Saturday, September 12, 2015

September 13 Radio History



In 1928...KOH-AM in Reno NV begins radio transmissions.

The debut broadcast was to be on November 11, 1928 (to honor Armistice Day)  but on-the-air testing between 4AM and 8AM the morning of October 27, 1928 proved so successful that KOH went directly to full-time broadcasting running 100 watts on 1370kHz. This early debut also allowed KOH to take advantage of the lucrative political advertising for the upcoming 1928 Presidential Elections in November. In fact, KOH even carried the election returns in a joint effort with the Reno Evening Gazette on November 6, 1928. KOH had a seven man crew, which was the largest for a radio station in Nevada up to that time. KOH was the first professionally operated, commercial radio station in Nevada.

Today the station is KKOH 780 AM is owned by Cumulus and airs a News/Talk format.




In 1932...Radio personality Dick Biondi was born. Calling himself The Wild I-talian, he was one of the original "screamers," known for his screaming delivery as well as his wild antics on the air and off.  In a 1988 interview, Biondi related he had been fired 23 times; both fits of temper and jokes gone wrong were part of the tally.  Over many years and many frequencies, Dick's close-of-the-program line was, "God bless, bye, bye, Duke. Thanks a million for dialing our way."




Biondi gained national attention in the 1950s and 1960s as a disc jockey on leading AM radio stations in Buffalo, New York; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California. Besides being among the first to play Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, and other early rhythm and blues artists, he was able to meet them also. The early Rock and Roll era meant "record hops" where disc jockeys would make personal appearances at local schools and clubs; they often included appearances by the artists whose records were being played.



Biondi is credited as the first U.S. disc jockey to play the Beatles, on Chicago's WLS 890 AM in February 1963, with the song "Please Please Me".  Later, while working at KRLA 1110 AM in Los Angeles, he introduced the Beatles and Rolling Stones at their Hollywood Bowl concerts.

Since 1984, Biondi has been a mainstay on Oldies stations in the city where he first earned his reputation, Chicago.  On 2 May 2010, Dick Biondi celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first Chicago broadcast.  WLS-AM and WLS-FM presented a 5-hour simulcast special from 7 PM to midnight, featuring memorable moments in his career and special celebrity guests, with Biondi as its host.



In November 2006, Biondi started on WLS 94.7 FM, where he hosts from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Central Time (formerly from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

Biondi is an inductee of the National Radio Hall of Fame.


In 1960...The U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned payola which meant Disc-jockeys could no longer accept money or gifts in exchange for playing records unless there was full disclosure.


In 1964...How's this for an amazing concert?  The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Dusty Springfield, the Miracles, the Searchers, Martha & the Vandellas, the Shangri-La's, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Jay & the Americans, the Contours, the Dovells, the Newbeats, and Millie Small shared a bill for the conclusion of Murray The K's (1010 WINS) ten-day Big Holiday Show (September 4-13) at the Fox Theater in Brooklyn, New York.





In 1965...The Beatles released "Yesterday" b/w "Act Naturally" in North America. "Yesterday" was the first recording by the Beatles that relied upon a performance by a single member of the band, namely Paul McCartney. He was accompanied solely by a string quartet. The recording differed so greatly from their usual works that the other three members of the band vetoed the release of the song as a single in the United Kingdom, however it was eventually issued as a single there in 1976.


In 1986...Bob “Bob-A-Loo” Lewis does last radio show.

Bob ‘Bobaloo’ Lewis was best known as one of the “All Americans” on 77 WABC-AM. Lesser known was the fact that he was also heard on the FM side. WABC-FM 95 1/2 was a Progressive Rock station. The format was called “Love”. It featured tons of album cuts from all the heavys of the time, Hendrix, the Doors, the Who, and many more similar artists which would become the staples of AOR and later, Classic Rock stations.  Courtesy of  the musicradio77.com website, Aircheck from 1965: Click Here.


In 1999...WNEW 102.7 FM flipped to 'extreme' talk format


In 2011...Former New York Jets radio analyst/former Jets offensive guard Sam DeLuca died of pancreatic cancer at 75.

SF Radio: KISQ Teams Chino&Christie For AM

iHeartMedia San Francisco has announced the debut of Chino & Christie in the Morning on KISQ 98.1 KISS FM beginning Monday, September 14.

Renel Brooks-Moon finished her daily on KISQ-FM Friday AND  will continue to have close involvement with 98.1 KISS FM and host her daily “Renel’s Record Party” feature, which will move to 12-1:00 p.m. PT

Chino & Christie in the Morning will feature Chino Iglesias, who has been hosting afternoon drive for the past seven years at KYLD wILD 94.9 FM and Christie James, who has been Renel’s co-host since 2011.

The new show will broadcast weekdays from 6-10:00 a.m. PT.

“Renel is a morning staple in the Bay and we appreciate that her expanding obligations outside of iHeartMedia don’t make it possible for her to host a daily, live morning show in the future. However, we’re thrilled to have her remain on the station with her popular “Renel’s Record Party” feature,” said Don Parker, Senior Vice President of Programming, iHeartMedia San Francisco.

“As we began the search for the next great KISS morning show, it was obvious we already had the ideal personalities. Christie is an amazing talent who has been co-hosting with Renel for nearly five years and is already part of the KISS listener’s morning routine. Chino is one of the best major market personalities in the country and well established in San Francisco from his seven years in PM Drive on KYLD. With his prior morning show experience, passion for the Bay, and the chemistry between him and Christie, we look forward to big things to come with Chino & Christie.”

KISQ 98.1 FM (75 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Gainesville Radio: WXJZ Flips To Smooth Jazz

JVC Media has announced the return of Gainesville’s all new smooth and relaxing radio station. WXJZ Smooth 100.9 FM.

