September 4 Radio History

In 1918...Iconic ABC radio commentator Paul Harvey was born in Tulsa Okla.

His daily quarter-hour midday ‘news & comment’ began on ABC April 1 1951, and continued to his death Feb. 28 2009 at age 90.

He was known for his dramatic pauses, quirky intonations and his folksiness. “Hello Americans. Stand by for news!.”  Another popular Paul Harvey radio feature was ‘The Rest of the Story.’

In 1957...“The Buddy Deane Bandstand” debuted on WJZ-TV in Baltimore. The two-hour rock ‘n’ roll show gave viewers the chance to call in and talk to celebrity performers, which tied up telephone lines so badly the phone company was forced to ask Deane to desist from the practice.

In 1959...WCBS 880 AM bans “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin because of recent street violence





In 1961...the Carol Burnette-Richard Hayes Show premiered on CBS radio.


In 1962...The Beatles enter EMI's Abbey Road studios for their first formal recording session, rehearsing "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me." Producer George Martin likes the former, but also insists the band record a song by Mitch Murray, "How Do You Do It."

Unhappy with the song, which they feel inferior to their own, the Beatles tape it anyway; Martin later relents after the band revamps "Please Please Me," and "How Do You Do It" will become a #1 hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers.




In 1970...George Harrison released the "My Sweet Lord" single to radio.


In 1975…Voice artist (Sherman, Mr. Peabody's protégé, on the animated TV series The Bullwinkle Show, and Leroy on the radio program The Great Gildersleeve) Walter Tetley died at the age of 60.

In 1982...The Steve Miller Band moved to #1 with "Abracadabra", which meant for the first time in seven weeks, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor was not #1.  Chicago moved from 5-3 with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and at #4--Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me".  Air Supply reached #5 with "Even the Nights Are Better".  The rest of the Top 10:  Melissa Manchester moved from 11 to 6 with her biggest career hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", John Cougar Mellencamp dropped with "Hurts So Good", the Go-Go's remained on "Vacation", Crosby Stills & Nash were at 9 with "Wasted On the Way" and Sir Paul McCartney was in the #10 spot with "Take It Away".


In 1997...The Howard Stern radio show premiered in Louisville, Kentucky on WTFX-FM.

In 2009…Baseball player-turned-sportscaster Buddy Blattner died.

He teamed with Dizzy Dean on TV’s Game of the Week in the ’50′s, also working the games of the St. Louis Browns & Cardinals, the LA Angels & Kansas City Royals.

He succumbed to lung cancer at age 89.


In 2014…Longtime Chicago broadcaster (WGN-AM, WGN-TV) Roy Leonard died of complications from an esophageal infection at the age of 83.


In 2014…TV news correspondent (CNN, CBS, ABC) Bruce Morton died of cancer at 83.

Joe Pags Missing Daughter Found OK, Man Jailed

Gabby Pagliarulo

9/4/16 7AM UPDATE  The missing 16-year-old daughter of talk show host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo was found safe with an older co-worker in Mexico late Friday, several days after she was reported missing, law enforcement officials said.

According to mysanantonio.com, the 29-year-old Comal County man, Christopher Lee Fretwell, she was with has been booked into jail in San Diego, California, on an arrest warrant for unlawful restraint.

Gabriella “Gabby” Pagliarulo had last been seen Wednesday about 30 miles north of San Antonio in the Comal County town of Spring Branch, where she lives with her parents.  The teen and the man who was arrested worked together at a fast-food restaurant, according to police.

Christopher Lee Fretwell

The law prohibits taking a minor younger than 17 out of state without the consent of that child’s parents.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were alerted that the man’s vehicle had crossed from California into Mexico through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry around 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Friday, said Mark Endicott, supervisory border agent for the federal agency’s San Diego sector.

Mexican authorities later found the car and stopped it in their jurisdiction around 10 p.m. After border patrol officials provided the arrest warrant showing the man was wanted in Comal County, he and Gabriella Pagliarulo were returned to the United States around 2:20 a.m. Saturday.

Border patrol agents took the man to the San Diego Central Jail, where his bail has been set at $225,000, records show. His vehicle was seized.

An airline ticket was purchased for the 16-year-old girl to travel back to Texas, Endicott said.


9/3/16 2:15 pm UPDATE Sheriff's officials say a man is in custody following a search for a Texas-based, nationally-syndicated radio host's missing daughter.

