January 31 Radio History

In 1892...comedian Eddie Cantor was born Edward Israel Iskowitz in New York City.  The man known for his “banjo eyes” and his five daughters was the first of the great vaudevillians to hit it big on radio, after an appearance on the Rudy Vallee Show in early 1931.  In 1950 he jumped into TV & was an instant hit in the new medium.  But he never fully recovered from a heart attack two years later, and died Oct 10, 1964 at age 72.

In 1902...eccentric actress Tallulah Bankhead was born in Huntsville Alabama. Her most important broadcast credit was as hostess of NBC Radio’s last hurrah, the star-studded “The Big Show” Sunday night variety extravaganza as the tidal wave of TV was taking effect. Her last screen appearance was in 1966 as The Black Widow on TV’s Batman. She died of pneumonia Dec 12, 1968 at age 66.


In 1915...Emmy-winning broadcaster Garry Moore was born Thomas Garrison Morfit in Baltimore. Best remembered for his TV variety show that introduced Carol Burnett, plus hosting the game shows I’ve Got A Secret & To Tell the Truth.   He first caught the public ear as co-host of the Chicago-based daytime radio show, Club Matinee.  He went on to co-star with Jimmy Durante in a top rated evening variety show, then hosted his own daily daytime one-hour radio show before moving to TV.  He died of emphysema Nov 28, 1993 at age 78.





In 1936...the "The Green Hornet" debuted on WXYZ Radio, the same local Detroit station that originated its companion shows The Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon. Beginning on April 12, 1938, the station supplied the series to the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network, and then to NBC Blue and its successors, the Blue Network and ABC, from November 16, 1939, through September 8, 1950. It returned from September 10 to December 5, 1952.  It was sponsored by General Mills from January to August 1948, and by Orange Crush in its brief 1952 run.

Major Armstrong

In 1954...Major Edwin Armstrong - founder of FM radio - died from an apparent suicide.  He has been called "the most prolific and influential inventor in radio history".  He invented the regenerative circuit while he was an undergraduate and patented it in 1914, followed by the super-regenerative circuit in 1922, and the superheterodyne receiver in 1918. Armstrong was also the inventor of modern frequency modulation (FM) radio transmission.

Armstrong was born in New York City in 1890. He studied at Columbia University.  During his third year at Columbia, Armstrong came up with his first major invention: the first radio amplifier. He had learned how Lee DeForest's radio tube worked, then he redesigned it by taking the electromagnetic waves that came from a radio transmission and repeatedly feeding the signal back through the tube. Each time, the signal's power would increase as much as 20,000 times a second.

This phenomenon, which Armstrong called "regeneration," was an extremely important discovery in the early days of radio. With this development, radio engineers no longer needed 20-ton generators to get their stations on the air. Armstrong's single-circuit design provided the key to the continuous-wave transmitter that is at the core of radio operations today. He graduated with his B.S. in engineering in 1913. He patented his creation and licensed it to the Marconi corporation, in 1914.

Soon after graduation, Armstrong was sent to Paris to serve in World War I. There he came up with his second major invention, the superheterodyne receiver, after he had been put on a project to improve ability to intercept shortwave enemy communications. The superheterodyne receiver is still part of virtually every tuner in today's radios, televisions and radars.



In 1920, Westinghouse bought Armstrong's patent for the superheterodyne receiver, and started up the nation's first radio station, KDKA, in Pittsburgh.

Radio became very popular at about this time, and more and more stations came to the airwaves. The Radio Corporation of America, or RCA soon bought up all of Westinghouse's radio patents, as well as the patents of other competitors.

By then, Armstrong was back at Columbia University working as a professor. In 1923 he married Marion MacInnes, secretary to the president of RCA, David Sarnoff. Later that decade he became embroiled in a corporate war for control of radio patents. This continued through the early part of the 1930s, and Armstrong was unsuccessful in most of his court battles. Meanwhile, however, he pursued a solution to the problem of static in radio. By the late 1920's he had decided the only solution was to design an entirely new system. In 1933 he presented the wide-band frequency modulation (FM) system, which gave clear reception even in storms and offered the highest fidelity sound yet heard in radio. The system also allowed for a single carrier wave to transmit two radio programs at once. This development was called "multiplexing."

In 1940 Armstrong got a permit for the first FM station, which he established in Alpine, New Jersey. In 1941 the Franklin Institute awarded Armstrong the Franklin Medal, one of the science community's highest honors.

Armstrong went on to prove that FM was capable of dual-channel transmissions, allowing for stereo sound. This capability of FM could also be used to send two separate non-stereo programs, or a facsimile and telegraph message simultaneously in a process called multiplexing. He even successfully bounced a FM signal off the moon, something not possible with AM signals.

According to damninteresting.com, AM radio was big business in the pre-television days, and there were powerful people who wanted things to stay as they were. Innovation only meant smaller profits for them. At that time there was no more influential man in radio media than the founder of RCA, David Sarnoff. Known as "The General," Sarnoff controlled all the technical aspects of radio; he also created the NBC and ABC television networks. He was also an important early supporter of television and developed the current NTSC standard for TV that we have used for over 60 years.

Regenerative Circuit 1912

Seeking to kill FM radio before it could threaten his profits, Sarnoff's company successfully lobbied the FCC to have the FM spectrum moved from Armstrong’s frequencies to the ones we use today: 88 to 108 MHz. The FCC ruling said that the 40 MHz band was to be used for the new television broadcasts, in which RCA had a heavy stake. RCA also had an ally in AT&T, which actively supported the frequency move because the loss of FM relaying stations forced Armstrong's Yankee Network stations to buy wired links from AT&T. The deck was stacked against the future of FM broadcasting.

Matters became worse when Armstrong became entangled in a new patent suit with RCA and NBC, who were using FM technology without paying royalties. The cost of the new legal battle compounded the financial burden that the problems with the Yankee Network had caused. His health and temperament deteriorated as the FM lawsuit dominated his life. His wife of thirty-one years, unable to cope with his worsening personality and financial strain, left him in November of 1953. RCA's greater financial resources crushed Armstrong's legal defences, and he was left penniless, alone, and distraught.