The station previously was Top40 The Party (Gaiesnville is home the the University of Florida).

JVC Media VP, COO Victor Canales said, “This radio station was designed to be a partner to the community and a complement to our sister station in the market WYGC WOW-FM 104.9. This will be the station that you don’t shut off, morning, noon and night”.

The Party Is Over
We are planning a ton of concerts, events and promotions that will really make an impact on the community and bring excitement the streets of Gainesville, this is a really smooth sounding station”, he added.

Shane Reeve, Executive VP of JVC South added, “Over the last year we have seen such enormous growth with our Classic Hit format in Gainesville that we knew Smooth 100.9 FM would be the perfect partner for WOW 104.9 FM. This gives us a unique opportunity in the market to really make an impact with listeners, advertisers and the community”.

Quincy, “Q”, program director of WXJZ Smooth 100.9 FM, said” we are truly excited to launch this brand in Gainesville, make sure to tune in each and every morning for the John Tesh morning show, and the station will kick off the month of October with a cash contest each and every day. As a long time Gainesville resident, my neighbors and friends have always wanted a station like this and I am proud to present it to my home town”.

WXJZ 100.9 FM (6 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Smooth 100.9 FM will broadcast live and local from the newly designed store front window studios in Downtown Gainesville along with sister station WYGC, WOW 104.9FM

TX Radio: Matt Ganssle Named PD At KYKX

Matt Ganssle
Alpha Media East Texas announced Friday Matt Ganssle, has been named Program Director of Country KYKX 105.7 FM in Longview, TX.

‘Phat’ Matt Ganssle is a country boy. Born in the Appalachians, he planted the seeds of his radio career in California’s San Joaquin Valley. His journey has taken him into the core programming teams at KPLX/Dallas, KBWF/San Francisco, KKWF/Seattle, among others. Most recently he was the Operations and Program Director of the ACM-Nominated KSJJ/Bend. Under his leadership, KSJJ achieved record-high double-digit ratings success.

Matt has also contributed to the ACM Award-winning image production heard at KUPL/Portland and CMT ‘After MidNite.’ In his spare time, he enjoys riding bulls and all-things rodeo.

Alpha Media Executive VP of Programming, Scott Mahalick commented on the announcement, “Matt’s Texas roots and passion for the Country lifestyle run incredibly deep from Dallas to San Francisco. He has worked in several different capacities over the years. We are thrilled to have a seasoned all-star join KYKX. His passion for this industry will not only help lead the stations to the next level but will inspire the entire East Texas team.”

Alpha Media East Texas Market Manager, Ginger Dockery, said of Matt, “He brings a welcome level of excitement to the table. I look forward to hearing the radio station in his head come to life on the airwaves!”

KYKX 105.7 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
“Alpha Media is reinvigorating the spirit of radio with best-in-class talent. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from, and work among our industry’s A-list,” added Ganssle.

Nielsen Releases 2015 Market Rankings

Nielsen has released its updated Radio Market Survey Populations, Ranking and Information for Fall 2015.

According to Nielsen,"These population estimates are based upon Census 2010 counts updated and projected to January 1, 2016, by Nielsen Demographics. Additional markets may be added and the survey frequency of some markets may be changed during the year. All information contained herein reflects Fall 2015 Nielsen Audio market definitions."

Click Here for the entire Update.

Some of the changes include:
  • Atlanta moving ahead of Philadelphia to #8 
  • Philadelphia drops to #9 
  • Las Vegas moves up #38 to #31 
  • Indianapolis moves up to #38 
  • Raleigh-Durham moves #42 to #40 
  • Milwaukee moves back to #41. 
  • Nashville moves up #43 to #44
  • Oklahoma City drops #48 to #50
  • West Palm Beach moves #47 to #48
  • Jacksonville move  #48 to #49
  • Chattanooga from #110 to #88. 

Fox Sports Radio Unveils New Weekend Coverage

FOX Sports Radio has announced today its weekend lineup for the 2015 football season.  Beginning September 12 and 13, FSR will feature programming dedicated to both college and professional football, including game day previews, analysis and interviews, hosted by a diverse ensemble of sports entertainment personalities, analysts and former players.

Brady Quinn, former Notre Dame/NFL quarterback and FOX Sports analyst, and Jason McIntyre, editor-in-chief of USA Today's The Big Lead, will join the network's weekend lineup this season. The Big Lead with Jason McIntyre will air Saturday mornings from 6-9 a.m. ET and feature McIntyre's preview of the weekend in sports, as well as the biggest guests in sports media. Quinn, a former first-round draft pick, will join FSR weekend personality Brian Noe as they provide their distinct takes on the weekend in football from 8-11 p.m. ET on Sundays.

In addition, FOX NFL Sunday, America's No.1 NFL pregame show featuring hosts Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Strahan and Curt Menefee, will return home to FSR on Sundays at 12:00 p.m. ET. Leading into the program, FSR will add a simulcast of FOX NFL Kickoff on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. ET. The new hour-long program will be hosted by Charissa Thompson and feature a dynamic cast including Colin Cowherd, who recently launched The Herd with Colin Cowherd on FS1, FSR and iHeartRadio.

Scott Shapiro
"I couldn't be more excited about FOX Sports Radio's upcoming football season programming," stated Scott Shapiro, Premiere Networks Vice President of Sports Programming. "On the heels of Colin Cowherd joining our weekday lineup, the addition of Brady Quinn and Jason McIntyre to our already strong weekend roster will give football fans the coverage they are craving each and every week from the most informed and opinionated personalities in the industry."