Gabriella Pagliarulo is the 16-year-old daughter of radio personality Joe "Pags" Pagliarulo, and had been missing since Wednesday. Officials said in a poster distributed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that they believed she was with an adult male on their way to California.

A post on the Comal County Sheriff's Office Facebook page Saturday morning said that Gabriella has been found and is safe.

Pags didn't elaborate much on where exactly the two were found or the condition of his daughter, but he did say that she seemed healthy.

TWC News reports the man found with her is in custody, but the sheriff's office did not have further details.

Joe Pags made an update to his Facebook page Saturday morning to pass along the good news. He was visibly choked up in the opening moments of his video.

"It's the joy of a father that I can't truly express through a camera," he said. "I can't begin to express the thanks I have to each and every one of you."



9/3/16 Noon Update: Gabby has been found safe. Joe shares his gratitude and thanks below as he made the announcement this morning. More to come.

Earlier Posting...


WOAI 1200 AM San Antonio and KPRC 950 AM Houston  talk show host Joe 'Pags' Pagliarulo issued a plea Friday on Facebook asking the public's help in locating his missing 16-year-old daughter.

Gabriella "Gabby" Pagliarulo was last seen with Christopher Lee Fretwell, 29, on Wednesday in Spring Branch, (about 30 miles north of San Antonio) according to a missing persons flyer from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“I'm devastated, I'm crushed,” Joe Paguliano said in a phone interview with mySA.com Friday. “I need to get my daughter back.”

Gabriella Pagliarulo is described as 5 feet 5 inches, weighs 155 pounds has brown hair and brown eyes, the flyer said. Authorities said her ears are pierced and that when she was last seen, her hair was dyed blonde.

Fretwell and Gabriella Pagliarulo may be traveling to California in a white 2011 Toyota Camry with the Texas license plate GZZ1279. The Camry was last seen traveling on Interstate 40 in Arizona, the flyer said.


Pagliarulo’s “show is about everyday life, politics, entertainment, pop culture -- seen through the eyes of logic, common sense and reason,” according to his Facebook page, which has been liked by more than 325,000. He is broadcast on 1200 WOAI in San Antonio and KPRC in Houston, among other stations, the page said.

Anyone who has seen her, Fretwell, or the white Camry is asked to call the center at 1-800-843-5678 or the Comal County Sheriff's Office at 1-830-620-3400

China Blames U-S Press For Airport Confrontation

UPDATE 9/5/16 7AM: China on Monday leveled responsibility at the United States and journalists for a fracas at a Chinese airport, in which officials of both countries exchanged heated remarks as President Barack Obama disembarked from his aircraft.

Reuters reports the comments by a foreign ministry spokeswoman were in response to questions whether China, which is hosting a G20 summit meeting in its eastern city of Hangzhou, intentionally failed to provide Obama's plane with a staircase, an event that has fueled speculation it was a diplomatic snub.

"I think if only the American group had respected the working arrangements first made with China then this wouldn't have occurred," Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

"You saw that all the other country leaders all used the stairs that China provided. So why was it only the United States that didn't? These were the stairs the United States requested."

Hua questioned why China would intentionally create trouble for the United States, adding that the incident was not a high-level issue, echoing comments made by Obama on Sunday.

A Chinese security official had also blocked National Security Adviser Susan Rice on the tarmac and yelled at another U.S. official trying to help journalists get closer to Obama.

Hua criticized the media for not respecting China's rules on where to stand to capture images of the Obama leaving the plane, adding that other countries' reporters were fine.


Original Posting...

HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - A Chinese official confronted U.S. President Barack Obama's national security adviser on the tarmac on Saturday prompting the Secret Service to intervene, an unusual altercation as China implements strict controls ahead of a big summit.

The stakes are high for China to pull off a trouble-free G20 summit of the world's top economies, its highest profile event of the year, as it looks to cement its global standing and avoid acrimony over a long list of tensions with Washington.

Shortly after Obama's plane landed in the eastern city of Hangzhou, a Chinese official attempted to prevent his national security adviser Susan Rice from walking to the motorcade as she crossed a media rope line, speaking angrily to her before a Secret Service agent stepped between the two.

Rice responded but her comments were inaudible to reporters standing underneath the wing of Air Force One. It was unclear if the official, whose name was not immediately clear, knew that Rice was a senior official and not a reporter.

The same official shouted at a White House press aide who was instructing foreign reporters on where to stand as they recorded Obama disembarking from the plane.

"This is our country. This is our airport," the official said in English, pointing and speaking angrily with the aide.

