December 1934 WLW cut back to 50 kilowatts at night to mitigate the interference, and began construction of three 50 ft. tower antennas to be used to reduce signal strength towards Canada. With these three antennas in place, full-time broadcasting at 500 kilowatts resumed in early 1935.

However, WLW was continuing to operate under special temporary authority that had to be renewed every six months, and each renewal brought complaints about interference and undue domination of the market by such a high-power station. The FCC was having second thoughts about permitting extremely wide-area broadcasting versus more locally oriented stations, and in 1938, the US Senate adopted the "Wheeler" resolution, expressing it to be the sense of that body that more stations with power in excess of 50 kilowatts are against the public interest. As a result, in 1939 the 500-kilowatt broadcast authorization was not renewed, bringing an end to the era of the AM radio superstation.  Because of the impending war and the possible need for national broadcasting in an emergency, the W8XO experimental license for 500 kilowatts remained in effect until December 29, 1942.

In 1962 the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation again applied for a permit to operate at 750 kilowatts, but the FCC denied the application.


In 1935…After more than a year as a local program on WENR in Chicago, "Lights Out" debuted to a national audience on NBC Radio. In June of 1936, Chicago writer Arch Oboler took over from series creator Wyllis Cooper and stayed with the program until 1943. The series continued until the summer of 1947.



In 1964…Washington's FBI lab reported it could not determine the lyrics to "Louie Louie."




In 1965…RCA and the LearJet Corporation announced the development of the combination 8 track tape player and car radio that would become available in next fall's new cars.


In 1970...the Apollo 13 astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean, four days after a ruptured oxygen tank crippled their spacecraft en route to the Moon.


In 1971..."Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night peaked at number one on the pop singles chart, where it remained for six weeks.

Anthony Perkins, Peter Potter, Troy Donahue

In 1983...Peter Potter, DJ on KMPC, KFWB, KLAC L-A and host of the ABC-TV Show Juke Box Jury in the '50s, died at 78


In 1986...WRFM 105.1 FM NYC switched from beautiful music to soft rock as WNSR


In 1996...Bob Grant did last show at WABC NYC.

Grant was hired by WABC in 1984 and at first hosted a show from 9-11 p.m., before moving to the 3-6 p.m. afternoon time slot. The Bob Grant Show consistently dominated the ratings in the highly competitive afternoon drive time slot in New York City and at one point the radio station aired recorded promos announcing him as "America's most listened to talk radio personality." The gravel-voiced Grant reminded listeners during the daily introduction that the "program was unscripted and unrehearsed".

Grant's long stay at WABC ended when he was fired for a remark about the April 3, 1996 airplane crash involving Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Grant remarked to caller named, Carl of Oyster Bay, "My hunch is that (Brown) is the one survivor. I just have that hunch. Maybe it's because, at heart, I'm a pessimist." When Brown was found dead, Grant's comments were widely criticized, and several weeks later, after a media campaign, his contract was terminated.


In 1998...Photographer Linda McCartney, wife of former Beatles member Paul McCartney, died of cancer. She was 56.

D-FW Radio: Lady Antebellum Tour Bus Catches Fire

Country music band Lady Antebellum's tour bus caught fire on Interstate 30 in Garland Thursday morning, en route from Nashville to Dallas for the American Country Music Awards this coming Sunday, according to NBC/DFW-TV.

The bus was transporting bandmember Hillary Scott, her husband and her tour manager to the American Country Music Awards at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington when it blew a tire, according to her post on social media.

"Our bus tire caught on fire and we had to evacuate very quickly," she posted. "Everyone is safe and sound."

All four onboard were able to escape the fire without injury.

Hey guys, we had a crazy morning on the way to Dallas today. Our bus tire caught on fire and we had… https://t.co/uerP5h82AM
— Hillary Scott (@HillaryScottLA) April 16, 2015

More on the Lady Antebellum bus fire in Garland this morning. Again, everyone is OK.
Posted by 99.5 The Wolf on Thursday, April 16, 2015

Miami Radio: Ryan Maguire Named New PD At WQAM

Ryan Maguire has been named Program Director for Sports RadioWQAM 560 AM, it was announced today by Rob Morris, Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO Miami.

Ryan Maquire

Maguire comes to the market from CBS RADIO Pittsburgh where he has been serving as Program Director of Sportsradio KDKA 93.7 FM The Fan.  In this new role, Maguire will oversee programming for Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM.