"I'm excited to talk X's and O's with Brian Noe on all the NFL games this season!" shared Quinn. "I think fans will enjoy our in-depth look at the results of the game from the QB pocket."

McIntyre stated, "I'm thrilled to be joining FOX Sports and Premiere Networks, and I'm excited to bring The Big Lead's ethos to a national radio audience."

Below is FSR's 2015 weekend football line-up:

Saturdays (All Times Eastern)
2 a.m.   The Jonas Knox Show
6 a.m.   The Big Lead with Jason McIntyre
9 a.m.   Anthony Gargano & Lincoln Kennedy
12n       The Blitz with Ben Maller & Tomm Looney
4 p.m.   FOX Football Saturday with Steve Hartman & Brady Poppinga
8 p.m.   Brian Noe & Mark Willard
11 p.m. Arnie Spanier

Sundays
2 a.m.    The Jonas Knox Show
6 a.m.    Nick Ashooh
8 a.m.    FOX Football Fantasy with Michael Harmon & Dan Beyer
11 a.m.  FOX NFL Kickoff Simulcast
12 p.m.  FOX NFL Sunday Simulcast
1 p.m.    FOX Football Sunday with Mark Willard & Ryan Field
5 p.m.    FOX Football Sunday with Mike Hill & Kirk Morrison
8 p.m.    Brian Noe & Brady Quinn
11 p.m.  Arnie Spanier & Chris Plank

For affiliations, please call Kurt Kretzschmar at 818-377-5300.

Agenda For FCC Open Meeting September 17



September 12 Radio History






In 1932...Edgar Rice Burroughs’ creation, Tarzan of the Apes began a syndicated three-times-a-week 15-minute run on WOR and other US stations.  Burroughs’ daughter played the part of Jane. The syndicated serial that was broadcast in fifteen-minute episodes and lasted for two years and 286 episodes. The first aired from 1932-1936 with James Pierce in the role of Tarzan.



In 1938...H.V. Kaltenborn made broadcasting history by covering a crisis in Czechoslovakia for CBS radio beginning on this day.  Kaltenborn was so devoted to his work that he slept in the studio for 18 days while bringing updates to his audience.


 In 1958...electrical engineer Jack S. Kilby staged the first successful demonstration of an integrated circuit – the microchip – at Texas Instruments in Dallas, thereby rendering the transistor obsolete after just four short years




In 1970..."Fire and Rain" by James Taylor was released to radio, becoming his first hit single.


In 2001...XM Satellite Radio began service.

The company has its origins in the 1988 formation of the American Mobile Satellite Corporation (AMSC), a consortium of several organizations originally dedicated to satellite broadcasting of telephone, fax, and data signals. In 1992, AMSC established a unit called the American Mobile Radio Corporation dedicated to developing a satellite-based digital radio service; this was spun off as XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. in 1999.

On July 29, 2008, XM and former competitor Sirius Satellite Radio formally completed their merger, following U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval, forming SiriusXM Radio, Inc. with XM Satellite Radio, Inc. as its subsidiary. On November 12, 2008, Sirius and XM began broadcasting with their new, combined channel lineups. On January 13, 2011, XM Satellite Radio, Inc. was dissolved as a separate entity and merged into Sirius XM Radio, Inc.  Prior to its merger with Sirius, XM was the largest satellite radio company in the United States.


In 2003...country superstar Johnny Cash died of complications from diabetes and emphysema, at age 71.


In 2013…Inventor Ray Dolby, who pioneered the noise-reduction and surround-sound technologies used in movies, cinemas, personal computers and home theater equipment, died of Alzheimer's disease and leukemia at age 80.


In 2014...Appearing CNBC's Closing Bell show, CBS CEO Les Moonves admitted the company might "trim down radio" in smaller markets. "We still believe in radio. It is a slow growth radio. Not as fast as some of our other businesses. We like it."  Moonves ruled out CBS selling out of radio completely.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Trump: "Some Comments Made As An Entertainer"

Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren confronted Donald Trump for his most recent comments about Carly Fiorina and his claim that it was about “persona,” not looks.

In a Rolling Stone profile out this week, Trump said of Fiorina, “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!” Trump insisted on CNN this morning he was talking about her persona, not her looks.

But, according to Mediaiate, when Trump called into Fox Thursday night, Van Susteren said she really takes issue with that kind of personal comment. She noted, “I don’t think you’re a first-time offender making a personal crack at a woman,” and told him it’s hard to say it’s about persona when the remark is very specifically about her face.


Trump bragged that he’s leading with women and said that many of the things he’s said about women were “made as an entertainer.” The Rolling Stone profile, within which Trump made these new controversial remarks, was written as Trump was on the campaign trail as a presidential candidate.

Report: Podcasts Driven By Millennials

Pierre Bouvard
A new study from radio network Westwood One sheds a llight on the presumed audience for podcast programming just in time for the Interactive Advertising Bureau's podcast upfront showcase.

The event will feature presentations from ESPN, AdLarge, Midroll, NPR, Panoply, Podtrac and WNYC and will offer a preview on "the latest in innovative podcast programming."

AdAge reports that for its "State of American Podcasting," Westwood One used several sources including an Ipsos custom study from last month and Edison's "Share of Ear" quarterly study. Westwood One had Edison create a cross tabulation of 500 podcast listeners using three recent studies. That showed the audio source, time of day, demographic profile, devices used to listen and types of content used by consumers.

Podcasting data has mostly been limited to iTunes downloads, which don't provide answers to the most basic questions about listeners, Westwood One CMO Pierre Bouvard said, adding that the point of the study was to answer, "How many, how often and how long."