The U.S. aide insisted that the journalists be allowed to stand behind a rope line, and they were able to record the interaction and Obama's arrival uninterrupted, typical practice for U.S. press traveling with the president.

A White House spokesman and China's Foreign Ministry both did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The altercation occurred out of sight of Obama, who greeted ambassadors and other officials before the presidential motorcade pulled away with Rice.

The incident is an illustration of the image-conscious ruling Communist Party's efforts to control the media as its seeks to orchestrate what it hopes will be a flawless event.

China has taken extensive security measures in preparation for the G20 summit opening on Sunday.

On Saturday, many roads and shops in Hangzhou were deserted and shuttered in the usually bustling city with a population of 9 million.

The Chinese government has broad control over domestic media and prevents many foreign media outlets from publishing in the country, including by blocking their websites.

Obama has raised issues of freedom of the press on previous visits to China, which insists that media must follow the party line and promote "positive propaganda".

Foreign reporters are often physically prevented from covering sensitive stories, but altercations involving foreign government officials are rare.

Rice met Chinese dissidents before her last trip to China in late July, when she held talks with President Xi Jinping and other senior officials.

Report: CBS Radio Still Open To Sell-Off

Now that CBS Corp. has released preliminary financial information related to its intention to spin off or sell its radio business, Variety took a look at the unit’s performance vs. that of its major radio peers: iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Townsquare Media, and Alpha Media.

CBS is fifth on the list in terms of number of radio stations owned, with 117 as of the end of 2015. At the top is iHM, with 861; followed by Cumulus, 454; Townsquare, 309; and Alpha, 136 (the latter has grown to 250 following an acquisition that closed earlier this year).

But when you look at 2015 revenue, the field is different. While iHM is the giant in this category, too, with well over twice the revenue of any of its peers, CBS ranks second, just ahead of Cumulus and with twice as much as Townsquare.

CBS Radio also scores fairly well with operating margins, although they’ve been declining for the past two years. Radiocontinues to suffer in the face of competition from TV and online options. Ramping down costs in proportion to revenue is challenging; hence the squeeze on margins.

Though iHM might seem like the sector’s most attractive business, it is saddled with enormous debt.

CBS Radio, on the other hand, has zero debt pre-spinoff (none of the CBS corporate debt is allocated to the radio unit). However, it will take on an as-yet-unspecified amount of debt before a spinoff, which will change the equation.

Judging by commentary on its recent earnings call, CBS is still open to a sale of the unit, and appears to prefer that outcome to a spinoff. It’s a rare opportunity for a buyer to get one of the biggest U.S. radio businesses in one fell swoop.

But the lack of activity since the filing in early July suggests that buyers aren’t coming forward — at least not at the right price — and the obvious bidders have their own heavy debt loads to consider. A spinoff is starting to look like the most likely outcome after all.

Memphis Radio: Sports Host Chris Vernon OUT At WMFS

Chris Vernon

An ongoing contract dispute between Chris Vernon and WMFS 680 AM / 92.9 FM taken the popular sports talk radio show host off the airwaves for a third consecutive day.

According to The Commercial Appeal, Vernon's contract expired earlier this week, and he posted on Twitter this morning that "it appears that I no longer work" at 92.9 FM, the area's ESPN Radio affiliate.

Vernon, who hosted the station's midday show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., has been removed from 92.9 FM's online program schedule, as well as the station's official Twitter and Facebook pages. Local radio veteran Forrest Goodman hosted a show during his time slot today with Vernon's longtime producer Jon Roser.

Vernon joined 92.9 FM in 2012 after previously hosting an afternoon show on KQPN 730 AM. He has been on the air for more than a decade and has also served as an on-air analyst for Fox Sports Tennessee's coverage of the Grizzlies.

Omaha Radio: KXSP, World-Herald Team For New Show

The E.W. Scripps Company and Omaha World-Herald are launching a new partnership.

Starting Wednesday September 7th, Mike'l Severe and The Bottom Line will be heard on KXSP 590 AM ESPN weekdays from Noon until 2 p.m..  The entire show will move to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays online at Omaha.com.

"Mike'l has built a strong following in this community over the years," said Terry Kroeger, publisher of The World-Herald and CEO of its parent company, BH Media Group. "TBL is an important part of our strategy to reach more people with compelling content, and we're pleased AM 590 ESPN will be part of that."

KXSP 590 AM (5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

As part of the partnership with Omaha's Scripps stations, KMTV's weather team will be an additional source for World-Herald news reports. Also, KMTV will produce daily video forecasts for Omaha.com.