The appointment is effective on Monday, May 4.

“Ryan is passionate about radio, competitive, a terrific strategic thinker and possesses great leadership skills,” said Morris. “We very much look forward to Ryan joining WQAM and our CBS RADIO Miami team.”

"I'm thrilled at the opportunity given to me by CBS RADIO to take this leadership role at one of the greatest heritage sports stations in America.  I can't wait to get working with our diverse and dynamic team in South Florida as we shape and build on a leading sports brand," said Maguire.

Maguire joined CBS RADIO in November 2012 as the Program Director of Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan in Pittsburgh.  While at Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan, the station set ratings and revenue records in 2012 and 2013, reaching #1 P6+, and was also nominated for a National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) Marconi Radio Award in 2014.  Additionally, the station was twice honored by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.  In 2011, Maguire was named to Radio Ink’s “Top Program Directors” in America list.

Pittsburgh Radio: Graci, Kumanchik Assume KDKA-FM Duties

Kumanchik, Graci

CBS RADIO Pittsburgh announced today that KDKA 1020 AM Program Director Jim Graci has been assigned to also serve as Program Director for Sportsradio KDKA 93.7 FM The Fan.

His appointment is effective on Monday, May 4.

Graci takes on the role previously held by Ryan Maguire who is transferring to a similar role at CBS RADIO’s Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in Miami.

Additionally, PJ Kumanchik, News Director and Executive Producer at KDKA-AM, will also serve as Executive Producer at Sports Radio 93-7 The Fan.

Senior Vice President and CBS RADIO Pittsburgh Market Manager Michael Young said, "Jim and PJ are a strong and very competent managerial team. They have performed very well in developing and executing the programming vision of KDKA-AM.  With much synergy already existing between KDKA-AM & KDKA-FM, I believe their expanding programming roles at Sports Radio 93-7 The Fan are a natural progression, and will benefit our various audiences.”

Graci, who has been the Program Director at KDKA-AM since 2012, is a veteran radio executive with over four decades of experience.  In additional to his Pittsburgh programming work, Graci spent time in other major markets, including Dallas, Atlanta, and Seattle.

Kumanchik has been a dedicated and loyal KDKA-AM staff member since 1989.  He began his career as a producer, and has served in various programming and management roles for more than 25 years.  Kumanchik will continue to report to Graci for both radio stations.

Pittsburgh Radio: Magino&Duffy Team for PM Drive On KDKA-AM

Robert Mangino

KDKA 1020 Radio evening talk show host Robert Mangino will team with CBS Radio Pittsburgh personality Shelley Duffy to host the new KDKA Afternoon News starting on Monday, April 27.

The paring of Mangino and Duffy for the 3:00 – 7:00 PM time slot on the world’s first commercial station will augment the award winning news and information programming on Pittsburgh’s news / talk leader.

Mangino and Duffy join veteran newscaster Rose Ryan-Douglas, field reporter Joe DeStio and sports director Jeff Hathhorn on a fast- paced afternoon news magazine format that features traffic and weather together on the fives and business reports at 20 and 50 past the hour every week day.

Shelley Duffy

KDKA-AM Program Director Jim Graci says the mix of news, traffic, weather, business, sports and lifestyle elements are the cornerstone ingredients for this fast paced, informative afternoon show.

“Robert is a great quarterback to tie it all together while Shelley has a unique perspective about life in Pittsburgh.”

Mangino has hosted evening and weekend talk shows on KDKA for five years. He’s a New Castle, PA native who has been broadcasting for twenty years, hosting mornings in both New Castle and Youngstown, OH before joining KDKA.

Duffy has been entertaining Pittsburgh morning audiences in various roles for more than 25 years with CBS Radio Pittsburgh. While serving as KDKA’s Lifestyle Editor, hosting regular morning and afternoon reports, Shelley most recently was a co-host of the Bubba Show on sister station 100.7 Star. Bubba Show will continue with hosts Bubba and Melanie Taylor.

Boston Radio: WEEI's John Dennis Headed To Rehab

John Dennis

For WEEI 93.7 FM talk-show host John Dennis, “rock bottom” took place during the Red Sox’ home opener against the Washington Nationals Monday afternoon at Fenway Park.

The 63-year-old says all he had was one drink. Whatever the number, it was enough to convince Dennis, who hosts the popular “Dennis & Callahan” morning-drive program with Gerry Callahan and Kirk Minihane, to check himself into rehab.