On February 1, 1954, Armstrong's body was discovered on the roof of a three-story wing of his apartment building. In despair, he had thrown himself out the window of his thirteenth-floor New York City apartment sometime during the night. He died believing he was a failure, and that FM radio would never become accepted. Through the years Armstrong’s widow would bring twenty-one patent infringement suits against many companies, including RCA. She eventually won a little over $10 million in damages. But it would take further decades for FM radio to reach its potential.

Following Armstrong’s death, television’s emerging popularity ended radio’s golden years. Slowly, listeners learned that FM radio was clearly better for musical high fidelity than AM broadcasts. Radios started to have an FM band included with the AM band in the late 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, FM audience size surpassed that of AM, and the gap has been growing ever since.

He held 42 patents and received numerous awards, including the first Institute of Radio Engineers now IEEE Medal of Honor, the French Legion of Honor, the 1941 Franklin Medal and the 1942 Edison Medal. He is a member of the National Inventors Hall.



This is an audio recording of the March 6, 1954 final broadcast of Major Edwin Armstrong's experimental FM station at Alpine, NJ. This broadcast came a month after the inventor of FM radio jumped to his death.

The audio track is accompanied by historical photos and footage


In 1958...U.S. launches its first satellite, Explorer I



In 2000...Peter Tripp, who wowed radio audiences with his mid-1950s Top-40 countdown record shows on WHB in Kansas City, and later at New York City's WMGM 1050 AM, died January 31, 2000, at Northridge California Hospital, following an apparent stroke suffered at his home in West Hills, California.

Tripp was 73 years old.

Tripp became one of the nation's best known Top-40 countdown radio personalities beginning in 1954 at Todd Storz' WHB in Kansas City, and at Loew's Theatres' WMGM in New York City from 1955 through 1960 with his "Your Hits Of The Week" program.

Billing himself as "The curly-headed kid in the third row", Tripp is best remembered for the WMGM promotion where he remained awake for 201 hours during a sleep deprivation stunt benefitting the March Of Dimes.


In 2013…Former radio talk show host (KSFO-San Francisco, KIRO-Seattle, WIND-Chicago) Lee Rodgers died during heart surgery at age 76.

Lee Rodgers

He was born and raised in poverty near Memphis, Tennessee, lost part of a leg at age 13 working in timber industry and then spent years living in different parts of the United States. A self-described part-time coach, referee, catalyst and provocateur, he began his broadcasting career at WIND in 1963 as a disc jockey and sportscaster, followed by stints with radio stations in ST. Louis, Miami and Chicago.

After 10 years with KGO, Rodgers went north to KIRO radio in Seattle. One year later, he returned to the Bay Area where "the most interesting and spirited dialogue in talk radio takes place." He believed, "Even with good guests, it's the simulation of the callers that makes the show."

He spent over 25 years broadcasting from San Francisco and continued making his voice heard even off the air through his blog at radiorodgers.com.


 In 2014…Former San Francisco radio personality (KYA, KSFO) Chris Edwards died at age 72.

Chris Edwards

Born Edward Christian Reinholtz on Nov. 10, 1941 in Mount Vernon, New York. He loved radio from a young age, earning an amateur ham radio license as a teenager, and hosted his first radio show, "Moonglow with Edwards," on WRUF, the in-house station at his alma mater, the University of Florida. It was there that he took the on-air name Chris Edwards, which combined his middle and first names.

Edwards got his start in Bay Area radio with the morning show at the original KYA-AM, a highly rated Top 40 station, in 1968. Later, he hosted the afternoon show from 2 to 6 p.m. at the station.



In the 1980s, Mr. Edwards hosted the "Chris Edwards Solid Gold Time Machine," a program that aired on K-101 Sunday nights from 6 to 10 p.m. He also worked at K-101 as a sales executive.

Mr. Edwards moved to KSFO-AM/KYA-FM as an account executive, also hosting a Saturday morning show until the end of 1991. For the next 20 years, he worked in sales at radio stations including KFRC, KABL and KKSF. He retired from KGO/KSFO in the summer of 2011.

Trump Resumes Fight With 'Psycho Publisher'

For Donald Trump, one media feud is winding down -- and an old one is heating up.

At a campaign event on Friday in Nashua, New Hampshire, Trump defended his decision to skip the previous evening's Republican debate on Fox News. But the GOP frontrunner expressed no ill will toward the conservative cable news channel he had spent days criticizing.

Instead, Trump directed his ire toward a familiar target: Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid.

"You know, I don't know how you feel about this, but I have to do it. So, you have a newspaper up here, 'The Union Leader,'" Trump said, drawing boos from the crowd. "Do you know about this newspaper?"

"This guy's a bad guy. His name is Joe McQuaid," he continued. "He's a bad person, and he uses his weight, pushes his weight around, thinks he's hot stuff."

CNN reports those were among the tamer insults. Over the course of a nearly 10-minute diatribe, Trump called McQuaid "a psycho," "loser," "liar" and "dirty dog."

The Union Leader, New Hampshire's largest newspaper, "is going to be dead soon," Trump said.

"He's destroyed the paper," Trump said of McQuaid.

Trump has spent the last month assailing McQuaid on Twitter and in interviews. McQuaid has responded with editorials calling Trump a "con man" and "a schoolyard, rich-kid bully."

Thank you- Nashua, New Hampshire! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Trump2016https://t.co/NpJGvQwYU5 pic.twitter.com/9h8CgrCXGB

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2016

Report: Trump Dominates Social Media

(Reuters) -- Not only is billionaire Donald Trump outpolling the rest of the Republican presidential field, the former reality TV star has charged ahead of megastars Justin Bieber and Kanye West for celebrity mentions on social media, according to new data from the past month.

