November 22 Radio History

In 1899…Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America registered in New Jersey

In 1906…the "S-O-S" distress signal was adopted at the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in Berlin.

In 1963…Many U.S. Radio stations suspended regular programming following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  The Number One song that week was 'Sugar Shack' by Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs.

More than three hours of KLIF 1190 AM audio from November 22, 1963, the day of President Kennedy's assassination.

Coverage begins at 11:30 AM (Dallas time) on 11/22/63, with Joe Long of Dallas radio station KLIF reporting live from Love Field Airport as President Kennedy arrives in "Big D".

Today 1190 AM is the home of KFXR.

Kennedy coverage as heard on WBAP 820 AM Fort Worth:




Also, from WCCO 830 AM Minneapolis/St. Paul:



And From The Big One, WLW 700 AM Cincinnati (then an NBC Affiliate):

This is the initial bulletin heard on the NBC Radio Network about the shooting of President Kennedy in Dallas. Robert MacNeil reports live from a telephone located inside the Texas School Book Depository Building, which is where the gunshots came from.

This is the line feed from the ABC Radio Network News in the initial moments of the coverage of the JFK Assasination. Included is the ABC Log Book notes on what they were airing. Someone in ABC Master Control had to log literally everything that was broadcast each day. Also included UPI and AP wire copy which you can see the network anchors are relying on for information.

And Bulletin coverage from KILT 610 AM Houston:

1963…In the UK, the Parlophone label released the Beatles' second album, "With the Beatles," and the single, "Roll Over Beethoven." Capitol Records in Canada issued the album as "Beatlemania! With the Beatles," which has the distinction of being the first Beatles album ever released in North America. Most of the songs from the album were not released in the United States until January 20, 1964 when Capitol Records issued "Meet the Beatles!"


In 1980...actress Mae West   died at her Hollywood home at age 87 following a stroke.



Famous for her double-entendres she had a sensational if brief radio career, appearing in two risque sketches on the Charlie McCarthy Show on a Sunday in Dec. 1937.  The listening audience was so shocked that Ms. West did not appear again on radio for another 31 years.

In 2002...actor Parley Baer died at age 88 after a stroke.  He was active in bigtime radio, playing Chester on Gunsmoke, and dozens of supporting roles on The Lux Radio Theater, Escape and Suspense.   On TV he was seen in everything from The Andy Griffith Show to Star Trek: Voyager. Six decades of character roles in broadcasting.

Gunsmoke "The Stage Holdup" CBS 1/2/54 Oldtime Radio Drama Western
Matt Dillon: William Conrad...Kitty: Georgia Ellis...Chester Proudfoot: Parley Baer

In 2011…he lead anchor for 25 years at CNN Radio Stan Case was killed in a traffic accident in Birmingham Alabama, as he was driving to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. He was 59.

Detroit Radio: Lions Censorship Demands Caused WXYT-FM Split

Mike Valenti

“It’s absolutely true, 100 percent of it,” Mike Valenti said about allegations the Lions severed their relationship with 97.1 The Ticket because they didn’t like his criticism of the team.

He co-hosts the “Valenti and Foster Show” on WXYT 97.1 FM The Ticket.

According to CBS Local, Valenti went on to say Bill Keenist, communications VP with the Lions, used to try to reach him during every segment of his show to control the messages he was sending out about the team. “If he somehow had the ability to get a hold of me, I would hang up,” Valenti said.

They didn’t like the things he was saying, Valenti said about the Lions and their PR team, so they eventually retaliated against the station.

“This is an organization that has consistently made our lives miserable at this station,” Valenti said, adding “This is a petty, juvenile, nasty organization.”



Holding nothing back, a fiery Valenti confirmed he was the reason the Lions won’t broadcast on 97.1 The Ticket past 2016. “I’ll own it,” he said. “Fine by me, this is an organization that has tried to go after me for a decade.”

“The Lions aren’t here because of me, that’s that,” he said, adding, “There are people in this organization that are bad people.”

A social media furor started when the Detroit Lions announced early Friday the relationship with 97.1 The Ticket would end when the current contract expires in 2016. CBS Detroit’s Senior Vice President and Market Manager Debbie Kenyon put out a statement saying the team wanted control over station content that CBS wasn’t willing to give.

Later, Mike Valenti’s agent Mort Meisner told local media outlets the issue was that the Lions wanted Valenti — a harsh critic of the oft-losing team — to be fired in order for them to continue the partnership with the station.

Per Meisner’s story, CBS didn’t budge, and the Lions walked.

For their part, the Lions said it wasn’t true they decided to leave 97.1 when thwarted in efforts to control content. Elizabeth Parkinson, senior vice president of marketing and corporate sponsorships for the Lions, told the Detroit News it was strictly a business decision.

As far as attempting to control content, she would admit only they call local media to “correct inaccuracies.”