"This new collaboration will provide even more access to local sports and weather for listeners, readers and viewers in our area," said Mark Halverson, vice president and general manager for Scripps Radio Omaha and KMTV. "We see the business benefits of the relationship, and most importantly our audiences get more of the sports they love and the weather coverage they need"

Nashville TN: It Takes Two For The Big Legends

iHeartMedia/Nashville announced Friday the debut of The BIG Legend at W252CM 98.3 FM in Nashville and on W248BM 97.5 FM in nearby Murfreesboro TN. The new station features All Time Country Favorites and launched commercial free Friday at 5 p.m. (Local).

The BIG Legend at 98.3 kicked off Labor Day weekend for Nashville listeners with popular songs from recording artists such as Alabama, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt and more.

The BIG Legend at 98.3 is iHeartMedia Nashville’s second BIG Country brand and joins sister station The BIG 98, Nashville’s No. 1 station for New Country. Both radio station brands are part of iHeartCountry, the largest Country broadcast radio group in America with more than 145 Country stations nationwide.

W252CM 98.3 FM (250 watts)

W248BM 97.5 FM (250 watts)

“We’re excited to announce the launch of a pure Classic Country radio station brand for the city where this music was born and lives on so strongly today,” stated Rod Phillips, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Nashville and iHeartCountry’s Brand Manager.  “This new station is the perfect match to our sister station, The Big 98, WSIX that made these songs so famous through the years.”

Annapolis Radio: WRNR Wary Of Translator Interference

The FCC has issued a license to a low-power FM station in Baltimore on the same frequency as
WRNR 103.1 FM.

W276DE 103.1 FM (100 watts)

Though low power — 100 watts compared to WRNR's 6,000 watts — station officials says the new signal could interfere with the Annapolis station's signal in northern Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Harford counties.

According to The Capital Gazette, the FCC did not notify the station, which plans to request reconsideration with the FCC. By the time the station was aware of the situation, the license had been issued.

Late last week, station staff put together public service announcements. They also put up a message online inviting listeners and advertisers to fill out a form that would become part of the station's FCC appeal.

"The reaction was overwhelming," according to the station. The reaction was so swift the station took down the announcements and the petition link online early this week.

The FCC issued the new 103.1 license under its AM Revitalization Act, which attempts to aid AM stations. The program allows AM stations to use weak translator FM signals to simulcast AM stations.

The license issued last week would rebroadcast the signal of WRBS 1230 AM, a religious talk radio station in Baltimore.

WRNR 103.1 FM (6 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

"We are fighting two big markets (Washington and Baltimore) and after all that entails, to have this thrown at you? We have no way to overcome it, no way to improve our signal. This could cripple our competitive reach," Kingston said.

Fort Myers FL Radio: Trey Radel To Host Morning On WFSX

Trey Radel

Trey Radel, who resigned his congressional seat in the wake of a cocaine scandal, will return to the radio job he had before politics, hosting the Daybreak for N/T WFSX Fox 92.5 FM. (Click Here for resignation posting).

Radel hosted the show before he resigned in 2011 to run for Congress.

Jim Schwartzel, the station’s manager, said after receiving hundreds of applications, Radel was the clear choice for the position.

“Trey’s local knowledge stood out. He’s been in Southwest Florida for a long time and really understands all of the issues that affect Southwest Florida. And he articulates them well,” Schwartzel said.

Radel was also previously an anchor at WINK-TV from 2007 to 2009. After his resignation from Congress, he started a consulting company, Trey Radel Media Group. Radel laid low while he was recovering and planning his next moves.

WFSX 92.5 FM (20.5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

He made it clear that he was still a “proud member” of the Republican Party but that since leaving Washington and knowing he would never run for elected office again, he felt he could speak more freely.

Honolulu Radio: iHM Launches Top40 KHJZ The Beat

iHeartMedia/Honolulu kicked off the Labor Day holiday weekend Friday with the launch of Rhythmic Top 40 station KHJZ 93.9 FM The Beat, Hawaii’s No. 1 Hit Music Station.  The new station launched with 4,000 commercial-free songs in a row and a recording of President Obama saying, “Are we ready to go? We got the cue. Alright, drop the Beat.” The station launched today at 9:39 a.m. following a week of special announcements teasing the new radio brand.

The all-new 93.9 The Beat will play popular songs from artists such as Rihanna, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Ariana Grande, DJ Khaled and more.

