Saturday, June 17, 2017

June 18 Radio History


➦In 1905
....bandleader Kay Kyser was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Kay Kyser
He brought his novel idea for a musical quiz to Mutual Radio in Feb. 1938, then to NBC Radio on March 30 1938. The show was called Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge and was a great hit. He starred as “The Ol’ Perfessor,” with his catchphrases “That’s right. you’re wrong,”  “Evenin’ folks,” and “Yess-dance! Yess-dance!” “Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge” ran on radio until 1949, then on TV for a year after that.

The band scored more than two dozen top 10 hits, including “Three Little Fishes”, “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle”, “The Old Lamplighter”, “There Goes that Song Again”, “Ole Buttermilk Sky”, “Managua Nicaragua”, “On a Slow Boat to China” & “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.” One of his singers, Mike Douglas, went on to be a star of daytime TV. Kyser died after a heart attack July 23, 1985 at age 80.


➦In 1908...announcer/host/actor Clayton ‘Bud’ Collyer was born in New York City.

Bud Collier
He was the voice of Superman on radio & in cartoons, and the long running host of TV game shows Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth. He also hosted Goodson-Todman’s first game show on radio, Winner Take All.  He died of a circulatory ailment Sep 8, 1969 at age 61.

In 1914, actor E.G. (Everett Gunnar) Marshall (below) was born in Owatonna Minnesota. Two of his better known TV roles are those of lawyer, Lawrence Preston on The Defenders in the 1960s, and as neurosurgeon, Dr. David Craig on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors in the 1970s. He also played a doctor on Chicago Hope in the 90’s. He was the original host of the popular nightly radio drama The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, which ran on stations across the U. S. between 1974 and 1982.

He died of lung cancer Aug 24, 1998 at age 84.



➦In 1939… the CBS radio network debuted The Adventures of Ellery Queen as a 60 minute show for the first six months. The detective drama was cut to a half hour for the following 8 years. An interesting twist came near the end of each program when the action was paused to allow a panel of experts to guess the solution of the night’s mystery.  The radio detective series starring Hugh Marlowe, began its nine-year run, with two stints on both CBS and NBC before its final season on ABC.


➦In 1948…In New York City, Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record that turned at 33 1/3-RPM rather than the standard 78. Unlike 78-RPM discs, which held only three minutes of music on each side, the LP could hold a full 23 minutes per side.



Dave Garroway
➦In 1955...NBC’s Monitor program expands to 8 AM Saturday to Midnight Sunday.  According to the Monitor tribute site,  it had everything -- news, sports, comedy, interviews, remote pick-ups from around the world, music -- a true magazine of the air. Listeners could tune in or out at any time during the weekend, wherever they were -- at home or in their cars. During any "Monitor" hour, dozens of different people, places and things were presented -- all presided over, live, by hosts Weaver called "communicators" in mammoth New York studios NBC named "Radio Central."

If "Monitor" had failed, NBC Radio would have disappeared decades before it did. But it worked -- indeed, it was a smash hit with listeners, advertisers and critics. It quickly became NBC Radio's biggest moneymaker and almost single-handedly kept NBC in the radio business. Simply put, "Monitor" became the biggest thing in radio.


➦In 1961…CBS Radio aired the final episode of "Gunsmoke," starring William Conrad as the voice of Marshal Matt Dillon, after a nine-year run. The supporting cast included Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant Chester Proudfoot.


➦In 1965...The call letters of KYW-AM, Cleveland, Ohio returned to Philadelphia.

In June, 1955, Westinghouse agreed to trade KYW and WPTZ to NBC in exchange for the network's Cleveland properties, WNBK-TV and WTAM-AM/FM, as well as $3 million in cash. After clearing regulatory hurdles, the swap went into effect on February 13, 1956. According to
phillyradioarchives.com, NBC changed the 1060 call letters to WRCV and Westinghouse moved the KYW call letters to Cleveland.