Pittsburgh Radio: iHM, NFL Steelers Extend Broadcast Deal

iHeartMedia Pittsburgh announced Friday an extension of its broadcast agreement with the Pittsburgh Steelers, effective through the 2018 NFL season.

The new agreement includes The Steelers Radio Network originating from WDVE 102.5 FM and WBGG 970 AM & W292DH 106.3 FM, with additional promotional support on across all six iHeartMedia Pittsburgh stations and websites.

The new agreement also expands the Steelers HD radio station (SNR) to 8 hours of original Steelers programming per day throughout the season. In addition, Steelers play-by-play coverage will air on WDVE, where games have been broadcast since the 1999 season.

"iHeartMedia Pittsburgh and the Steelers have a longstanding partnership," said Tim McAleer, Market President, iHeartMedia Pittsburgh. "We are thrilled to continue to bring sports fans throughout Pittsburgh Steelers broadcasts and programming for years to come."

“We are excited to continue our partnership with iHeartMedia Pittsburgh for the coming years,” said Steelers Director of Partnership and Sales Ryan Huzjak. “iHeartMedia has delivered tremendous programming to Pittsburgh Steelers fans for many years, and this partnership will continue to provide our fans everywhere with Steelers content on iHeartMedia Pittsburgh platforms.”

WDVE 102.5 FM (55 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

iHeartMedia is a leading media outlet in the Pittsburgh market and its programming and content are available across multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; online via its branded digital sites; mobile; and social, with nationwide listening through iHeartRadio — with its more than 700 million downloads, more than 75 million social media followers and 87 million digital uniques across the Network.

WBGG 970 AM (5 Kw) Red=Local

iHeartMedia Pittsburgh owns and operates WBGG-AM, WDVE-FM, WKST-FM, WPGB-FM, WWSW-FM, WXDX-FM and is part of iHeartMedia

Ottawa Radio: Shake-Out Continues At CFRA 580 AM

CFRA's longtime morning host Steve Madely suddenly retired Monday  11/16/15

There are more changes coming to Bell Media’s Ottawa operations, the Ottawa Sun has learned.

Starting Monday, CTV news anchors are taking over the reading of the radio’s newscasts from their CFRA 580 AM colleagues. For CFRA employees, it’s a a kick in the teeth - demoting them from reading the news on-air to writing it for the television anchors.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” said Gord McDougall, a former news reporter with CFRA before he was let go several years ago.

The news comes on the heels of longtime newsman Steve Madely announcing his retirement on Monday.

Then on Tuesday, Bell Media announced layoffs at both CTV Ottawa and CFRA - including TV news anchor Carol Anne Meehan, morning radio host Shelley McLean and popular radio news producer Mike Murphy - and a married couple - both in sales.

Social media has been going fast and furious with outrage over the layoffs - most notably about Meehan’s firing.

CFRA 580 AM (50 Kw-D, 30 Kw-N) Red=Local

As of Friday morning, almost 17,000 people had signed an online petition calling for her reinstatement - and of those - almost 10,000 have taken the time to comment on her exit.

According to an internal CFRA email, CFRA news reader Mai Habib will write the news from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for CTV’s Annette Goerner to record and read. CFRA’s Chris Holski will write the news for Graham Richardson to read and record from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and CFRA’s Jenn Pritchard will be writing for Patricia Boal from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

“Nobody really knows what’s going on,” McDougall said, adding several key radio personalities - including Lowell Green, newsman Norman Jack and Madeley’s producer Tom Woodward are all on holidays.

But there’s plenty of speculation about who will have jobs, and what they will be, when the shakeup finally ends.

Advisory Council Announced For Radio Mercury Awards

The Radio Mercury Awards has announced the formation of its Advisory Council.  As radio has evolved into a multiplatform digital medium, and with the introduction of additional award categories, the Radio Mercury Awards creative advisory council of leading industry professionals will help guide and plan for the years ahead.

This group is comprised of advertising creative directors and radio branding and production executives alike.  By bringing this high caliber group of creative executives together, the council will advise on award categories and guidelines along with helping to grow awareness and participation among the agency and radio communities.

“As the Radio Mercury Awards celebrates its 25th Anniversary, we felt it was important to establish this council to help create a dialog between agency and radio creative minds to help lead and guide the Radio Mercury Awards into the next 25 years,” noted Erica Farber, president and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau.

The Advisory Council is comprised of the following executives:

• Chris Smith, Brand Creative Group Head, The Richards Group – Chair
• Chris Beresford-Hill, Executive Creative Director, BBDO NY – Vice Chair
• Jill Applebaum, Creative Director, The Barbarian Group
• Barbara Goldman, Owner/Producer, BG Productions Inc.
• Mark Gross, EVP, Executive Creative Director, DDB Chicago
• Tony Mennuto, VP Branded Content, CBS Radio
• Dave Savage, Vice President Creative Services Group, iHeartMedia, Inc.
• Greg Solk, SVP Programming, Hubbard Radio

Award categories for the 2015 Radio Mercury Awards will be announced in December along with Call for Entry guidelines and deadlines.