“Our goal with the launch of 93.9 The Beat is to bring the people of Hawaii a new and exciting hit music station with entertaining personalities, great music and a reflection of everyday life in Honolulu,” said Jamie Hyatt, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Honolulu. “We’ve been asking people all over Hawaii for their help in building a new radio station and this is it.”

KHJZ 93.9 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“We’re going to return the 93.9 FM frequency to its once dominant position as Hawaii’s number one hit radio station,” said Chuck Cotton, Market President for iHeartMedia Honolulu. “We’re looking forward to introducing this station to everyone, so watch for The Beat on the Street!”

iHeartMedia is a leading media outlet throughout the Honolulu region. Its radio brands 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, the all-in-one streaming music and live radio service.

R.I.P.: Former KLOL Houston Morning Host Jim Pruett

Jim Pruett, one-half of the legendary "Stevens & Pruett" duo on Houston's former then-Rock KLOL 101.1 FM, has died, according to social media posts early Saturday.

The Houston Chronicle reports Lanny Griffith, who delivered traffic reports on KLOL, posted on Facebook that Pruett, a DJ-turned-gun store owner, died on Friday afternoon at the age of 72.

Pruett was a star on KLOL, a hard-rock landmark in Houston before it changed formats in 2004. It debuted on Houston's FM dial in 1970.

Its lineup featured Pruett, Mark Stevens, Griffith, Brian Shannon, Martha "The News Muchacha" Martinez and sports director Barry "The Mouth" Warner

Stevens, Pruett's partner at KLOL for more than 25 years, died in 2011 from complications of Alzheimer's disease at 76.

September 3 Radio History

In 1913...actor Alan Ladd was born in Hot Springs Arkansas.  His career began in radio in 1935 and he went on to star in films, of which Shane was the highlight.  When his short stature caused his movie career to wind down he returned to radio, and starred in the mystery series Box 13, while guest starring in other Hollywood productions.  Depression and alcoholism contributed to his early death Jan. 29 1964 at age 50.



In 1939…In a radio broadcast, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that Britain and France had declared war on Germany. Germany had invaded Poland two days earlier.


In 1954...Last new episode of “The Lone Ranger” aired on ABC. Repeat episodes were aired by ABC in 1955 and by NBC in 1956.

Gary Owens

In 1965... Los Angeles DJ Gary Owens KMPC 710 AM was signed to the voice for the title role in Roger Ramjet, humorous super hero of a new animated TV series. Owens performs several other voices on the show in addition to the leading character. Roger Ramjet is a super astronaut who fights assorted evildoers with the help of a high- powered “proton” energy pill.


In 1966...the final “Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” TV show (co-starring son Rick Nelson) aired on ABC.  It had begun on radio 22 years earlier, and moved to TV in 1952.



In 1969...The hit song "I've Got You Under My Skin" by The Four Seasons was released to radio


In 1970... WMCA in New York City announced the hiring of Los Angeles talk host Bob Grant to do a daily show beginning September 22. The station recently announced it was going full-time (two-way) talk radio ending a long run of playing popular music. The station was the most popular “pop” music station in the country from 1963 through 1967.



In 1971...Paul McCartney decided to name his new band "Wings."

In 1972...DJ Mike Kelly of Cleveland's WIXY 1260 AM spends 21 days, 3-hours and 58-minutes on a Ferris wheel at nearby Cedar Point Amusement park.

Don Burden

In 1976...The FCC orders radio station KOIL 1290 and sister KEFM in Omaha off the air. Licenses for the two stations, plus WIFE-AM in Indianapolis and KISN in Vancouver Washington were revoked by the FCC on grounds of misconduct by operator Don Burden – board chairman and majority stockholder of Star Broadcasting. It’s the FCC’s most severe action to date. Revoking the license means he can’t sell.

Burden was charged with a long list of violations, including running phony contests on the air, billing advertisers twice, slanting news broadcasts and giving free airtime to some political candidates.


In 1977..."Best of My Love" by the Emotions was the #1 song again for the third week.  Andy Gibb's former #1 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" refused to fall further and that meant Rita Coolidge couldn't advance with "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher".  The Commodores ("Easy) and James Taylor ("Handy Man") were stuck as well.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Floaters and "Float On", Crosby, Stills & Nash with "Just a Song Before I Go" at #7, Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop", the Brothers Johnson edged up with "Strawberry Letter 23" and ELO landed their 11th hit and second Top 10 with "Telephone Line".