“I knew immediately that one (drink) was not going to be enough,” Dennis said during a telephone interviewwith The Boston Herald after informing station management of his decision. “I can stop for long periods of time, but then once I have one, one seems like a good idea, and then two seems like a really good idea. And then four seems like a great idea.”

By his own count, Dennis said he had gone 40 days without touching alcohol. But then came the traditional home opener, after which he decided to take a leave of absence from WEEI.

“It’s time to grow up,” Dennis said. “It’s time to be a better husband to Kathy. It’s time to be a better dad to my two daughters, and a better grandparent. And you know? A better teammate to Kirk and Gerry.”

According to Dennis, he was assured his job will be waiting for him when he returns. Station manager Phil Zachary confirmed that last night.

“Absolutely,” Zachary said. “Not a question at all. WEEI has been built on the ‘Dennis & Callahan Show’ with Dennis and Callahan and Kirk Minihane, and we don’t see a future without John Dennis.”

CBC Radio: Execs Fired After Ghomeshi Report

Jian Ghomeshi

Disgraced Canadian media personality Jian Ghomeshi on Thursday was revealed to have been the "de facto" boss of his own radio show at the CBC, where he created an "intimidating, humiliating, hostile and offensive work environment."

Chris Boyce

That finding and others contained in an April 13, 2015 internal report made public led to the firing of two executives charged with managing the former CBC radio host, who now faces an upcoming criminal trial for sexual assault. A CBC spokesman confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that executive director of radio Chris Boyce and executive director of human resources and industrial relations Todd Spencer were cut loose Thursday after they were earlier suspended in January 2015.

Todd Spencer

The independent workplace probe unveiled Thursday is part of a continuing attempt by the CBC to contain the fallout from its late 2014 firing of Ghomeshi. Labor lawyer Janice Rubin, who wrote the report, concluded CBC management should have known about Ghomeshi's "disrespectful and abusive" conduct and failed to stop it.

That's after CBC management received complaints about Ghomeshi from employees on at least three occasions, according to the report. During one episode after an allegation surfaced in summer 2014, Rubin concluded CBC management was "insufficiently probative, too narrow, misdirected and flawed" in its investigation.

Management inaction resulted in part from no one having "clear and consistent authority" of Ghomeshi while he hosted the broadcaster's flagship Q radio show, the report stated. The Rubin investigation was made public in its entirety except for redacted sections.

Orlando Radio: iHeartMedia Roars During March

iHeartMedia's Tropical WRUM 100.3 FM returns to the top spot (6+ AQH Total Week) stronger than ever. Rumba hit the top in January and returned during March Nielsen PPMs surging 6.4—8.0. Clustermate Top40 WXXL 106.7 FM  solidified its position in the market.  Although XL's share wobbled a bit 6.5—6.4, it retained the Cume crown and ended up  #1 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

Cox Media's Adult Hits WMMO 98.9 FM was up 5.8—6.2, good for the #3 spot. Next is Central Florida Educational Foundation’s contemporary Christian non-com WPOZ 88.3 FM Z88.3 which enjoyed an uptick 5.8—5.9.

And Cox Media's UrbanAC WCFB 94.5 FM rounds out the Top 5 thanks to a 5.4—5.8 move.

25-54: WXXL...tied WRUM...WCFB...WTKS...WPOZ

18-34: WXXL...WPYO...WRUM...WJRR..WTKS

18-49: WXXL...WRUM...WJRR tied WPYO tied WTKS

Cume: WXXL 537,300...WMGF 531,700...WOMX 432,800..WMMO 393,400...WJHM 382,400

Top 5 Morning Shows (25-54 M-F 6a-10a)

1  Top40 WXXL...Johnny's House

tie 1  Talk WTKS..Monsters In The Morning

3  UrbanAC WCFB...Steve Harvey

4  Adult Hits WMMO...Denise Ryan

5  Country WWKA...AJ and Ashley In The Morning

Worth noting: JVC's Country WOTW 103.1 FM is slow to gain traction.  The new country entrant is challenging heritage WWKA...and has trended 0.8—0.9—0.9 since launching in mid-December with 10,000 songs-in-a-row.  The station misfied with Bubba The Love Sponge as its morning show. After just two months, Bubba's gone and the station is now adding NASH America's Morning Show.  Cume for the station: January 71,000...February 69,200..and March 99,600 to offer a glimmer of hope.