"In the history of digital media, I don't think there has ever been a new digital platform that has so little audience data," Mr. Bouvard said. "It causes quite a bit of consternation among everyone in the ecosystem."

The study found the following:
  • Podcast listeners' median age is 30, versus 45 for AM/FM radio and 57 for broadcast television networks.
  • Podcast listeners are employed, educated and have more kids in the household compared to the total U.S. sample. In fact, 61% of podcast listeners work part or full-time, and 55% have some college education or are college graduates.
  • Half of total time spent listening to podcasts occurs on mobile phones, followed by one-third on computers. In contrast, half of total audio consumption time occurs on AM/FM devices.
  • Midday and nights are podcasting "primetime." The breakdown of listening is as follows: 29% from 7 p.m. to midnight; 29% from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 20% from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m; and 17% from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
  • Personalities and talk shows are the leading content consumed by podcast listeners, taking up 66% of total podcast listening, followed by news podcasts with 22%.
"This is a spoken word," Bouvard said. "People aren't listening to Pandora or robots. They're interested in people talking. ... This is a medium that lets you follow your passion, whatever that might be."

Steelers Seethe Over Pats Radio Broadcast

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was seething about yet another controversy involving the Patriots after his team’s 28-21 loss to the defending Super Bowl champions Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

The NY Post reports Tomlin’s anger centered around the Steelers’ coach-to-coach headsets from the sideline to the press box, steamed they were picking up the Patriots’ radio broadcast for the majority of the first half.

Blake Jones, the NFL director of football operations, went down to the field to help out with the headsets and the league described the reception problem as “intermittent.”

Because it was not a complete system failure, New England’s coaches were not required to shut down their headsets during the repairs, leaving Tomlin upset that it was a competitive advantage to New England.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick insisted after the game that his sideline was having issues with the headset communications as well.

“It is unsettling for a visiting team to come in here and have something like that happen. You want to start the game and say we’re on an equal playing field. I guarantee Mike Tomlin is hot right now.”

He was.


While conspiracy theorists were quick to want to blame the Patriots, according to the NFL, they do not control the headset frequencies. The league controls the headset communication between the coaches in the press box and on the field.

The NFL released a statement after the game saying the interference was caused “by a stadium power infrastructure issue. … Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues.”

Palm Springs Radio: Alpha Unleashes More Bull


Alpha Media/Palm Springs has announced the launch of a brand new country station, KDES 98.5 FM The BULL! The Bull is branded as a contemporary country station playing new Country music. The station previously aired Classic Hits.

Alpha Media Executive VP of Programming, Scott Mahalick commented on the announcement, “If Stagecoach had a radio station it would be 98.5 The Bull, it’s a perfect fit.”

KDES 98.5 FM (43 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
“We’re so excited about adding a new and fresh Country format to Alpha’s already fantastic platform of Coachella Valley radio stations.” remarked Alpha Media Market Manager, Tricia Bastida.

“This is how we roll” by Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan was the first song played on the station.

Taylor Swift Tops On Instagram

She can make Apple bend to her will and has seven Grammys under her belt. Now Taylor Swift can add yet another accolade to that list: Queen of Instagram.

CNN reports on Wednesday, the singer usurped Kim Kardashian as the social network's most popular user. At the time of writing, Swift boasts 45.9 million followers to Mrs. Kanye West's 45.7 million.

It's an impressive feat considering that Swift has only posted 689 times, compared to Kardashian's more than 3,000 posts, and is a testament to the 25-year-old's star power.

A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on

Des Moines Radio: KJJY Has Amazing Logo

Cumulus' KJJY 925 FM NASH Icon in Des Moines, IA, has teamed up with The Pumpkin Ranch in Winterest, IA for Iowa's Mega Corn Maze and bushels of family entertainment!

The Pumpkin Ranch season kicks off on September 18th and 925 NASH Icon will help get the party started. 925 NASH Icon will give away free family four-packs of tickets, great games and contests that take place inside this amazing corn maze that's just under 10 acres.

The station will play Scene Investigation, which is like playing the board game Clue inside the Mega Corn Maze. They'll also hide a gold brick inside the maze for tickets to see the Des Moines Performing Arts performance of 'The Wizard of Oz" and will even hide concert tickets throughout the maze.

There's a live broadcast on October 3rd with 925 NASH Icon's heritage morning show "Hatfield & McCoy", where ticket winners will compete for all the fabulous free prizes. The station will also host a Country Concert at the Pumpkin Ranch.

The Pumpkin Ranch is going into its sixth year of business and was featured in Time magazine (October 8, 2012) as one of the nation's five mazes with a message. The Handsaker family, owners of The Pumpkin Ranch, are listeners of 925 NASH Icon and love the radio station. Not coincidentally, the Handsakers partnered with 925 NASH Icon last year to put together one of the most spectacular corn mazes in Iowa and the nation. This year's Mega Corn Maze will be another one for the books!

Jonathan Monk, Program Director for 925 NASH ICON/KJJY in Des Moines said: "Some radio stations use billboards for outdoor advertising. Well, this is how we roll in Des Moines, Iowa!"

Brian Williams Returns Sept. 22nd

Brian Williams
(Reuters) -- Disgraced journalist Brian Williams will return to U.S. television on Sept. 22 (just in time for Pope visit) as an anchor for breaking news on cable channel MSNBC, the network said on Thursday.

Williams, 56, was dropped from his job as news anchor of NBC's flagship "Nightly News" program in June after an internal investigation established he had exaggerated various events involving his reporting from the field.

NBC and MSNBC are units of Comcast Corp.

A representative for NBCUniversal said Williams will take up his new job on Sept. 22, the day Pope Francis begins his first visit to the United States, ending a six-month suspension.