In 1977...Rumours by Fleetwood Mac spent its 17th week at #1 on the album chart, one shy of the all-time Rock Era record by More of the Monkees.  CSN, the solid release from Crosby, Stills & Nash, was #2 followed by the Soundtrack to "Star Wars".  JT from James Taylor was fourth and Moody Blue by Elvis Presley moved from 24 to 5 following his passing on August 16. 


In 1979...Don Imus returned to WNBC 660 AM from his Cleveland Exile.

After a stint at WGAR  1220 AM in Cleveland, Ohio, Imus moved to New York City and WNBC 660 AM in December 1971. During this first stint at WNBC, Imus recorded three record albums, two for the RCA Victor label (1200 Hamburgers to Go, including some of his more popular humor from KXOA, WGAR and WNBC broadcasts, and One Sacred Chicken to Go with Anthrax, a primarily studio-created album centering on his satirical character, The Right Rev. Dr. Billy Sol Hargis) and one for the Bang label.

Imus was fired from WNBC in August 1977 along with several of the station's other personalities, in an effort to revamp the station's sound and boost ratings. In 1978 he returned to Cleveland radio as afternoon drive host on WHK, making the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on his first day back in town. During that year, Imus commuted between Cleveland and New York to tape a TV talk show, Imus Plus at WNEW-TV.

In a surprise change of fortune Imus was rehired by WNBC in September 1979, and revived his morning drive show.




In 1979...Anti disco - WLUP Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s “Do Ya Think I’m Disco” has sold more than 200,000 copies nationwide in two weeks and many radio stations are playing the anti-disco record. In Detroit  - WWWW morning DJ’s have organized a Death to Disco Ducks society, In Los Angeles, KROQ’s own insane Daryll Wayne is burying disco albums at the beach.  In Kansas City – KYYS DJ Max Floyd is recruiting listeners for an antidisco “Rock ‘n’ Roll Army. Some pop stations are featuring “no disco” music sweeps.


In 1985...songwriter Johnny Marks, who wrote the Christmas classics Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and A Holly Jolly Christmas, died at age 75.

Bob Sievers

In 2007...long time Fort Wayne, Indiana, radio personality, Bob Sievers, died at age 90.

Sievers worked for WOWO 1190 AM for more than 50 years.

Sievers, 90, retired from his morning show on WO-WO radio in 1987 after more than 50 years at the station.

During his five decades with WOWO, he earned the title of “Mr. WOWO” as host on the popular morning show “Little Red Barn Show” that aired from 5 to 7 a.m., and the Bob Sievers show that aired from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Saturdays.

“I can’t think of anyone more influential in this town, and I’ve been here 35 years,” said Ron Gregory, a close friend and former WOWO radio announcer. “I can’t think of anybody who comes close to the impact that Bob Sievers had. It’s definitely the end of an era.”

Bob Sievers at age 90

In the days when the station’s 50,000-watt signal was not competing with the number of stations it does today, Sievers’ voice – and popularity – stretched across the country and around the world.

WOWO listeners could be found in 28 states and even overseas, and Sievers would often receive letters from devoted listeners across oceans, like missionaries in Africa, Gregory said. In addition to his time on the radio, Sievers also made public appearances for organizations, churches and clubs on his personal time.

Report: Carlson Recorded Ailes, But Was It Legal?

The former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson is credited with forcing Roger Ailes to resign from his long-held reign over the Fox News empire. She filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit earlier this summer, and things quickly spiraled downward for Mr. Ailes. And now, a much anticipated New York Magazine cover piece by Gabriel Sherman reveals that Carlson had her eyes on exposing Ailes for quite sometime.

According to LawNewz.com, the report says Carlson decided to turn the table on Ailes’s alleged surveillance practices. Since 2014, Carlson reportedly brought her iPhone to meetings in Ailes’s office and secretly recorded him. According to the lawsuit, she recorded him saying things like, “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago, and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better.”

Gretchen reportedly taped Ailes for more than a year and captured “numerous incidents of sexual harassment.” Once she had the goods, she hired an attorney, and the two prepared a lawsuit which they filed against Ailes personally. Interestingly, before they filed, they hack-proofed Carlson’s electronic devices and the law firm.

The question that many people will have  — is it legal to just record your boss in secret? The answer is that it really depends where you live. Since Fox News is based in New York City, Carlson likely recorded the conversation here. New York State is a one-party consent state which means Carlson is in the clear criminally.