TN Radio: Joe Bell Named MM For Brewer Media Chattanooga

Joe Bell

Radio veteran, Joe Bell, has joined Brewer Media as its Chattanooga market manager.

Bell arrives from Miami where he ran the Beasley Broadcasting cluster of stations for 15 years. There he launched the Kiss Cares For Kids Radiothon that raised $3 million dollars for Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital.Mr. Bell also served on the Orange Bowl Selection Board.

Prior to Miami, Mr. Bell was VP/GM of NewsTalk – WPTF in Raleigh.
\
Bell has known the Brewer family for many years, having worked early in his career at two family-owned stations in Indiana. “I’ve known Joe since I was 12 when he was a disc jockey at WTCJ in Tell City, In., and we later worked together in Richmond, In.,” said President Jim Brewer, II.

On Chattanooga, Brewer Media operates rhythmic oldies WMPZ Groove 93, hip hop WJTT Power 94, country WPLZ Big 95.3, sports talk WALV “ESPN Chattanooga,” and Cat Country 106.9 on translator W295BI

According to Bell , “I’m excited to be a part of the team and working with Brewer Media. I’ve enjoyed many trips to Chattanooga over the years and I’m glad to call it home.”

L-A Radio: KABC To Art Bell Out-of-This-World Thanksgiving Special

Art Bell

TalkRadio KABC 790 AM and Master of the Unexplained and Paranormal Art Bell, present “An Art Bell Out-Of-This-World Thanksgiving Special,” on Thursday, November 26 from 9AM-9PM.  This 12-hour holiday special features programs hand-picked by Bell, the late night radio legend, exclusively for KABC listeners to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day.

Bell, who joined the KABC lineup just before Halloween, personally selected these programs for air in this unprecedented daytime offering from radio’s King of the Night.

Bell said: “We are thrilled to be back on the great 790 KABC, where we had great success.  My loyal fans will love that I’m personally hand picking the best twelve hours of out-of-this-world radio.”

KABC Operations Director Drew Hayes added, “This Art Bell special goes great with turkey and stuffing, and is the perfect program for families at home or traveling, to enjoy and be spellbound together.”

The strange and unexplained, with and all the oddities and quirks of life are explored and debated in a style perfected by the radio groundbreaker, Art Bell. “Midnight in the Desert with Art Bell” airs Monday through Friday from 10PM to 1AM on TalkRadio 790 KABC.

SF Radio: KSAN Annual "Do Not Drink & Drive Show" Is Monday

L-R: Lamont Hollywood, Chasta, Baby Huey, Paul Tonelli

Cumulus Media announces that the Bay Area’s Rock Station, KSAN 107.7 FM The Bone will broadcast the Lamont & Tonelli Morning Show’s 22nd annual “Do Not Drink & Drive Show” on Monday, November 23, from 5:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Each year before Thanksgiving, the on-air duo raises awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol and driving through a most unusual holiday tradition: Together, they drink alcohol while broadcasting their show, during which time the San Francisco Police Department conducts breathalizer tests of the pair. In the process, they will demonstrate how quickly a person can exceed the legal blood alcohol limit, and replace common sense with foolish and reckless behavior that endangers lives. Concurrent with the live broadcast, listeners can follow the progress on The Bone’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.



Jim Richards, Program Director of The Bone said: “As we approach the holidays, Lamont and Tonelli will once again demonstrate how stupid it is to drink and drive during the holiday season—or at any time. By sacrificing their livers for another year, Lamont and Tonelli underscore the reality that there are many opportunities to drink during the holidays, and there are just as many alternatives to driving while impaired. One of the most common mistakes people make is not realizing what their blood alcohol level is and erroneously thinking they are OK to drive. We thank the San Francisco Police Department – our partners in this broadcast tradition for the last 12 years -- for their assistance in helping us raise awareness among our listeners of how quickly a person can exceed the legal alcohol limit...AND...how quickly common sense goes out the window. We hope that people take this lesson to heart during the upcoming holiday season.”

Lamont and Tonelli said: “"The beautiful thing about the drunk driving show is we treat it just like a regular night at the bar... which means we'll be skipping out on the bar-tab at the end of the show!"

NYC Radio: CBS Radio Unveils New Performance Center

CBS Radio/New York has announced the opening of the city's newest entertainment performance space -- a state of the art studio that will serve as a showcase for artists, newsmakers, top athletes and other special guests.

Located at CBS Radio's broadcast facility in Hudson Square in Manhattan, CBS Radio New York's Adorama Live Theatre will officially open on Tuesday, November 24 with a live performance by Grammy Award-winning band Train, as well as playing host to events from the company's stations there.