Trump raked in nearly 13.5 million Twitter mentions since Dec. 30, according to SocialFlow, a social media publishing platform. This put the real estate developer well ahead of virtually every major celebrity in the United States including Justin Bieber who brought in roughly 8 million, Kanye West with 6.2 million and Rihanna with 5.7 million.

Trump's Twitter account (@realDonaldTrump) has more than 5.9 million followers.

Thank you, America! #Trump2016
Via @DRUDGE_REPORT pic.twitter.com/hVa0gJiBNz

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2016

Trump has also proved his social media clout over his fellow Republican candidates. During Thursday's Republican presidential debate, the business tycoon commanded 36 percent of the Twitter traffic, according to data provided by the social media site. That was far more than his competitors on the main stage, even though Trump did not attend the debate.

Trump's dominance of social media was not constant, however.

On Wednesday, Kanye West's Twitter beef with fellow rapper Wiz Khalifa put his one-day mentions over Trump.

Even the late rock star David Bowie was a social media hero, just for one day. The day after he died, Twitter mentions of Bowie outpaced those of The Donald on Jan. 11.

Public Files Expanding To Include More Political Info

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to make more information about political ads available online.

Cable TV, satellite and radio stations will all soon have to start posting information about the political campaigns and outside groups buying advertising on their platforms. This will bring those media in line with requirements for TV broadcasters, who were the first to be required to maintain those records in an FCC database back in 2012.

Companies have long been forced to maintain those physical records at their headquarters. But FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called the old requirements “retrograde.”

“This kind of requirement may have made sense in the Mad Men era, but it makes no sense in the digital age,” she said.

Jessica Rosenworcel

The Hill reports the order is aimed at giving journalists and transparency groups easier access to the records, which include information about who purchased the advertising and how much they spent. The records are part of the broader public file that companies must maintain.

The requirement will begin after the Office of Management and Budget signs off on the rules, with exceptions for operators with a small number of providers. Only new files will have to be posted. The FCC said the first disclosures are expected to go up in three to six months.

Small broadcast radio stations will have a two-year window before the rules apply to them. Cable companies with fewer than 1,000 subscribers will be exempt, while requirements for operators with between 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers will also be delayed for two years.

Transparency groups have said disclosures for radio will also be important because that has historically been a place for more of the unsavory political campaign tactics.

Brad Kelly To Manage Nielsen Audio

Brad Kelly

Nielsen has announced Brad Kelly as top executive for its radio business. Kelly, currently senior VP/sales director, radio will assume O’Grady’s management responsibilities for Nielsen Audio.

A second-generation broadcaster, Kelly has worked in sales and client relations with Nielsen Audio and predecessor Arbitron for nearly 18 years. He joined Arbitron as VP, radio group sales in March 1998 before being promoted to VP in September 2005 and to senior VP in September 2007. His promotion marks the first time a former Arbitron exec has been in the top spot at Nielsen Audio since Nielsen bought Arbitron in September 2013. Since then, that role has been held by O’Grady as executive VP & managing director of local media, responsible for strategy and development for Nielsen’s local television and audio clients.

Now O’Grady’s local media responsibilities will be split between two Nielsen execs with Kelly assuming management duties for radio and Jeff Wender, currently senior VP for the company’s Digital Practice Group, in charge of Nielsen’s local TV business.

Since joining Nielsen more than 15 years ago, O’Grady has held numerous executive positions within the company, including executive VP of media product leadership and president of Nielsen Claritas (now Consumer Activation). In 2013, in addition to leading local television and local agencies, O’Grady assumed responsibility for Nielsen’s local radio business when the company closed on its $1.26 billion purchase of Arbitron and integrated the three entities to create a single Local Media Group. Before joining Nielsen, he held management positions with National Decision Systems, AT&T and the Daniel Yankelovich Group.

“Matt is a world-class leader,” Nielsen COO Steve Hasker said in a statement. “His experience and expertise in media, advertising and performance management make him uniquely positioned to take on the CEO role and drive performance and innovation for Nielsen Catalina Solutions and its clients.”

Nielsen assumed majority ownership of NCS, a joint venture with Catalina, in 2015. O’Grady will report to the NCS board of directors.

CRS To Feature Tim McGraw As Speaker

Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw has been announced as a featured guest speaker at the 2016 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. His program, Transcending / Evolving with Tim McGraw, will provide attendees with knowledge on how to rethink what you do, how you do it, and how to prioritize what’s important with your eye on the prize of a long career.

McGraw has had hit records for 21 years, which is a major accomplishment considering all of the changes within the industry in the last two decades. McGraw will share his insights and experiences on how he has evolved his career and stayed a relevant member of the country music industry.

CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne comments, “CRS strives to highlight the realities and potential of our careers, industry, and personal lives. Tim McGraw’s incredible career, talent, and life experience is one we can all learn large lessons from. He truly displays the significant impact one person can have, so much as an entertainer, singer, artist, actor, husband, father, humanitarian, great friend, and all of this at the highest level. This opportunity to hear Tim speak provides CRS attendees a true experience that is non-traditional and a rare CRS learning opportunity for us all!”

Country Radio Seminar will be held Monday, Feb. 8, through Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Omni Nashville. For more information, visit www.countryradioseminar.com.

Albright & O’Malley & Brenner Present Pre-CRS Seminar

Country Radio Specialists Mike O’Malley and Becky Brenner announce a new addition to their 22nd annual Pre-CRS seminar; taking place on Monday February 8, 2016 at the new home of the Country Radio Seminar, The Omni Downtown Nashville, from 10:30 am-1:30pm.

Brett Young

This event features sessions addressing personal career growth, important topics facing country radio and radio in general.

BMLG’s Republic Nashville returns as the music sponsor for the event, including a photo op and special, intimate performance from their hottest new act Brett Young!