NBC had been interested in acquiring a VHF TV station in Philadelphia for years, the largest market in which it did not own one.  After being rebuffed more than once, NBC (according to Westinghouse) threatened to drop its network affiliation (and programming) from WPTZ and Westinghouse's Boston TV station unless they agreed to the trade.

Not long after the station swap in 1955, the government started an investigation into the transfer that ultimately led to a bitter and complex 10 year skirmish for control of the stations. The battle involved a large list of government and corporate players including the FCC, Congress, Department of Justice, RCA, Philco, Westinghouse and RKO-General. Ultimately, the swap was reversed, and Westinghouse regained control of the stations, renaming them KYW TV and KYW AM.

 In September 1965, KYW 1060 AM became an all-news station.





➦In 1974...Will Lewis - General Manager of Pacifica’s KPFK in Los Angeles is jailed for contempt of court after he failed to turn over to a federal grand jury the original tape-recorded message the station received from fugitive newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. The tape was received by the station last week from Miss Hearst and Emily and William Harris - and contained references to the May 17 South Central Los Angeles shootout in which six SLA members were killed.


➦In 1975...WNBC FM becomes WNWS


➦In 1975...NBC News & Information Service debuts.

NBC launched the NBC News and Information Service (also referred to as "NIS"), which provided up to 55 minutes of news per hour around the clock to local stations that wanted to adopt an all-news format. Not surprisingly, NIS achieved clearances on NBC's FM stations in New York (WNBC-FM, which became WNWS), Chicago (WJOI, the former WMAQ-FM which was renamed WNIS) and San Francisco (KNAI, the former KNBR-FM). WRC in Washington also picked it up, migrating their Top 40 format onto FM sister station WKYS (which would be blown up weeks later in favor of disco music). Other major affiliates for the NIS service included WBAL-FM in Baltimore, KHVH in Honolulu, and KQV in Pittsburgh.

The NIS service attracted several dozen subscribers, but not enough to allow NBC to project that it would ever become profitable, and it was discontinued after two years.   After the demise of NIS, NBC installed a talk radio format at WRC and went with music on the FMs in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, respectively renaming them as WYNY, WKQX, and KYUU.


➦In 1984...KHJ AM Los Angeles is gearing to go what it calls “Car Radio.” Look for a lot of traffic along with music.


➦In 1984...Alan Berg, a combative radio talk show host at KOA radio in Denver dies of multiple gunshot wounds after being ambushed outside his condominium. Berg (50) had reported death threats to police several times.

Alan Berg once worked at a shoe store and later opened a clothing store in Denver where he met KGMC-AM talk show host Laurence Gross. Impressed with Berg, Gross made him a guest on several occasions. When Gross left KGMC to take a job in San Diego, California, he requested that Alan Berg be named his successor.

From KGMC, which changed its call sign to KWBZ, Berg moved to KHOW, also in Denver. After being fired from KHOW, Berg went back to KWBZ before it changed to an all-music format and he again lost his job. The unemployed Berg was courted by both KTOK in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Detroit, Michigan. He was lastly hired by KOA and debuted on February 23, 1981. He worked at KOA until his death.

At about 9:30 p.m. on June 18, 1984, Alan Berg returned to his Adams Street townhouse after dinner. Berg stepped out of his black Volkswagen Beetle and gunfire erupted. He was struck twelve times. The murder weapon, a semi-automatic Ingram MAC-10, which had been illegally converted to an automatic weapon, was later traced to the home of one of The Order's members by the FBI.

Berg was on a death list according to a former producer because he was Jewish and he challenged on the air the beliefs of an author who wrote that Jews were from the family line of the devil.

Four members of The Order were ultimately indicted on federal charges: Jean Craig, David Lane, Bruce Pierce, and Richard Scutari. However, only Lane and Pierce were convicted, though neither of homicide (which is a state crime).  Rather, they were convicted of racketeering, conspiracy, and violating Alan Berg's civil rights (which are federal crimes). Both were sentenced to what were, for all practical purposes, life terms; Lane's sentence was 190 years; Pierce's was 252 years. 