In the coming weeks, CBS Radio New York's Adorama Live Theatre will present performances by Southside Johnny and Shaggy, as well as live interviews with Chris Martin from Coldplay and Charles Osgood, host of "CBS Sunday Morning" and the syndicated radio feature "The Osgood Files." Attendees can win their way into these one-of-a-kind private events through a variety of on-air and online promotions and giveaways.

"CBS Radio New York's Adorama Live Theatre provides our stations a unique destination where we can interact with listeners in an intimate environment at exclusive one-of-a-kind events," said Senior VP/Market Manager Marc Rayfield. "We are delighted to partner with a quintessential New York retailer like Adorama whose customer base is the same as ours, New Yorkers."

Friday's announcement marks the launch of CBS Radio's 11th performance space, joining outlets in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Detroit, among others. CBS Radio stations host hundreds of events locally that reach a diverse community of listeners and fans.

More Layoffs At the Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune is the latest Tribune Co.-owned paper to plan layoffs.

A spokeswoman for the newspaper said late Wednesday that the paper is eliminating positions. She said that the cuts would likely impact fewer than 100 current Tribune employees, and that many vacant positions would also be eliminated. The eliminated positions will come from all departments of the newspaper, including the newsroom.

On November 15, Tribune announced that its October revenues fell 3.5%, and that publishing revenue was essentially flat, at $330 million compared to $329 million during the year-earlier period. Broadcast revenue declined by 13.5%, to $109 million from $126 million.
Speculation about job cuts at the paper had been mounting for weeks, as news of cuts at other Tribune-owned papers surfaced.

Cuts were announced this week at the company's papers in Orlando, Virginia, and Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times is cutting about 85 newsroom jobs, or about 8 percent of its editorial staff, the paper said Wednesday.

Among those exiting:

• Sports columnist Fred Mitchell
• Columnist Dawn Turner Trice
• Food and pop culture columnist Kevin Pang
• Columnist Barbara Brotman
• Reporters:  Mark Caro, Greg Karp, Judy Hevrdejs, Wendy Navratil-Donahue, Bonnie Miller Rubin, Lisa Black, Colleen Mastony, Jon Hilkevitch, Richard Wronski, William Hageman, Bob Secter
• Editors: Printers Row deputy editor Maureen Hart, real estate editor Brenda Richardson, travel editor Ross Werland, lifestyle editor Seka Palikuca, lifestyle editor Toya Smith, lifestyles editor Pam Becker, business editor Greg Stricharchuk, sports editor Mike Kates, weekend editor Stephan Benzkofer, senior digital editor George Knue, letters editor Dodie Hofstetter

Some of the cuts already have come through attrition and some through a voluntary separation program, L.A. Times editor Dean Baquet wrote in a staff memo. The rest will be achieved through layoffs by year's end.

Employees have until Nov. 25 to apply for the voluntary program.

Westwood One Is Backstage At The AMAs

Westwood One/Q100 Atlanta’s Adam Bomb snared an interview with pop singer Demi Lovato Friday before she preps for her appearance on the American Music Awards Sunday.

Lovato talked about her upcoming tour with friend and business partner Nick Jonas and about how honored she is to be performing “You Oughta Know” with Alanis Morissette on Sunday’s AMA broadcast.


Demi Lovato With Adam Bomb @ the AMAs! from Nash TV on Vimeo.

Singer/dancer/actress Jordyn Jones struck a double pose earlier Fridayduring Westwood One Backstage at the AMAs. Jones, who first gained fame on Lifetime’s Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, quickly became a social media star with cover versions of songs by Iggy Azaela and Sharaya J. She released her first original single, “I’m Dappin,” on June 14.

A cappella group Pentatonix also stopped by Westwood One Backstage at the AMAs. They first gained popularity after winning the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011 and their fame has one through the roofs. Pentatonix are platinum-selling  recording artists and have sold more than 2 million albums in the U.S. alone, won a Grammy Award, sold out venues worldwide, have amassed over 1 billion views on their YouTube channel with nearly 9 million subscribers, and appeared in the feature film Pitch Perfect 2. All of their releases have peaked within the Top 5 on Billboard’s Digital Albums Chart.

The American Music Awards air Sunday at 8pm EST on ABC-TV.

Tweets by @TheAMAs

R.I.P.: MidWest Family-St. Joe MI Mourns Death of Staffer, 24

Brandi Mannino

The body of a woman recovered Friday morning on a Lake Michigan beach in St. Joseph, MI has been identified as 24-year-old Brandi Mannino.

Mannino launched a career in radio at the beginning of 2015, working for Midwest Family Broadcasting.  She was a promotions person and on-air for stations WIRX, WSJM, WYTZ, WCXT and WCSY.

Michigan State Police said Mannino and a friend whose name was not released, reportedly went to dinner in St. Joseph on Thursday evening. Mannino was reported missing Friday morning.

Her body washed ashore north of the St. Joseph pier Friday morning. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter and 45-foot response boat to search for the second person, who identifty has not been released.

Authorities do not suspect foul play. Mannino and her friend were seen at dinner and were believed to have gone for a walk when they were swept into the water.