Newly confirmed:

Stephanie Friedman, VP Radio Nielsen Entertainment Presents Streaming for Success.   When it comes to how we listen to music these days, the story is increasingly a digital one. In 2015, 75% of Americans reported listening to music online.  On-demand streaming increased 98% over the year prior.  But streaming doesn’t have to be radio’s swan song. In fact, the growth of streaming can actually benefit radio. Learn more about the latest tactics and insights from Nielsen’s programming and music experts. You’ll discover how streaming data Compliments radio and helps make smarter programming decisions.

Also Newly Added:

"Switching vs. Tune in/Tune Out:  What you can Learn from Both" featuring Warren Kurtzman, President & COO of Coleman Insights and Philippe Generali, President & CEO of RCS and Media Monitors.   Are Country listeners more likely to switch over from another station, or to turn you on in the moment when they decide to use radio? How do Country listeners compare to listeners of other formats? Coleman Insights and Media Monitors will present some groundbreaking findings about the behavior of PPM panelists during the moments when they land on your station, and when they leave. Find out what this means for your station’s strategy.

Previously confirmed presenters include:

Don Schlitz

Grammy, CMA & ACM award winning songwriter Don Schlitz; member of the Nashville Songwriters Association Hall of Fame.  Don will share some of his most powerful songs, plus, his thoughts on storytelling; how to find ideas and bring them to life with words.

Attorney Stacey Schlitz, founder of SchlitzLAW, representing some of the world’s most renowned entertainers, composers, and music publishers. Stacey will offer guidance on protecting intellectual property such as content, and performance rights, contracts and other issues unique to the entertainment field – all of which are especially relevant as stations become increasingly more involved with concerts.

Stacey Schlitz

Additionally the A&O&B team will present the first results of their 11th annual online perceptual study, “Roadmap 2016”, including Country P1 trends in music, digital consumption, social networking and more.  Data from thousands of P1’s from across the U.S and Canada will be included.

“For 22 years this has been one of the most special half days of any conference. The pace is quick, the speakers have come from country radio as well as businesses as diverse as Starbucks and politics,” said partner Mike O’Malley. “It’s a half-day of thought-provoking and actionable sessions that help set the stage for CRS.”

Brenner adds, “Today's hectic and demanding schedules often prevent valuable Face time with peers.  This is an opportunity to share, learn, grow and re-energize for the new year!”

The A&O&B Pre-CRS Seminar is free and is open to all clients as well as to broadcasters in non-competitive situations. You can RSVP to aobprecrs@aandoandb.com.

Register for CRS 2015 now by clicking http://countryradioseminar.com/crs-2016-registration.

Keith Urban to Receive CRS Artist Humanitarian Award

Country Radio Seminar will recognize Keith Urban for his charitable endeavors in Nashville in February. The country superstar is set to receive the Artist Humanitarian Award for 2016.

Keith Urban

CRS is one of the key music industry events in Music City each year, bringing together artists, radio programmers and media for several days of interviews, preview performances and conferences that help set the agenda for much of the coming year in country music. The presentation of Urban’s award will serve as the official kickoff of CRS 2016, which is slated to take place at the Omni hotel in downtown Nashville from Feb. 8-10. Last year’s recipients, Lady Antebellum, will be on hand to present the award.

Urban has been very active over the years in various fundraising concerts, including the annual All for the Hall benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which has raised more than $3 million to date. Additionally, the “Break on Me” singer been a strong supporter of the Grammy in the Schools program, Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund.

The singer-songwriter also gives his support to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he is an advisory board member. Urban has visited the hospital and produces a calendar each year with all net proceeds going to St. Jude, raising more than $850,000 since 2003. He has supported our nation’s troops by donating his share of artist and publishing royalties from his song “For You,” which reached a total of $300,000, to the Navy SEALS Foundation.

He was also the first Ambassador for the CMA Foundation’s Education Program and has donated from his signature line, Urban guitars, to Music Education Matters partner programs across the country, as well as the Grammy Foundation and its MusiCares program. Proceeds from the guitars have also gone to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to keep musical instruments in schools.

Additionally, Urban played a key role in fundraising in the wake of the Nashville floods in 2010.
“Keith Urban is a true humanitarian who gives out of love, passion, spirit, and generosity,” CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne says in a press release. “It’s been an honor to witness quietly from the sidelines the amount of time, talent and passion that Keith has selflessly given over his life and career. The impact and reach of his generosity has effected so many and is so broad in scope and depth — his is a bar of humanitarian effort that we all can be inspired by!”

January 30 Radio History

In 1918...actor David Opatoshu was born in New York City.  He delivered the evening news in Yiddish on New York radio during the World War II years on WEVD.   In a span of 40 years guesting on TV he appeared repeatedly in Philco Playhouse, Studio One, Dr. Kildare, The FBI & Medical Center.  He died April 30 1996 at age 78


In 1927...WADO 1280 AM in NYC signed on as WGL.

This station was owned by the International Broadcasting Corporation. WGL president Colonel Lewis Landes stated on the inaugural broadcast, "The International Broadcasting Corporation's aim is to adhere to truth, to be free of partisanship, religious or political."

WGL was the first station to protest the frequency allocations of the Federal Radio Commission in May 1927. WGL was authorized to move to 1170 AM, but wanted to go to 720, occupied by WOR. When WOR was awarded the 710 frequency, both stations went to court, with WOR eventually winning the case. Finally in June 1927, WGL moved to 1020 AM and shared time with Paterson station, WODA.

In August 1927, studio manager Charles Isaacson announced one of the city's first attempts at local news coverage. WGL was organizing listeners to volunteer as radio reporters and call the station with breaking news stories.

On September 16, 1928, WGL changed calls to WOV and was sold to Sicilian-born importer John Iraci. The WGL call sign was then picked up by a Fort Wayne station, which uses them to this very day.

WOV's initial programming was aimed at a general audience, but by the mid-1930s, it strengthened its ethnic ties and expanded its Italian-language programming to fill the daytime hours. WOV soon became the dominant Italian voice in the Northeast through its affiliation with share-time station WBIL and Iraci's WPEN in Philadelphia.