➦In 1988...WWKB 1520 AM, Buffalo, New York switched to a satellite oldies format, finishing 30 years of Top 40 and oldies.

WKBW was founded in 1922 as a religious station, operating at the frequency of 1380 kHz. As the story goes, founder Clinton Churchill applied to the Department of Commerce for a license to operate under the call signs WAY. That call sign, however, was being used for a ship at sea, so instead, Churchill chose the letters "WKBW," which were next in the random assignment pool. Churchill proclaimed the call letters to stand for "Well Known Bible Witness"; later usage referred to the middle letters "KB" standing for King of Buffalo (alluding to its 50,000 watt broadcast power).

On July 4, 1958, WKBW radio abandoned its adult approach and was converted into a personality-driven full service Top 40 music radio station, featuring foreground personalities, a tight playlist of current hits and an aggressive local news department, which it continued to program with great success for over 20 years. It was one of the first stations to present traffic reports in cooperation with police and state and local authorities. Capital Cities Communications, then known as Capital Cities Broadcasting, purchased the WKBW stations from Clinton Churchill in 1961.


During the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, WKBW became a major force in pop radio over the East Coast. KB had a 50,000 watt transmitter at their transmitter site in Hamburg. This high power with a direction signal caused WKBW to blanket the entire eastern U.S. with top 40 music every night, and the station actually had a better signal at night in the western Boston suburbs than Boston's own top 40 station, WMEX, located at 1510, right next door to WKBW.

From 1970...



Disk jockeys included future Price is Right announcer Rod Roddy, Dick Biondi, Danny Neaverth, Jack Armstrong, Joey Reynolds, Steve Mitchell, Bud Ballou, Norm Marshall, Tom Shannon, and the Amazin' Jim Quinn. Irv Weinstein, later Buffalo's most popular television news anchor, served as news director.


➦In 2002…Sportscaster (CBS-TV, CBS Radio Network, KMOX-St. Louis) Jack Buck, longtime voice of baseball's St. Louis Cardinals and father of sportscaster Joe Buck, died of multiple illnesses including lung cancer and Parkinson's disease at age 77.


➦In 2014…Composer/arranger/musical director (The Joey Bishop Show, Alvin and the Chipmunks)/TV host (Stand Up and Cheer)/radio station jingle producer Johnny Mann died at age 85.

Judge Declares Mistrial

By Joseph Ax | NORRISTOWN, PA.

(Reuter) -- A Pennsylvania judge on Saturday declared a mistrial in Bill Cosby's sex assault case after the jury said it could not reach a verdict, but prosecutors said they will retry Cosby.

The embattled entertainer still faces other legal woes, including civil lawsuits.

Bill Cosby
About 60 women have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them, effectively ending the long career of the entertainer once known as "America's dad" for his role in the 1980s television hit "The Cosby Show."

The jurors, who spent 53 hours debating whether Cosby was guilty or innocent, told Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O'Neill they could not reach unanimous verdicts on whether Cosby was guilty of three counts of aggressive indecent assault against college administrator Andrea Constand at his home near Philadelphia in 2004.

The case was the only one to result in a criminal trial, largely because the other accusations were too old to prosecute.

Saturday's result was a victory for the comedian, who avoided up to a decade in prison.

It is also a blow to the dozens of women who have said they were sexually assaulted by Cosby. Several accusers were in court all week awaiting a verdict and wearing buttons that read "We Stand in Truth."



Cosby has said any sexual activity was consensual. He still faces at least four civil lawsuits from at least 10 accusers.



Cosby's starring role as beloved dad Heathcliff Huxtable in "The Cosby Show" made him a household name, bolstering a reputation built on years of family-friendly standup comedy routines.

Andrea Constand
His popularity also made him an in-demand product endorser, and he appeared in commercials for Jell-O, Coca-Cola, Ford and others.

He co-starred in the 1960s espionage show "I Spy," the first black perfomer to star in a weekly American TV dramatic series.