Mannino also worked as a youth minister at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Watervliet. She was also active in the Right to Life movement.

“We are incredibly shocked and saddened by the news. Brandi was a bright young woman with a great desire to grow within our company. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones.” wrote Dave Doetsch, Vice President and General Manager of Midwest Family Broadcasting in a statement Friday.

November 21 Radio History

In 1877…At a gathering of friends and colleagues, Thomas Edison unveiled his new "talking machine," later called the phonograph. The first thing recorded on Edison's new invention was the song "Mary Had a Little Lamb."  Recording made by Thomas A. Edison on August 12, 1927, at the Golden Jubilee of the Phonograph ceremony. In this recording Edison demonstrates how in 1877 he made the first record on his tinfoil phonograph. The original 1877 recording was not saved and no longer exists.

In 1944…The first episode of "The Roy Rogers Show," featuring the Whippoorwills and the Sons of the Pioneers, was broadcast by radio stations of the Mutual Broadcasting System. It began as a western music and variety show and evolved into an action-drama series during its 10-year run. "The Roy Rogers Show" on television ran for six seasons beginning in December of 1951.

Roy's radio show lasted 11 seasons and the Roy Rogers Show On TV stayed on the air for 6 seasons! Roy also made a ton of movies and appeared on numerous other radio and TV shows as a guest star! In addition, Roy had a successful recording career for several years with songs that made it to the top of the charts! His, perhaps, best known song was "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" although most people probably remember him and Dale Evans singing "Happy Trails to You" at the end of each show!

In 1955…In Memphis, Sun Records owner and producer Sam Phillips sold Elvis Presley's contract to RCA for an unheard-of $35,000, at that time the largest amount ever paid to sign a recording artist and topping the offer of $25,000 for Presley's contract made by Atlantic Records. Elvis received $13,500 of the total. Phillips invested his proceeds from the deal in a two-year-old Memphis-based hotel chain called Holiday Inn.

In 1963…U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, arrived in San Antonio, Texas. They were starting a two-day visit to Texas that would end in Dallas.

John B. Gambling

In 1974...longtime WOR 710 AM NYC Morning personality John B. Gambling died.

He was a member of the The Gambling family, 3 generations of whom - John B., John A. and John R. - were hosts of WOR Radio's morning show Rambling with Gambling (now known as The John Gambling Show) over the course of over 75 years.

John B. was the host from 1925 to 1959, when he retired in favor of his son, John A. Gambling. With his Musical Clock, his all-in-fun setting-up exercises, cheerio music, wheezy gags, weather information and news scraps, John B. Gambling was a WOR fixture.

In 1979…morning man Harry Harrison did his last show on WABC 770 AM, New York. Here's an January 1979 aircheck of Harry.



 
In 1983…In Los Angeles, movie theaters premiered Michael Jackson's 14-minute "Thriller" video. The Guinness Book of World Records later named it the "most successful music video" of all time, selling more than 9 million copies.

In 1993…Jim McLaughlin, radio newsman for WYSL, WKBW, WBEN, Buffalo, died at age 59.

In the early 1960s, he worked as a deejay for KNBA in Vallejo, California taking the air name "Lucky Jim" because he didn't have to study and always knew instinctively what to say. He began delivering the news at KFOG-FM in San Francisco. In 1963, he moved back east and became the news director at WRVM in Rochester in 1964. Jim continued his career working in Buffalo as the news director of WYSL in the late 1960s, WKBW from 1970 to 1978 and then at WBEN until he was forced to retire due to health issues in 1987.

Jim was the first news director to hire a full-time street reporter, a female news staff member, to use co-anchors and to use short wave radio to cover international stories. In 1979, he won the New York State Associated Press Award for WBEN's "Newsday," being the best radio news program. Jim was also the only radio reporter allowed to cover the 1971 Attica Prison riot from inside the prison.

Detroit Radio: WJR, NFL Lions Ink 5-Year Deal

The Detroit Lions and Cumulus Media announced today a five-year broadcast partnership making News/Talk WJR 760 AM the flagship station for Lions football beginning in 2016.

Additional terms were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to have the Detroit Lions back on WJR 760 AM, The Great Voice of the Great Lakes, said Tom O’Brien, VP Market Manager, WJR.

“The long history and tradition of both the Detroit Lions and WJR make this a natural partnership well into the future. We look forward to providing a passionate, exciting broadcast for Lions fans in addition to year round Lions programming on WJR. Many thanks to the Detroit Lions organization and the Ford Family for making this renewed relationship possible.”

WJR 760 AM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

All Lions Radio Network programming, including live game broadcasts, pre- and postgame shows, the regular season weekly show and additional offseason programming will air exclusively on News/Talk 760 WJR. The team and WJR will extend the reach of the broadcasts with an extensive radio network across the state of Michigan and in northern Ohio.