The station was owned by WOV Broadcasting until 1959, when it was sold to Bartel Broadcasters, at which time the station was renamed WADO. During the day, WADO broadcast R&B music. At night, they ran Italian programming. By 1962, some Spanish programming was run on weekends. By 1963, the only English programming found on WADO was in Sunday religious broadcasts.

In 1964, WADO began broadcasting completely in Spanish from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Italian from 8 p.m. to Midnight. Overnight, Asian programming was run. By 1970, Spanish had replaced the Asian format.


In 1933..."The Lone Ranger" debuted on WXYZ radio in Detroit.  The program ran for 2,956 episodes and finished in 1955.



The famous radio western was not sponsored for most of the first year, until Silvercup Bread came aboard in November. It was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network, and on May 2, 1942 by NBC's Blue Network, which in time became ABC. The last new episode was broadcast September 3, 1954. Recorded repeats of the 1952–53 episodes continued to be aired on ABC until June 24, 1955. It ran for 2,956 episodes before ending production in 1955. George Seaton (Stenius) was the first voice of the Lone Ranger. Jack Deeds and Earle Graser followed in the role.

However, it was Brace Beemer who is best remembered as former Texas Ranger, John Reid. On radio he played the part of the black-masked Ranger, fighting for frontier justice, for thirteen consecutive years.

In 1969...On the roof of their own Apple Studios in London, the Beatles gave their last public live performance. They performed "Get Back" (take 1), "Get Back" (take 2), "Don't Let Me Down" (take 1), "I've Got A Feeling" (take 1), "One After 909," "Dig A Pony," "I've Got A Feeling" (take 2), "Don't Let Me Down" (take 2), "Get Back" (take 3).



The concert came to an abrupt end after 42 minutes when police shut it down in response to the complaints of a nearby shop owner.


In 1978...The Mutual Broadcasting System began airing Larry King's overnight radio talk show.




In 1999...Announcer (Universal newsreels, Your Show of Shows, The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour, Kraft Television Theater, As the World Turns, All My Children, the commercial voice of Kraft Foods for more than 40 years) Ed Herlihy died at age 89.

Ed Herlihy 1959

Educated at Boston College, graduating in 1932, he gained his first radio job in his home town, at Boston's WLOE. When he was hired by NBC in 1935, he moved to New York, along with his friend, fellow Boston announcer Frank Gallop, who was hired by CBS.

Herlihy was immediately successful in network radio. He was the announcer for many radio shows from the 1930s, to the 1950s, among them: America's Town Meeting, The Big Show, The Falcon, Mr. District Attorney, and Just Plain Bill. He became the host of the The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour on radio in 1948, remaining its announcer when the show went to television. He continued his success in the new medium: his early television credits included Sid Caesar's hit Your Show of Shows and soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children.

He was also the host of Recollections At 30, which was a special NBC Radio series created for the network's 30th birthday.

FCC Looks To Strengthen EAS

The FCC has adopted proposed rules to strengthen the Emergency Alert System (EAS), a national public warning system through which broadcasters, cable TV providers and other participants’ delivery of emergency information, such as weather alerts, to the public.

The proposals are intended to improve EAS by facilitating involvement on the state and local levels, supporting greater testing and awareness of the system, leveraging technological advances, and enhancing EAS security.

The notice of proposed rulemaking includes proposals to encourage more strategic investment in EAS at the state and local level by streamlining, automating and improving the utility of state EAS plans filed with the regulator. It also authorises state and local alert originators and EAS participants to conduct periodic ‘live’ EAS tests. Federal, state and local government will be able to issue public service announcements using the EAS attention signal.

The FCC is also seeking comments on other issues, such as measures to enhance EAS security, whether technological advancements have improved cable operators’ ability to offer more informative and specific alert content, and assessing and meeting public expectations for receiving alerts as content is viewed across different technology platforms.

Barkley: ESPN Turning Super Bowl Into 'Race Battle'

Former NBA star and now TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley appeared on the Wednesday broadcast of the Dan Patrick Show.

Barkley told host Dan Patrick that he feels ESPN is “framing the narrative” of Super Bowl 50 into “black versus white, good versus evil” since the matchup’s starting quarterbacks are Peyton Manning and Cam Newton.

“ESPN has already started their crap about black versus white, good versus evil and I know a lot of those fools over there got radio talk shows,” he said. “It really annoys the hell out of me. We really just can’t appreciate the greatness of Peyton [Manning]. And clearly, Cam is on the track to become one of the greatest players ever. You can already see them framing the narrative ‘black versus white, good versus evil.'”

Breitbart.com reports the NBA Hall of Fame player also added he would not be a fan of how his fellow former Auburn star celebrates and enjoys himself on the field.

ESPN comments start at the 3:30 mark...

Trump Overshadows Republican Debate

By John Whitesides, Ginger Gibson and Steve Holland

UPDATE 1/2916 2PM The Republican presidential debate held without front-runner Donald Trump attracted 12.5 million viewers to Fox News Channel on Thursday, according to preliminary Nielsen data.

Earlier Posting...

Trump boycotted the event after Fox News, owned by 21st Century Fox, refused to yield to his demand that network anchor Megyn Kelly be replaced as a moderator.

Trump boycotted the event after Fox News, owned by 21st Century Fox, refused to yield to his demand that network anchor Megyn Kelly be replaced as a moderator.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Even in boycotting a debate with his Republican rivals, front-runner Donald Trump managed to upstage the event on Thursday with a typical dramatic flourish.

Instead of attending a seventh debate, the former reality TV star held a competing event across town that he said raised $6 million for U.S. military veterans. In doing so, he cast a shadow over his rivals, who frequently tossed barbs his way.

Trump's gamble that he could leave the battlefield to his rivals for one night appeared to pay off, with just days to go before Iowa holds the first nominating contest of the 2016 election season. No one appeared to emerge as a central challenger to him during the two-hour face-off in Des Moines.