He is not expected to have a dedicated hour on the MSNBC schedule but will work on various afternoon news programs, the Hollywood Reporter cited network executives as saying.

Williams had been the face of NBC until he was suspended in February for fabricating a story about being on board a helicopter that was shot down in the Iraq war. The internal investigation found other instances of what it called "inaccuracies" but did not give details.

In a June interview, Williams blamed his ego for the exaggerations and described his suspension as "torture."

Report: Sam Champion Wanted Return To ABC

Sam Champion
Sam Champion tried to return to ABC News when it became clear that his Weather Channel morning show was a failure, but his former “Good Morning America” bosses told him there was no room for him at the network anymore, sources tell Confidenti@l at the NY Daily News.

“He thought he’d be showered with money, power and prestige” when he ditched “GMA” at the height of its popularity for the Weather Channel in 2013, a TV industry insider told us. “Instead, he’s been left high and dry.”

“We love Sam and he’ll always be part of the ABC family, but we’ve got the best weather team in the business already in place,” said an ABC rep.

The Weather Channel, which is part-owned by NBC and two large equity funds — Blackstone Group and Bain Capital — has been making major changes as it seeks to cut costs in the wake of reports that the funds are trying to sell their stakes.

Cox Promotes Mike Dreaden To VP TV-News

Mike Dreaden
Cox Media Group has named award-winning media industry veteran Mike Dreaden as new Vice President of News and Marketing for Television.

In this new role, Dreaden will ensure that CMG’s 14 television news stations continue to thrive and that the marketing efforts strategically support its award-winning news product across the country on all platforms and all screens.  Dreaden succeeds Marian Pittman, who was recently named CMG’s Executive VP of Digital Strategy and Research.

“We couldn’t be more excited about having Mike Dreaden lead our News and Marketing efforts,” said CMG Executive VP of Television Jane Williams.  “Mike has a rich history of leading award-winning and successful news operations.  His leadership at WSB-TV has taken WSB-TV to new levels of success, and his focus on multi-screen content distribution makes him a perfect fit for our future strategy. He will be a tremendous asset to CMG across all of our Television Markets on all platforms.”

Prior to this role, Dreaden was News Director for CMG’s WSB-TV, Atlanta’s television news leader, serving the 55 counties in the Atlanta TV market.  As News Director, Dreaden oversaw the daily news operations and strategic planning for more than 45 hours of local news coverage every week.

Channel 2 Action News is the No. 1 choice of Atlanta news viewers in all competitive news time periods.

“I’m looking forward to working with all of the great news and marketing teams in our group,” said Dreaden. “CMG is a special company with a commitment to broadcast journalism and winning, which is a combination I love.”  

Dreaden’s other career highlights include working in the newsrooms of some of the nation’s top television stations including WNBC in New York, WNEV (now WHDH) in Boston, and WSVN in Miami.  His television news career started more than 40 years ago when he landed his first TV news job at WBBH-TV in Fort Myers.

Exodus Continues At The L-A Times

Renata Simril, The L-A Times's SVP/Chief-of-staff, informed staff Thursday afternoon that she will be leaving Friday due to publisher Austin Beutner's abrupt firing earlier this week, reports Politico.

"I joined Austin and the Los Angeles Times because I believe in the importance of the 4th Estate; to hold power accountable and to be the civic conscious and voice of Los Angeles," Siril wrote in her email to colleagues. "I believe that this world class city deserves a world class paper; one that inspires, educates and informs."

Also gone is Nicco Mele, the Los Angeles Times' senior vice president and deputy publisher.

Mele had been hired by Beutner in November of last year to revamp the Times' digital business.

She is the fourth high-profile Times staffer to announce her departure on Thursday. Others areJohanna Maska, the Times top spokesperson, announced her resignation early Thursday morning. Hours later, White House correspondent Kathleen Hennessey announced that she would be moving back to The Associated Press.

Beutner was abruptly fired by Tribune Publishing CEO Jack Griffin on Tuesday after just 13 months on the job. Several sources at the Times and Tribune Publishing, as well as others with knowledge of the situation, told the On Media blog that Griffin suspected Beutner of orchestrating an effort to acquire the Tribune's California papers — the Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune — and take them private.

Read More Now

SF Radio: Angela Corral News Director At KGO

Angela Corral
Cumulus Media has announced that it has promoted Angela Corral to News Director for San Francisco News Talk radio station KGO 810 AM. Corral joined KGO as Assignment Editor in October 2013. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Corral has held virtually every position in the newsroom in her 17 years in Bay Area news radio. She started her news career in 1998 as a production assistant at KCBS, where she became a producer, an editor, a writer and an assignment editor.

Justin Wittmayer, Vice President and Market Manager for Cumulus San Francisco said: “Angela’s leadership in the newsroom and plan to advance KGO’s news delivery has afforded her this well-deserved promotion. We look forward to her guiding KGO to new heights.”

Corral said: “It’s a true honor to be selected as news director of this legendary station.  I’m looking forward to working with an amazing staff of dedicated journalists as we move KGO forward.”

SiriusXM Unveils NFL Coverage Plans

SiriusXM will offer fans the most comprehensive coverage of the NFL available on any audio platform throughout the 2015 season, featuring live broadcasts of every game plus daily NFL talk on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel.

The NFL kicked off its 96th season  last night when the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21.

Throughout the season all NFL games through Super Bowl 50 air on satellite radios.  Subscribers to the SiriusXM All Access package – which includes satellite radio and internet listening – can also listen to every game via the SiriusXM app and at SiriusXM.com.  SiriusXM's schedule also includes multiple Spanish-language NFL broadcasts each week.  Weekly NFL schedules with SiriusXM channel assignments can be found at www.siriusxm.com/nflschedule.