“The Detroit Lions look forward to a mutually beneficial and rewarding partnership with News/Talk 760 WJR,” said Detroit Lions Senior Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships Elizabeth Parkinson. “WJR’s signal strength and world class staff will ensure that our co-produced game broadcasts and weekly programming will be accessible over-the-air for Lions fans throughout the entire Great Lakes region.”

The Detroit Lions’ history with WJR dates back to when the team moved to Detroit in 1934 after being purchased by then WJR owner/executive George A. Richards. Lions games were regularly broadcasted on WJR from 1948-88.

FCC's Rosenworcel Endorses FM Chips On Smartphones

Jessica Rosenworcel

Efforts to equip mobile devices with radio receivers received a boost today from a high-ranking FCC official, according to InsideRadio.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel spoke favorably about radio-enabled mobile devices and their potential for disseminating information during emergencies during the FCC’s Open Commission Meeting.

“We can strengthen our security even further by having active FM chips in our smartphones,” Rosenworcel said as the Commission considered a rulemaking to improve the effectiveness of wireless emergency alerts. “There are market developments right now that are making these chips more available and we should encourage these industry discussions to continue."

AT&T and T-Mobile recently announced they would activate radio chips on their Android devices, while Sprint began the practice in 2013.

When the unthinkable occurs communications matters. The @FCC takes steps to update #WirelessEmergencyAlerts: https://t.co/PLKdfHmRyR

— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) November 19, 2015

The NAB was quick to praise Rosenworcel for her endorsement. "NAB salutes Commissioner Rosenworcel for her comments,” executive VP Dennis Wharton said in a statement. “We look forward to voluntary activation of radio chips in all smartphones."

Trump Makes New Radio Ad Push In Primary States

Donald Trump

Following Donald Trump’s first radio ad buy in early November that aired in 11 markets in three states, the presidential candidate is launching a second sweep.

InsideRadio reports the spots are part of an overall $300,000 ad buy on radio. The new 60-second ads appeared on Trump’s website Wednesday, Nov. 18, and will soon air on stations in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

This time, his message is focused on the Paris terrorist attacks, and suggests that his brand of leadership is needed to keep America safe. In one spot, Trump says, “The tragic attacks in Paris prove once again that America needs to get tough on radical Islamic terrorism. President Obama and other politicians have consistently failed us,” as ominous music backs his voiceover.

“It's amazing that the United States can have a president who is so out of touch, but it's also dangerous.” Trump goes on to promise to “bomb the hell out of ISIS,” according to The New York Times.

While $300,000 is relatively small by presidential standards, according to InsideRadio,  2016 election ad spending is expected to set records. Wells Fargo Securities senior analyst Marci Ryvicker last week forecast $6.0 billion of total political spend in the 2016 elections, up 16% from the 2012 races.

CNN Suspends Correspondent For Bias

CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott has been suspended for two weeks, a source at CNN confirmed to Politico.

Earlier on Thursday Labott had tweeted about the House voting on a bill that would make it harder for Syrian refugees to enter the United States.

"House passes bill that could limit Syrian refugees. Statue of Liberty bows head in anguish," she wrote, linking to a CNN article on the vote.

Several critics said the tweet showed bias.

Labott apologized in a follow up tweet:

Everyone, It was wrong of me to editorialize. My tweet was inappropriate and disrespectful. I sincerely apologize.

— Elise Labott (@eliselabottcnn) November 20, 2015

Pundit George Will Makes Trump's Hit List

Trump backstage at SNL

Donald Trump in a series of tweets on Thursday attacked political pundit George Will, accusing the columnist of being "biased."

Broken down political pundit @GeorgeWill, who is wrong almost all of the time, should be thrown off @FoxNews. Boring and totally biased!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2015

Will penned a column on Thursday supporting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) in the Republican primary. The subhead of the column read: “Silly season is over, and the time to dump Trump is now.”

“Every day that such errant nonsense sloshes through the Republican nominating contest is a day when the party’s claim to represent what the country craves — adult supervision — becomes less credible,” Will wrote in his nationally syndicated column.

“Fortunately, sufficient days remain for Republicans to reshuffle the deck, to relegate Trump’s rampaging to the nation’s mental attic, and to recognize in Christie a serious political talent.”

Trump sent two additional tweets lambasting Will after the original tweet reappeared.

Dopey @GeorgeWill, a big proponent of the Iraq War and other catastrophes, doesn’t like me very much. That means I win!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2015

He also accused Will of holding a grudge, saying the pundit has never forgiven him for skipping one of his speeches years ago.

I skipped a speech given years ago at Mar-a-Lago by dopey @GeorgeWill because he’s BORING—he never forgot!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2015

Reporters Barred From Smith College Sit-In

In an effort to create a safe space free from potential insensitivity from the news media, activists at Smith College barred reporters from covering a sit-in Wednesday that drew 300 to 500 students, according to masslinve.com.