A word to the wise though, before you decide to record your boss, please check your state’s laws.

Debate Moderators Announced

Lester Holt

Chris Wallace

The Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the names of the moderators of the four showdowns that are scheduled in the coming weeks.

The first presidential debate will be moderated by NBC's "Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt. That will be held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, Monday, Sept. 26.

The next debate will be the vice presidential matchup, which will be hosted by CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, Tuesday, Oct. 4.

The second presidential debate will differ from the others because it will be held as a town hall-style debate. That will be co-hosted by ABC News chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper at Washington University in St. Louis Sunday, Oct. 9.

Martha Raddatz

Anderson Cooper

The third and final presidential debate will be moderated by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas Wednesday, Oct. 19.

"These journalists bring extensive experience to the job of moderating, and understand the importance of using expanded time periods effectively,” Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairs of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, said in the statement announcing the moderators.

"The formats chosen for this year's debates are designed to build on the formats introduced in 2012, which focused big blocks of time on major domestic and foreign topics,” Fahrenkopf and McCurry said in the release. “We are grateful for their willingness to moderate, and confident that the public will learn more about the candidates and the issues as a result.”

The specific themes that will be covered in each debate have not been announced and will likely come closer to the debates.

Melania Trump Sues Over Escort Biz Story

Melania Trump, the wife of U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, sued the Maryland-based publisher of the Daily Mail Online and a blogger on Thursday over stories about her past she believes were "tremendously damaging," her attorney said in a statement.

A Daily Mail story last month cited a Slovenian magazine's report that a modeling agency that Trump worked with in New York in the 1990s also served as an escort business, linking wealthy clients with women for sexual services.

Late Thursday, the Daily Mail retracted the story in a posting on its website.

"To the extent that anything in the Daily Mail's article was interpreted as stating or suggesting that Mrs. Trump worked as an 'escort' or in the 'sex business'... is hereby retracted, and the Daily Mail newspaper regrets any such misinterpretation.

Melania Trump

Trump had notified the British newspaper and other news organizations on Aug. 22 that she would take legal action, Trump's attorney, Charles Harder, said in an email at the time, calling the reports "outright lying."

"These defendants made several statements about Mrs. Trump that are 100% false and tremendously damaging to her personal and professional reputation," he said in a statement on Thursday. The lawsuit was filed in state circuit court in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The lawsuit alleges that the Maryland blogger, Webster Griffin Tarpley, published "false and defamatory statements" about Trump, including that the former model had suffered from "a full-blown nervous breakdown."
Tarpley could not immediately be reached for comment.

"Defendants’ actions are so egregious, malicious and harmful to Mrs. Trump that her damages are estimated at $150 million dollars," her lawyer's statement said.

Trump, who now has her own jewelry line, was born in Slovenia and moved to the United States in the 1990s. She married Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee for the Nov. 8 election, in 2005.

HLN Apologizes For T-Shirt 'Error'

No, we shouldn’t have blurred the “Trump 2016″ T-shirt of a man who rescued an infant from a car in a New Jersey parking lot.

That’s what cable channel HLN is saying Thursday. “We blurred the logo and shouldn’t have; it was done in error,” reads a statement from the network.

Not just an error, a towering error, according to The Washington Post.

Steven Eckel, 53, a retired New Jersey police officer, used a sledgehammer on Monday to break the glass on a sweltering car parked at a shopping center in Howell, after 30-year-old Sara Mazzone spotted the child. The two then pulled the infant girl from the car and attended to her. She “started to look better,” according to the New York Daily News.

Like any good cable-news outlet, HLN wanted to hear from Eckel himself. Host Christi Paul went through the whole event with Eckel, who was dressed in a blue T-shirt beaming “Trump 2016.” “We were like, ‘Oh my God,’ the baby was sweating, her hair was all wet,” said Eckel in the interview.

So far, so good. Until HLN ran a subsequent piece on this act of heroism, that is. This time, the segment used footage from Paul’s interview with Eckel, with one very important edit.

NBC, MSNBC To Air Commander-In-Chief Forum

"TODAY" co-anchor Matt Lauer will moderate the first-ever Commander-in-Chief Forum on Wednesday, September 7, presented by NBC News and MSNBC with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

During this one-hour forum live from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be on stage back-to-back taking questions on national security, military affairs and veterans issues from NBC News and an audience comprised mainly of military veterans and active service members.