SiriusXM NFL Radio (channel 88), the only 24/7 radio channel dedicated to the NFL, enters its 12th season on the air and continues to offer the most comprehensive and in-depth audio coverage of the league.

SiriusXM NFL Radio's daily programming lineup features shows hosted by NFL experts and interviews with players, coaches and executives from around the league.  The channel showcases an unparalleled roster of hosts that includes former players, coaches and front office executives.  These include Gil Brandt, Tim Brown, Mark Dominik, Rich Gannon, Brad Hopkins, Maurice Jones-Drew, Pat Kirwan, James Lofton, Anthony "Booger" McFarland, Jim Miller, Bill Polian, Phil Savage, Takeo Spikes, Amani Toomer, Ross Tucker and Solomon Wilcots.

Joining the roster this year will be former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, a three-time First Team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection, and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who previously hosted on SiriusXM NFL Radio in 2009.

SiriusXM NFL Radio voices also include a number of NFL insiders and radio veterans including Bob Papa, Bruce Murray, Alex Marvez, Howard David, Vic Carucci, Dan Leberfeld, Bill Lekas, Zig Fracassi, Steve Torre, Casey Stern, Howard Balzer, Jeff Rickard, Lance Medow, Mike Keith and Tom Pelissero.

R.I.P.: DC Radio Legend Bobby Bennett Passes

Bobby Bennett
Bobby Bennett, a D.C. radio legend better known as “The Mighty Burner”, has passed away at the age of 72.

Sources close to his family say that while the cause of death is not official, it's believed that Bennett died from complications from a stroke that he suffered several weeks ago.

Bennett's nickname came from his days at D.C. Soul music AM station WOL 1450 AM.

In 1967, Bennett worked as a news reporter for Pittsburgh's WAMO-AM and WZUM radio stations. One year later, in 1968, he moved to WOL-AM in Washington, D.C., where he became known to radio fans as “The Mighty Burner” and hosted a show until 1980. Bennett then hosted a sports talk show on WTOP in the early 1980s, and served as program director for WHUR-FM from 1987 to 1992. After his time at WHUR, Bennett was hired as a morning talk show host at WXTR; and, in 1997, he became the host of an R&B radio show on WPFW-FM. In 2000, Bennett created the “Soul Street” channel for XM Satellite Radio, and served as its program director until 2010. During his career, he also was employed as a record executive and as a voice over narrator.

Bennett is the co-author of The Ultimate Soul Music Trivia Book: 501 Questions and Answers About Motown, Rhythym & Blues, and More, which was published in 1997.

September 11 Radio History


In 1945...At WSM Radio's Studio B in Nashville, Ernest Tubb recorded "It's Been So Long Darling," at what is believed to have been just the second recording session ever to take place in Music City.


In 1965...the Beatles' "Help!" album went #1 on American radio and stayed there for for 9 weeks.


In 1995..."Runaway" by Janet Jackson became the first single by a woman to make its debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.


In 2000...John R. Gambling does the last “Rambling With Gambling” show on WOR 710 AM


In 2001...Terrorist attack on New York City silenced four FM and nine TV stations.

Video produced by Art Vuolo Jr:



Since three of the major television broadcast network owned-and-operated stations had their transmission towers atop the North Tower (One World Trade Center), coverage was limited after the collapse of the tower. The FM transmitter of National Public Radio station WNYC was also destroyed in the collapse of the North Tower and its offices evacuated. For an interim period, it continued broadcasting on its AM frequency and used NPR's New York offices to produce its programming.

The satellite feed of one television station, WPIX, froze on the last image received from the WTC mast; the image (a remote-camera shot of the burning towers), viewable across North America (as WPIX is available on cable TV in many areas), remained on the screen for much of the day until WPIX was able to set up alternate transmission facilities. It shows the WTC at the moment power cut off to the WPIX transmitter, prior to the towers' collapse.

During the September 11, 2001 attacks, WCBS-TV channel 2 and WXTV-TV channel 41 stayed on the air. Unlike most other major New York television stations, WCBS-TV maintained a full-powered backup transmitter at the Empire State Building after moving its main transmitter to the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The station was also simulcasted nationally on Viacom (which at the time owned CBS) cable network VH1 that day. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the station lent transmission time to the other stations who had lost their transmitters, until they found suitable backup equipment and locations.

The Emergency Alert System was never activated in the terrorist attacks, as the extensive media coverage made it unnecessary.

9/11 Simultaneous Broadcast from Six Networks of the first fifteen minutes



Television coverage of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and their aftermath was the longest uninterrupted news event in the history of U.S. television. The major U.S. broadcast and cable networks were on the air for days with uninterrupted coverage from the moment news first came that the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Millions of shocked television viewers watching live pictures of the World Trade Center saw the second plane hit and both buildings come down. In order to keep up with the constant flood of information, at 10:49 a.m. EDT, Fox News Channel began running continuous updates in the form of a news ticker that crawled along the bottom of the screen. This was so well received by viewers that it became a permanent feature on the channel and was adopted by many other news channels.


In 2005…Radio/Television sportscaster (CBS, ABC, NFL Films) Chris Schenkel, who covered professional bowling for 35 years along with various other sports, died of emphysema at the age of 82.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

BMI Reports Record-Breaking Revenue, Payouts

BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) today announced record-breaking revenue and royalty distributions for its fiscal year ended June 30. BMI generated total revenues of $1.013 billion, the highest in the company's history and the most public performance revenue generated for songwriters, composers and publishers by any music rights organization in the world.

In addition, BMI distributed and administered $877 million to its affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers, a nearly 4.5% increase over last year and the company's largest distribution ever.