The demonstration, organized in solidarity with students at the University of Missouri, was held Thursday in the Smith College Student Center.

The activists' goal was to establish a place where students -- prioritizing students of color and black students -- could share their thoughts, feelings, poems and songs related to a rash of racially charged episodes this fall at Mizzou, as well as personal experiences of racism.

An event that draws so many people, especially one that concerns a topic of magnitude such as civil rights, is customarily covered by media outlets. But reporters who arrived at the sit-in were met with a clear message: Keep out.

Alyssa Mata-Flores, a 21-year-old Smith College senior and one of the sit-in's organizers, explained that the rule was born from "the way that media has historically painted radical black movements as violent and aggressive."

"We are asking that any journalists or press that cover our story participate and articulate their solidarity with black students and students of color," she told MassLive in the Student Center Wednesday. "By taking a neutral stance, journalists and media are being complacent in our fight."

Smith organizers said journalists were welcome to cover the event if they agreed to explicitly state they supported the movement in their articles.

Read More Now

WFAN's Mike Francesa Tops 'Heavy Hundred of Sports Talkers'

The editors of Talker magazine have released the fourth annual Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk – The 100 Most Important Sports Talk Radio Hosts in America.

This list ranks sports talk hosts, duos or ensembles from #1 to #100, based upon a set of criteria that includes a combination of hard and soft factors.

The results of this list are, the Editor admit, subjective.  Being  true to the realities of the media business, ratings and revenue are two of the major factors – some would say they are the only factors worth considering – but the editors also took into account other qualities that help create a list that is reflective of the industry’s diversity and total flavor and still give credit where credit is due.  Those qualities include: courage, effort, impact, recognition, service, talent and uniqueness.

Click Here for the complete 2015 Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk.

Phillies Voice: Never Been A Better Time To Enter Broadcasting

Tom McCarthy

There’s never been a better time to enter the field of broadcasting, Philadelphia Phillies television play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy told a group of Rider University students this week, reports News At Rider.

The same forces that wrought the digital revolution, causing considerable churn in the media industry, are beginning to create new jobs and empower people through social media, McCarthy said. To illustrate his point, he said that five years ago the Phillies employed not a single person to manager their social media accounts. A team of three now oversees the Phillies’ Facebook, Twitter, Snaphchat and several other official accounts.

“There are so many opportunities out there, and it’s going to grow exponentially,” said McCarthy. “I wouldn’t have said that 10 years ago, but there are jobs out there for all you if you’re interested in doing them.”

One of the keys to success is for students to embrace opportunity, even when it is not a one-to-one match with their ambition. “Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to opportunities,” McCarthy said. “They will lead you where you want to go.”

McCarthy’s career is a case in point. He started off as a biology major at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and took his first steps into the industry as a reporter for The Trenton Times, and by the time he switched his major to communications, he was broadcasting college football games. “I got bit by the bug of being behind the microphone,” he said.

After college, he joined the minor league Trenton Thunder in 1994 and served as the team’s radio voice, as well as its public relations manager. He was eventually offered a job as general manager of the Lakewood BlueClaws, and though the high-paying job would have precluded him from broadcasting, he initially accepted. “I did it for my family more than anything, but at the last minute I decided not to take it,” he said. “I couldn’t give up broadcasting.”

Although he had no way of knowing it at the time, it turned out to be the right decision. The Phillies hired him as its radio play-by-play announcer in 2001, and after a brief stint with the New York Mets, he replaced Harry Kalas, the legendary voice of Phillies baseball, in 2009. In addition to baseball, McCarthy has called games for college basketball and football and the NFL.

EPSN's Stugotz Gets Clipped

ESPN Radio's The Dan Lebatard Show with Stugotz this week indcluded a clip.

Jon "Stugotz" Weiner recently lost a bet to Mike & Mike co-host Mike Golic that he couldn’t consume 36 mini powered donuts in under an hour.  Inreality the former NFL defensive lineman actually finished all 36 donuts in roughly 10 minutes.



So, Thursday Stugotz had to pay up by shaving his head on live TV.

.@Stugotz790 has emerged from his head shaving somehow looking even better than before. -Charlie pic.twitter.com/oLfMQQKwlx

— Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) November 19, 2015

Delmarva Radio: Jay Gleason New PD At WZBH, WGBG

Jay Gleason

Adams Radio Group/Maryland has announced radio vet Jay Gleason as PD of Active Rock WZBH-93.5 FM The Beach and Classic Rock WGBG Big 98.5 FM.

Market Manager Phil LoCascio said, "Jay has a unique combination of rock experience that spans both Active and Classic Rock. He also knows how to entertain an audience, coach a staff, and knows that getting involved with the community is vital for our station's success."

According to RAMP, Gleason is a radio and digital pro whose resume includes nine years as Web Content Manager with Cumulus Media Washington. He previously served in a similar capacity with Greater Media Philadelphia; a decade ago he was a jock at WMMR/Philadelphia, and more recently, he's been working on-air at WMGK/Philadelphia.