The event will air live on MSNBC at 8 p.m. ET and will be simulcast live on NBC in most markets. Check listings if you live in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. The event will also air on NBC in its entirety at 8 p.m. PT and 9 p.m. MT. Use the hashtag #NBCNewsForum to join the conversation.

Albuquerque Radio: KKOB Adds FM Simulcast

Cumulus Media has announced that KKOB 770 AM, New Mexico’s top talk radio station and the oldest station in New Mexico, is now broadcasting as a simulcast on K233CG 94.5 FM in Albuquerque with the addition of a new FM translator being purchased by Cumulus from a local owner.

The translator, reportedly purchased for $425,000, sits on top of Sandia Mountain is equivalent to a 50,000 watt FM and reaches all of the Albuquerque metro area with its powerful signal.

The FM simulcast will broadcast all the same award-winning talk programming that has made 770 KKOB the #1/#2 station consistently for more than 20 years on the new 94.5 FM position, as well as on its 94-year-old home at 770-AM.

K233CG 94.5 FM (250 watts) Red=Local Coverage Area

Jeff Berry, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Albuquerque said: “We celebrate a remarkable milestone in the history of Albuquerque as we turn on the FM simulcast of New Mexico’s oldest radio station, 770 KKOB-AM, the #1 talk station in Albuquerque for over 20 years and an Albuquerque treasure. The new FM simulcast allows us to serve our entire community with New Mexico’s best talk radio programming from this iconic and beloved Albuquerque original. Our listeners and advertisers will get more of what they love with KKOB’s new FM broadcast, paired with the existing AM broadcast.”

KKOB 770 AM (50 Kw, DA-N) 

Pat Frisch, AM Operations Manager and Program Director of KKOB, said: “This is an exciting time for all of us here at KKOB, and one that has been years in the making. We look forward to introducing our great talk radio programming to thousands of new listeners that live on the FM dial.”

Portland OR Radio: Cort Webber Adds Duties As KEX-AM PD

Cort Webber

iHeartMedia/Portland OR has announced Cort Webber as Program Director for News Radio KEX 1190 AM.

The 21-year market vet is well known to Portland listeners having served as a co-host of "The Gina, Cort and Rebecca Show" on KXJM 107.5 FM The Beat and as longtime afternoon host of KUFO 970 AM's "Cort and Fatboy Show." Webber has served as APD of KEX since 2011 and is currently APD of clustermate KFBW 105.9 FM The Brew.

"Cort has worked extremely hard over the last six years to earn this opportunity," said iHeartMedia President/Pacific Northwest Region Robert Dove. "He has always stepped up and has been invested in making iHeartMedia's Portland operation better. I'm fortunate to have him on my team."

KEX 1190 AM (50 Kw, DA-N)

"It's about time. I mean, geez, I've been here six years. I should be running the whole company by now. But I guess this is better than nothing," added Webber. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to push these two stations to even greater success. I have lived in Portland my whole life and it's truly a dream to be able to program in the best city in the country. Thanks to Robert Dove for giving me this amazing opportunity."

SF Radio: Kelsie Loos Named Digital PD For iHM Cluster

Kelsie Loos

iHeartMedia/San Francisco has announced that Kelsie Loos will be the new Digital Program Director beginning September 19. Loos will oversee digital strategy for the company’s five San Francisco radio station brands.

Loos and her team will work closely with the programming and sales departments to deliver key messages on digital platforms, including station websites, mobile and social media. Previously Loos served as the Digital Program Director for iHeartMedia Portland where she led the department for four years.

“After an extensive search, inside and outside of the industry, Kelsie stood out as the clear choice to lead our digital and social efforts in the Bay Area,” said Don Parker, Senior Vice President of Programming, iHeartMedia San Francisco.   “She’s done a tremendous job driving great results for our Portland cluster and I’m confident she’ll seamlessly transition to maintain and grow our already strong performance.  Not to mention, with our previous Digital Program Director stepping up to our stations in Los Angeles, it’s great to see yet another iHeartMedia employee grow within the company.”

“I’m honored for the opportunity to further grow with iHeartMedia and can’t wait to experience all that the Bay Area has to offer,” stated Loos. “Many thanks to Robert Dove, Dave Hill, Joseph Bond, and Shawn Garrett for their endless guidance and encouragement, and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve already received from Katie Wilcox, Don Parker, Mark Adams, Ricci Filiar, Val Klein, and the rest of the fantastic San Francisco team,” she added.

Loos will replace Michelle Lin who was promoted to the role of Digital Program Director for iHeartMedia Los Angeles, effective August 22, 2016.