Trump's refusal to participate in the debate out of anger that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly was a moderator prompted a flurry of last-minute phone calls with Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes that failed to resolve their dispute.

A Fox News statement said Trump requested that Fox contribute $5 million to his charities in exchange for his attendance, which the network turned down.

The debate was the type of event Republicans would routinely have without the flamboyant Trump on stage, and it lacked the electricity that he brings to the party's search for a nominee for the Nov. 8 election.

Without Trump on stage, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie found themselves with more room to make their case to voters seeking a more mainstream candidate.

Both men have an eye on the Feb. 9 first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, which comes on the heels of the Iowa  caucuses on Monday and where an establishment Republican like them might have a better chance of standing out.

Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, the two top challengers to Trump in Iowa, engaged in squabbles over immigration and national security and did not appear to threaten Trump's lead. He holds the edge over Cruz in polls of Iowa Republicans.

Trump's rivals mocked his decision to sit out the debate and found ways to criticize him.

"I’m a maniac and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat and ugly, and Ben, you're a terrible surgeon," Cruz told his rivals, including Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, as the debate opened. His next sentence began: "Now that we’ve gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way."

Bush, who has been a frequent target of Trump's attacks, turned a question about religious tolerance into an attack on Trump's proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.

"Donald Trump, for example — I mentioned his name again if anybody was missing him — Mr. Trump believed in reaction to people’s fears that we should ban all Muslims. Well, that creates an environment that’s toxic in our own country," Bush said.

Cruz, after a series of questions, said: "If you ask me one more mean question, I may have to leave the stage."

In a swipe at both Trump and Cruz, Rubio chimed in: "Don't worry, I'm not going to leave the stage no matter what you ask me."

I will take care of the Veterans who have served this country so bravely. #ThankAVet Video: https://t.co/WH9GSeSH29 pic.twitter.com/WMR7jnmsyz

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2016

SOCIAL MEDIA FAVORITE

With his veterans' event drawing live TV news coverage on Fox News competitors CNN and MSNBC, Trump absorbed plenty of media attention.

He clung to his insistence that Fox News had treated him badly. He has complained that Kelly insulted him at a debate in August and that a statement from the network earlier this week had belittled him.

Two other Republican candidates, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, joined Trump on stage after participating in a debate of low-polling candidates.

Not so former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.

"I’m not about to go across town tonight to carry the coat for some billionaire," he said at the "undercard" debate.

An unbelievable night in Iowa with our great Veterans! We raised $6,000,000.00 while the politicians talked! #GOPDebate

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2016

There was some mystery as to which veterans' groups would receive the money raised at the event, which included $1 million from Trump himself. His campaign did not say which group was getting the funds.

Trump, with just one day's notice on a weeknight, was able to fill to capacity a hall at Drake University that holds 700.

"I didn’t want to be here, to be honest, I wanted to be about five minutes away" at the debate, Trump told the crowd. "When you’re treated badly, you have to stick up for your rights - whether we like it or not."

Trump dominated social media during the debate, leading the entire Republican pack in Twitter mentions throughout the first half of the debate, according to data from social media analytics firm Zoomph.

Trump was by far the most-searched-for candidate on Google during the first half of the debate, at one point outpacing the second-most-searched-for candidate, Rubio, by nearly four-to-one, according to Google Trends data.

Trump's support in opinion polls, much of it from blue-collar men, has not wavered for months despite him insulting Mexican immigrants and Muslims and clashing with Republican establishment figures like Senator John McCain.

(Additional reporting by James Oliphant in Iowa, Doina Chiacu and Valerie Volcovici in Washington, Richard Valdmanis in Boston and Emily Flitter in New York; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)

FCC Votes To Post Public File Online

The FCC Thursday voted to give the public easier access to data about advertising spending by presidential candidates and other political campaigns, requiring pay-TV providers and radio stations to post the information on an Internet database.

The 5-0 vote expands a requirement that was placed on TV broadcasters in 2012 to make their so-called public files available on a central agency database instead of forcing people to physically view paper files at stations.

Going Online

The expanded rules are expected to go into effect in time for the heavy political ad spending leading up to the November presidential and congressional elections.

"These days, it doesn’t make sense for hard copies of the documents to gather dust in forlorn file cabinets," said FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, a Republican.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, said the agency's rules were outdated and left  the public data "locked in the information practices of the past."

"This kind of requirement may have made sense in the 'Mad Men' era, but it makes no sense in the digital age," she said of the old rules on public access.

Broadcast TV carries the most political advertising, the FCC said. But ad spending on pay TV and other media is growing so there was a need to expand the online access requirement.

The LA Times reports the new rules apply to most cable and satellite TV providers, as well as broadcast and satellite radio.

The rules are expected to take effect in three to six months, after publication in the Federal Registers and a review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

CLICK HERE FOR Q&A ON THE PUBLIC FILE

Chicago Radio: Rob Cressman New PD At WDRV

Rob Cressman

Hubbard Radio/Chicago has announced the appointment of Rob Cressman as Program Director for Classic Rock WDRV 97.1 FM The Drive.

Cressman arrives from iHeartMedia/Indianapolis where he served as Senior VP/Programming for WFBQ-FM, WNDE-AM, WOLT-FM and WUBG for the past two years. Prior to Indianapolis, Cressman spent five years in New England where he oversaw Programming and Operations for Saga's WAQY and WLZX.

Cressman said, "I am thrilled to have been invited to join the incredible talents at Hubbard Radio-Chicago and The Drive. WDRV has always represented the platinum standard for Classic Rock Radio and I am anxious to uphold and amplify its legendary foundation. Many thanks to Greg Solk, John Gallagher and Fred Jacobs for finding my experience and qualifications worthy of such a distinguished honor."

Senior VP/Programming Greg Solk added, "Finding the perfect programming partner for The Drive was indeed a challenge. We needed someone who understood the rich history The Drive has had in Chicago and who could balance our past achievements with the need for innovation that is vital to our future success. I've been a fan of Rob's work for many years, and look forward to watching him lead The Drive's incredibly talented staff to new heights."