WZBH 93.5 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

An excited Gleason told RAMP, "I'm excited to join Adams Radio Group and leading two of their premiere Rock stations. With the recent addition of The Billy Madison Show in mornings and Drew Cage in afternoons, 93.5 The Beach is set to write the next chapter in its already storied history. At the other end of the demo, Big 98.5 is poised to further solidify its place as Delmarva's Classic Rock leader. I look forward to working alongside Phil, Alex DeMers and the rest of the talented staff at ARG Delmarva in this new role."

WGBG 98.5 FM (6 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Rochester NY Radio: LPFMs Invade Radio Dial

Rochester NY  radio listeners may soon start hearing something a little different, with several new low-power stations trying to land on the FM dial.

According to a length story in the Democrat&Chronicle, at least six new 100-watt radio stations with limited range are promising to bring a wide range of new local programming to the FM dial. They include:

• WEPL 97. 1 FM
• WZNY 98.3 FM
• WARI 98.5 FM
• WXIR 100.9 FM
• WAYO 104.3 FM
• WRFZ 106.3 FM

With 100 watts of power, the signal for WAYO-FM will stretch out only about four miles and will focus on the local arts and cultural community, and plans to stream online starting Nov. 30 with a full launch scheduled for Jan. 4.

"We wanted a place where people could participate, but participate on their terms," said Michael Yates, WAYO co-founder and operational coordinator. "It would be an environment of creative freedom, where they could come up with an idea and have encouragement and support."


WAYO Radio - IndieGoGo Pitch from Neeti Fidurko on Vimeo.

The low-power stations were given life after President Obama signed the Local Community Radio Act nearly five years ago. The legislation eased restrictions by allowing more broadcasters to be placed on FM.

The measure allowed the Federal Communications Commission to hand out 100-watt licenses to new independent operators, who hope to add new voices to Rochester, but in a less expensive way to enter the market.

Each of the new local low-power FM stations hits a niche market.

Emily Stern Regrets Comments About Howard

Howard, Emily Stern

Howard Stern‘s daughter Emily said she was “embarrassed” over an interview she gave that painted her father in an unflattering light, and abruptly cancelled an event she had planned on the heels of the family fiasco.

RadarOnline.com reports, Emily, 32, raised eyebrows in a Nov. 8 chat with the NY Post in which she rattled off gripes about her King of All Media father.

Among them: that she was blindsided by father’s 1999 break-up with her mother Alison Berns following more than 20 years of marriage; that he “used to be one way, and then he [married] a model,” referring to his second wife, Beth Ostrosky; and that his raunchy radio schtick stunted her dating life.

“It’s rare I go on dates,” the “Zoo Za Zoo” singer told the paper, noting that her “dad’s emphasis on sexuality kept me out of the dating ring” in her younger years.  On Tuesday, Emily was singing a different tune, claiming that she was confused about the purpose of the piece, and regrets how it came out.

“I thought I was being interviewed about my project,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “I am embarrassed the article had the content it did. Please, friends, I ask you for your support in understanding and forgiving me.”

Emily, who practices Orthodox Judaism, presumably thought that the piece would be focused on “Wells of Miriam,” a photo exhibition that was slated for Thursday in Brooklyn, but since cancelled in the wake of the controversy.

SiriusXM, YouTube Unveil New Country Music Feature

SiriusXM and YouTube Thursday announced the launch of a new weekly radio feature highlighting a trending country song based on YouTube viewership data.

The "YouTube Country Spotlight" will air on SiriusXM's The Highway channel as part of the channel's weekly On The Horizon show. This is the latest example of the shared goal of SiriusXM and YouTube to support emerging new music from developing artists.

Kane Brown's "Used to Love You Sober" will be the first song featured on SiriusXM's "YouTube Country Spotlight."

"YouTube's work with SiriusXM is helping even more artists reach even more fans. Starting the new YouTube Country Spotlight is a key way for us to raise the profile of our growing community of country music artists", says Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artist Relations, YouTube.

"Collaborating with YouTube to offer SiriusXM listeners a country music feature based on YouTube data is a logical next step that builds on the great response to 'The YouTube 15' show on our SiriusXM Hits 1 channel, and the 'YouTube EDM 15' show on our BPM dance music channel," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM.

"We are thrilled to team up once again with YouTube to launch this all new feature that highlights an emerging country song each week from the world's largest music video platform."

The "YouTube Country Spotlight" launches on Saturday, November 21 during On the Horizon, SiriusXM's weekly radio show featuring host Buzz Brainard playing the next big hits in country music. On the Horizon airs on Saturdays at 12:00 pm, and rebroadcast on Saturdays at noon, 7:00 pm, 11:00 pm and Sundays at  4:00 am, 8:00 am, 12:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 8:00 pm (all times Eastern) on The Highway, channel 56, and through the SiriusXM App on smartphones and other connected devices.