BMI operates on a non-profit-making basis and returns approximately 87% of all revenue to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

"These are phenomenal results for BMI and underscore the value we bring to our community of songwriters, composers and publishers," said Mike O'Neill, President and CEO, BMI. "They're even more impressive when you consider the negative impact to our international revenues brought on by the strengthening dollar," he added.

Mike O''Neill
"We will continue to work hard on behalf of the more than 700,000 affiliates we have the privilege to represent, not only to make sure they can continue to earn a living doing what they love, but also through our ongoing efforts with Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice to rewrite the rules so they make sense for today's digital world."

BMI's digital revenue exceeded $100 million, the first U.S. PRO to achieve this important milestone. Digital revenue increased 65% over last year, which was the largest category increase for the company. Revenue sources included Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube, among many others.

Revenue from all media licensing, including radio, television and cable and satellite entertainment, also saw record levels at $484 million, with cable and satellite entertainment accounting for the largest portion of BMI's domestic revenue for the second consecutive year. Additionally, general licensing revenue, including license fees from bars, hotels, fitness facilities and restaurants, along with other income, achieved a record high $137 million. General licensing added more than 14,000 new businesses to its already vast portfolio.

And The 2015 CMA Radio Nominees Are...

Kelsea Ballerini
CMA and Country artist Kelsea Ballerini joined forces with ABC Radio to announce the 2015 CMA Broadcast Awards finalists for Radio Personality and Station of the Year Wednesday during a media tour in New York City.

The finalists were surprised by the two-time CMA Awards finalist when she called under the pretense of talking about the nominations and then turned the tables.

"Radio has played such an important part in this amazing year that I jumped at the opportunity to call the stations to tell them they were nominated for a CMA Broadcast Award," said Ballerini. "It has been an amazing day and I was really happy to share it with people who have contributed so much to my career."

The CMA Broadcast Award winners will be notified in mid-October and will be acknowledged at "The 49th Annual CMA Awards," to be held Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live by the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host Country Music's Biggest Night™ for the eighth time.

Sarah Trahern
"Country radio stations and personalities reinforce what makes our format so powerful," said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "They play a crucial part in establishing those common bonds between Country artists and listeners. We are thrilled to recognize these individuals who are exemplary advocates of our format."

"ABC Radio is proud to be associated with the CMA Awards and excited to offer a special two-hour CMA preview hosted by Good Morning America's Robin Roberts as part of six-weeks of CMA Awards preview radio programming starting September 28," said Steve Jones, ABC Radio Vice President & General Manager.

Five finalists are selected for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year in four categories: Small, Medium, Large, and Major Market. This year, however, there was a tie in the Medium Market Radio Station of the Year category, resulting in six nominees.

The categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron. Entries for Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and biographical information. Candidates for Station of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings history, community involvement, and format leadership.

Three finalists are selected for National Broadcast Personality of the Year. To be eligible, candidates must be syndicated, short-form, hub voice-tracking, and satellite personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year.

CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

An aggregate score of the first round of judging and the second round, which is done by a different panel of judges, determines the winners. The international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulates scoring by the judges. CMA Broadcast Award winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2014 were not eligible in 2015.

CMA BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR:

National
  • "The Big D and Bubba Show" (Derek Haskins, Sean Powell, and Patrick Thomas) – Compass Media Networks
  • "The Crook and Chase Countdown" (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
  • "The Lia Show" (Lia Knight) – Westwood One
Major Market
  • "Barrel Boy @ Night" (Eric Gruneisen) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • "Ben and Matt in the Morning" (Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister) – KNIX, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • "The Michael J Show" (Michael J. Stuehler) – WPOC, Baltimore, Md.
  • "Paul Schadt and Meg in the Morning Show" (Paul Schadt, Meg Butterly, and Geof Knight) – WKKT, Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
  • "The Q Morning Zoo" (Tim Tuttle, Kevin Kline, and Erica Rico) – KKBQ, Houston-Galveston, Texas
Large Market
  • "The Big Dave Show" (David Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • "Karen, Scott & Radar" (Karen Dalessandro, Scott Dolphin, and Tony "Radar" Hess) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
  • "Mornings with Dave O'Brien" (Dave O'Brien) – WLHK, Indianapolis, Ind.
  • "Q Morning Crew" (Mike Wheless, Marty Young, and Janie Carothers) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
  • "Randy and Jamie" (Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin) – KAJA, San Antonio, Texas
Medium Market
  • "The 97 Country Breakfast Club" (Roger Todd, Melissa Moran and Dale Sellers) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
  • "Andy & Allison and The Morning Crew" (Andy Ritchie, Alison Mencer, and Jimmy Holt) – WIVK, Knoxville, Tenn.
  • "DJ Walker In The Morning" (Dennis Walker and Jim Wells) – KATM, Stockton, Calif.
  • "Maverick & Lulu" (Maverick Johnson and Luanne Kyrsz) – WCTQ, Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
  • "Tom and Becky" (Tom Owens and Becky Palmer) – WBBS, Syracuse, N.Y.
Small Market
  • "Barrett, Fox & Berry" (Bill Barrett, Tim Fox, and Tracy Berry) – KKNU, Eugene-Springfield, Ore.
  • "Bobby and Steve Show" (Bobby Cook and Steve Schwetman) – WKYQ, Paducah, Ky.
  • "The Dex & Mo Show" (Bill "Dex" Poindexter and Melissa "Mo" Turner) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
  • "Ken and Daniel" (Ken Hicks and Daniel Wyatt) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
  • "Scotty & Cara in the Morning" (Scotty Cox and Cara Denis) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.