WDRV 97.1 FM (8.3 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

Cressman's career also includes a decade as Director of Programming for CBS Radio's (at the time Entercom's) WMFS-FM/Memphis and eight years at the helm of WAVF-FM/Charleston. He got his start in radio at WFVA/WBQB in his hometown of Fredericksburg, VA.

Report: Lance Tidwell Exits iHM/San Antonio

Lance Tidwell

Lance Tidwell the SVP/Programming for iHeartMedia in San Antonio has exited the company.

He posted on Facebook a message which indicated the departure was a budget move.  Tidwell also handled day-to-day programming on Country KAJA 97.3 FM.

Tidwell joined the San Antonio cluster just last August after programming positions with iHeart in Connecticut and Missouri, and earlier in his career for Entercom Seattle and for Citadel Broadcasting in Idaho and Tennessee. Tidwell previously worked with iHeartMedia Tucson as Senior Vice President of Programming.

Phoenix Radio: Morning Host Smasher OUT At KOOL-FM

Smasher

Classic Hits KOOL 94.5 FM confirms radio personality Smasher is officially off the morning show as of Jan. 15.

“We just decided to move in a different direction with the sound of the morning,” said Tim Richards, program director for CBS Radio Phoenix, which also owns Country KMLE 107.9 FM and KZON Live 101.5FM.

Midday host Charlie Huero has been filling in opposite Maria Knight, and Richards said the company is recruiting a permanent partner to join her in the next couple of weeks.

Smasher — not to be confused with Texas radio personality Atom Smasher — teamed up with Knight in February 2014.

Report: Jeff Bezos Lost $6B+ Thursday

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has lost more than $6 billion in after-hours trading on Thursday, as Amazon’s stock dropped in response to the company’s fourth quarter earnings report. He’s also lost his ranking as the fourth richest person in the world.

As of 5:00 p.m. ET, Bezos was worth $49.8 billion, barely holding on to his place as the world’s fourth richest person. By 5:30 p.m. ET, Bezos had lost another $800 million dollars, which puts him in fifth place behind Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who is now the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of $49.6 billion.

Forbes reports investors expected a positive report from Amazon, but the company missed analyst expectations in its fourth quarter earnings report. Amazon reported a profit of $1.00 per share, while analysts expected an average profit of $1.56. In response to the news, the stock fell to a low of $545.97 after hours from its closing share price of  $635.55 per share. As of 5:00 p.m. ET, Amazon was trading at $562.80.

While Bezos’ fortune fell more than $6 billion in the first hour of after-hours trading, the billionaire’s net worth has still increased dramatically in the past year.  Bezos’ net worth is up more than 40% since Forbes published its annual Billionaires List in 2015. At that time, he was the 15th richest person in the world with a net worth of $34.8 billion.

Indy Radio: Bob & Tom Mobile App Scores 100K+ Downloads

Just one week after making the official announcement, the new The Bob & Tom Show mobile app, designed to complement WFBQ 94.7 FM Q95/Westwood One’s popular radio comedy The Bob & Tom Show, has already eclipsed 100,000 downloads.

The Bob & Tom Show app was developed in partnership with Clip Interactive.

The Bob & Tom Show app enhances the listener and fan experience in exciting new ways. It allows them to hear The Bob & Tom Show live on their local affiliate station and it remembers their favorite station preferences. Fans can interact with studio hosts and guests, instantly access all of the show’s social platforms, listen on demand to a variety of show podcasts, receive special promotions and offers, and stream the best of The Bob & Tom Show 24/7.

Tom Griswold of The Bob & Tom Show said “The response to the app has been amazing. Our listeners are able to connect with the show in a whole new way. We are excited about the overall experience the app offers.”

"We are very encouraged to see the strong adoption by The Bob & Tom Show's loyal listeners,” said Bill Freund, Chief Revenue Officer at Clip Interactive. “Now all listeners can deeply engage with the show while it is live or on demand, providing a truly unique listener experience."

The Bob & Tom Show app is available through the iTunes App store and Google Play.

Ellen Rubin Appointed SVP/General Counsel For Greater Media

Ellen Rubin

Greater Media announces Ellen Rubin has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

“Ellen is a brilliant attorney who has been a key player in shaping Greater Media’s future,” said Greater Media Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter H. Smyth. “We are fortunate to have someone like Ellen in our company.”

“I am grateful to Peter Smyth and the Bordes family for this opportunity,” said Rubin.  “Working for Greater Media is a real privilege and I am honored to work with such talented and dedicated colleagues in each of our markets.”

Rubin joined Greater Media as General Counsel in June 2003. She was promoted to Vice President and General Counsel in February of 2007. Prior to that, she was a corporate attorney with Hill & Barlow, a Boston law firm.

Rubin is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the Society for Human Resources Management. She received her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

10 Publishers Account For Half Of All Online News

A relatively small group of publishers dominate Americans’ online news consumption, according to a new study by research outfit SimilarWeb, which compiled figures for the top news publishers covering both mobile and desktop audiences in 2015.

Overall, the top 10 publishers -- together owning around 60 news sites -- account for 47% of total online traffic to news content last year, with the next-biggest 140 publishers accounting for most of the other half, SimilarWeb found.

According to  MediaPost, the biggest online news publisher for the U.S. audience was MSN, owner of MSN.com, with just over 27 billion combined page views across mobile and desktop, followed by Disney Media Networks, owner of ESPN and ABC News, with 25.9 billion.

Time Warner, owner of CNN and Bleacher Report, had 14.8 billion, followed by Yahoo with 10.3 billion, and Time, Inc. with 10.2 billion.

A bit further down the totem poll were CBS Corp., owner of Cnet.com, with 9.9 billion combined page views; NBC Universal, with 9.5 billion; Matt Drudge, with 8.5 billion; Advance Publications, with 8 billion; and Fox Entertainment Group, owner of Fox News, with 7.9 billion.