CMA RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR

Major Market
KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
WKKT – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.
WKLB – Boston, Mass.
WPOC – Baltimore, Md.
WSOC – Charlotte-Gastonia, N.C./Rock Hill, S.C.

Large Market
WCOL – Columbus, Ohio
WLHK – Indianapolis, Ind.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WQIK – Jacksonville, Fla.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

Medium Market
CKRY – Calgary, Alta.
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
WBBS – Syracuse, N.Y.
WCTQ – Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.
WHKO – Dayton, OH
WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.

Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
KFDI – Wichita, Kan.
KTTS – Springfield, Mo.
WGSQ – Cookeville, Tenn.
WHWY – Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, Fla.

Ballerini recorded personal messages for those radio stations and nominated personalities who weren't able to participate in the calls. ABC Radio is making that audio in addition to audio from "The 49th Annual CMA Awards" nominee announcements on ABCnews.com available via FTP.

Milwaukee Radio: WRIT Rebrands As Big 95.7 FM

Why now?  With their best-ever market leading ratings 6+, one would wonder why iHeartMedia has decided to rebrand Classic Hits WRIT 95.7 FM.

Branding as Oldies 95.7 FM, the station went from a 10.1 share (6+ AQH Total Person, Total Week) rating in June to a 10.5 rating in August. The next station is nearly four share points behind.

According to Program Director Brett Andrews, "Yes, we’ve re-branded Oldies 95.7 as 95-7 BIG FM. We’ve become the BIGGEST radio station the Milwaukee market, and simply needed a name that better represented the evolution of the station. The music, line-up of local personalities, and overall format remain the same, we’ve simply gotten BIGGER.

We remain Milwaukee’s only station to get the Biggest hits you’ll never forget and the exclusive FM Home of Wisconsin Badgers sports!"

He reiterated that music and format will remain the same.

The station posted a video by the morning team of Murphy and Meg  explaining the changes on its new Facebook page.


NYC Radio: Francesa Pulls Plug on TV Simulcast

Mike Francesa is parting ways with Fox Sports Network as of Friday, in what he called an “amicable” split with no hard feelings.

Francesa said he had reached an agreement to terminate the Fox Sports television simulcast of his long-running and ratings-leading afternoon sports talk radio show on New York City’s WFAN 660 AM / 101/9 FM weekdays afternoons.

He acknowledged that negotiations are underway with another unnamed cable outlet, but added that his show could be radio-only for several months in the meantime before a new simulcast deal is struck.

Fox Sports viewers and/or Francesa fans are well aware that the Francesa simulcast was often bumped in favor of auto racing, soccer, and other content, which didn’t go over well with the opinionated broadcaster that the New York media has nicknamed the “sports Pope” for his self-important, know-it-all image.

The radio show has been on Fox Sports for almost two years, after simulcasting on the YES Network (the New York Yankees cable outlet) for 12 years. YES currently simulcasts the Michael Kay Show from ESPN radio in Francesa’s former time slot.

Nielsen Crowns Classic Hits As Format of Summer

The annual race to crown the “format of the summer” is now in its fifth year, and for the first time, NielsenAudio has a repeat winner: Classic Hits takes home the title in 2015 and becomes the first format to win the race twice and the first to win in back-to-back years.

This year, Classic Hits faced some stiff competition from a number of other formats, including Hot Adult Contemporary (AC) and Country, both of which also had strong showings. But in the end, the audience share for Classic Hits jumped by nearly 10% (9.7%) this summer, the most of any major format.

Increase In Summer Listening Share By Format
Nielsen also analyzed four years’ worth of Nielsen BDS Radio airplay data to get a handle on how more than 30 major-market Classic Hits stations have updated their playlists.

Not only have the last two summers been the best summers on record for the format, they’ve brought in more listeners.

In fact, summer shares among 18-to-34 listeners have risen nearly 10% since 2012. This is a noteworthy trend for a format that is not generally associated with Millennials or younger audiences. The tables below also reveal a noticeable shift in the decade of music at the top of the playlist on Classic Hits radio since 2012.
Most Played Classic Hits - Summer of 2012
Most Played Classic Hits - Summer of 2015
This summer, more than half of the top 20 most-played songs by Classic Hits were from the 1980s. Three years ago, no songs in the top 20 came from that decade. And since then, the average release year among those songs has shifted by seven years from 1973 to 1980.

Chicago Radio: News Vet Sherman Kaplan Retiring

After nearly 54 years in radio, over 46 of which have been in Chicago with WBBM 780 AM / 105.9 FM, newsman Sherman Kaplan announced his departure.

Final day on the air for the 74-year-old Kaplan will be September 22nd.

Ron Gleason, WBBM-AM Director of News and Programming, said in a staff memo announcing Kaplan's retirement: "One of the true WBBM Newsradio originals is calling it a career. Sherman Kaplan has decided to retire after more than 46 years covering the news in and around Chicago."

 Kaplan himself announced his upcoming exit on his personal Facebook page, saying:
"To all my FB friends, personal and virtual, in case you have not heard, I am leaving WBBM. My last day on the air will be September 22. I want to stress, and I genuinely mean this, I do not think of this as a retirement, but rather as a Commencement. 
I began working at WBBM in 1969, and except for an occasional medical situation and as many vacation days I could grab, it has been full steam ahead all the way.
According to CR&M, After starting out as a music DJ in 1961 in Cincinnati, Kaplan was working as a newsman at a Columbus, OH radio station, when he and his wife vacationed in downtown Chicago in the summer of 1968. When told that WBBM-AM was converting to all-news and looking to expand its staff, he visited the station while on his vacation, inquiring about a job. A few months later, Kaplan started working at the station, where he has basically remained ever since.