Chicago Radio: NHL Blackhawks, WGN Extend Broadcast Deal

The Chicago Blackhawks and WGN 720 AM announced Thursday that they have agreed on a five-year broadcast rightsholder extension.

The agreement will keep Blackhawks hockey on the 50,000-watt radio powerhouse through the 2023-24 National Hockey League season. WGN Radio has been the flagship station for the Blackhawks since the start of the 2008-09 campaign, a partnership that united two historic Chicago institutions.

“The Chicago Blackhawks take great pride in the strong relationship we have developed with WGN Radio over the last eight years,” said Blackhawks President & CEO John McDonough. Today’s announcement is yet another example of the special partnership that our players, coaches, executives and front office have with the entire staff at WGN Radio. We’ve had the great fortune of sharing many historic moments together and look forward to continuing to call WGN Radio the home of Chicago Blackhawks hockey.”

“Many, myself included, believe that WGN Radio and the Chicago Blackhawks have the best partnership in sports. This renewal is testament to that,” said President & General Manager Jimmy de Castro. “It’s an honor to formally extend this relationship and we look forward to celebrating many more Blackhawks wins with our WGN Radio listeners.”

“We’re excited WGN Radio will bring Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play to Chicagoland and fans everywhere for years to come,” said Tribune Media President of Broadcast Media Larry Wert. “Blackhawks hockey fandom continues to grow exponentially and we’re thrilled that WGN Radio and TV can contribute to and be a part of it.”

Hear the @NHLBlackhawks extension announcement interview with John McDonough: https://t.co/cUryMGjnck via @wgnradio

— WGN Radio 720 (@WGNRadio) January 28, 2016

WGN Radio broadcasts can be heard in 38 states and Canada, as well as streamed worldwide on wgnradio.com, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and on the WGN Radio mobile apps. John Wiedeman serves as the Play-By-Play Announcer for Blackhawks hockey on WGN Radio, while Troy Murray is the Color Analyst and Judd Sirott the Studio Host. Head Coach Joel Quenneville, Senior Vice President/General Manager Stan Bowman and several players and front office executives make frequent appearances on the station’s different shows.

R.I.P.: "Mr. Radio" In Central VA Bob Abbott

Bob Abbott

Bob Abbott died Tuesday.   He was known as "Mr. Radio" in Central Virginia, having worked at various stations for more than 40 years.

He was 65-years-old, according to WDBJ-TV7.

Abbott started his career at WPVR (now WSLC) in Roanoke before getting behind the microphone at WLLL and WGOL in Lynchburg.

In later years he managed a group of stations owned by Centennial Broadcasting.

"For those people who grew up in this area, Bob was the voice of Lynchburg radio," said Mari White, a morning host at WIQO-FM who worked for Abbott during her tenure at WLNI-FM.

"The music (Lynchburg natives) grew up listening to was introduced to them by Bob Abbott and their favorite songs are associated with Bob Abbott's voice," said White.  "I think that's a great legacy."

Veteran broadcaster Sandi Conner recalled working for Abbott for several long tenures during her 36-year radio career.

"He taught me patience, tolerance, love, and understanding," Conner said of Abbott.  "Those are four things you need in life to be successful and he had all four."

R.I.P.: Longtime Rochester NY Broadcaster Nick Nickson

Nick Nickson

Nick Nickson, a familiar and popular voice on WBBF radio in Rochester for two decades, has died.

The Rochester Music Hall of Fame member celebrated his 93rd birthday in December, according to Democrat and Chronicle.

Shows with the "Ole' Professor" on WBBF-AM during the 1950s and 60s had, at times, the attention of at least 60 percent of the listening market, a mega-share in the radio industry.

"The way he approached his job, he not only wanted to talk to people on the air, he wanted to meet them off the air,'' Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster and son Nick Nickson Jr. said. "I think that mindset made him popular.

"People could see the face behind the voice.''

Mr. Nickson's 20 years on air was just the beginning in a career that spanned six decades. The Brighton resident was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame during 2013, with a class that included performers Lou Gramm, Bat McGrath and Don Potter.

Nickson, born Nick Nickitiades in New York City, entered radio in 1944 during World War II. He was with the Army Medical Corps in New Guinea. After the war, Mr. Nickson went to work for a station on Long Island, before he arrived in Rochester in 1947.

Nickson went off the off-air in 1967 and became WBBF's sales manager. He later became general sales manager of WBBF and its FM sister station WBFB, where he also was the station manager.

In 1985, he became sales manager at WHAM 1180 AM. He retired in 2007.

R.I.P.: Rose Shure, Chairman of Shure Inc

Rose Shure

Shure Incorporated announced Thursday with great sadness the passing of their beloved Chairman, Rose L. Shure.  Mrs. Shure passed away peacefully at her home this week.

Shure was founded by Sidney N. Shure in 1925 as "The Shure Radio Company", selling radio parts kits several years after completely manufactured radios became commercially available.

In 1931, Shure and engineer Ralph Glover began development of the first Shure microphone, and the following year, the Model 33N Two-Button Carbon Microphone was introduced, making Shure one of only four microphone manufacturers in the U.S. Shure's first condenser microphone, crystal microphone, and microphone suspension support system (for which they received their first patent) were all introduced that same decade. In 1939, Shure introduced the Model 55 Unidyne Microphone, which went on to become one of the world's most recognized microphones.

Rose Shure became chairman of the company upon her husband's death in 1993.

For more than 60 years, Mrs. Shure has served as an inspiration to all Shure Associates, past and present.

She was a role model for Shure's Core Values and basic principles, created by her husband that have guided the Company.

Sandy LaMantia, Shure's Chief Executive Officer stated, "We have had the privilege of working with a truly extraordinary woman.  Our Company and many charitable and cultural organizations have benefited from her thoughtfulness and generosity.

"I am confident that the legacy left to us by Mr. and Mrs. Shure will continue to endure in our hearts and in our minds.  That is exactly the way Mr. and Mrs. Shure would want it to be."