Cosby said in a radio interview before the trial that he hoped to resume his performing career after the Constand case was resolved.

The jury appeared unable to agree on which version of the night in question to believe: Constand's or Cosby's. They spent days asking to have testimony read back, including Constand's testimony at trial as well as the first report she made to police in 2005.

They also reviewed statements Cosby made about the incident under oath during Constand's civil lawsuit in 2005 and 2006. Cosby chose not to testify at trial.

Sacramento Radio: KNCI Regrets Canceling Lindsay Ell Appearance

Friday afternoon, up-and-coming Country artist Lindsay Ell tweeted a message to her 82,600 followers:


Although not named in the Tweet, Ell's performance was canceled by CBS Radio's KNCI 105.1 FM. The reason?  Apparently, because she's dating radio personality Bobby Bones. His syndicated morning show airs on Country rival KBEB 92.5 FM The Bull, owned by iHeartMedia.

On Friday evening, KNCI released a statement to The Washington Post, calling the cancellation a “bad decision.”

“Lindsay is an amazingly talented, up-and-coming artist and today we regrettably made a bad decision to cancel her show,” KNCI said in a statement. “We only hope that she — and our listeners — will forgive us, and that Lindsay and her team will allow us to reschedule the show.”

Judging by the steady stream of angry comments toward KNCI on Instagram and Twitter, Ell’s fans were not happy.

Earlier this year, Ell appeared as a guest on Bones’s podcast, “The Bobbycast”; they talked about their relationship, which they kept a secret at first. Bones admitted that he was worried that his job would hurt Ell’s career.

Ell did perform during an appearance at KBEB at noon, which declared the day Lindsay Ell 'Day'



Ell also appeared for scheduled performance at a third Sacramento country station, KNTY 101.9 FM  The Wolf, owned by Entravision.

Milwaukee Radio: Country WKTI Gets Wild

Ryan Wild
E.W. Scripps Company’s WKTI 94.5 FM has announced Ryan Wild is joining the station as program director.

Wild comes to KTI Country from Omaha, where he served as operations manager for NRG Media’s KQKQ (Sweet 98), KOPW (Power 106.9) and KOOO (101.9 The Keg).

Previously, Wild was PD and operations manager for WSSR and WFXF in suburban Chicago. Before that, he worked as a program/music director of multiple formats at AOL/Slacker Radio. Early in his career, Wild worked on-air and as a program director for stations in Des Moines and the Quad Cities.

“We’re very fortunate to have someone of Ryan’s experience on so many levels. Because KTI COUNTRY is a live and local station with a full airstaff, we needed a real leader who will not only keep the music sounding the best, but very importantly, create a greater overall ‘listener experience’ and a deeper connection with Wisconsin’s country community,” said Tom Langmyer, vice president & general manager of Scripps Milwaukee Radio Operations and vice president of radio news, talk, sports programming for The E. W. Scripps Company.

“Growing WKTI using our deep resources is very exciting – and we’re thrilled to have Ryan take the new KTI COUNTRY to the next level as a bigger-than-life station.”

“I’m thankful for the dream opportunity Tom Langmyer and the team at Scripps have given me to program KTI COUNTRY. There’s so much potential, not only on the air, but with a full team ready to grow and build something magical and lasting. I can’t wait to get to work and start building the future of KTI COUNTRY,” said Ryan Wild. “I was also told there would be plenty of beer and cheese at all times, so I was all in.”

WKTI 94.5 FM (14 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Wild begins his duties on July 5.

Phoenix Radio: KMVP Adds Mike Jurecki As Sports CoHost

Mike Jurecki
Bonneville Internationjal/Phoenix has announced that veteran sports talk show host and Arizona Cardinals insider Mike Jurecki has joined KMVP 98.7 FM as talk show host and multimedia reporter.

Jurecki joins former Arizona Cardinals defensive star Bertrand Berry for “The Blitz with B-Train and Jurecki” daily from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on “98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.”

Additionally, he’ll produce exclusive written, audio, and video content for  ArizonaSports.com and the Arizona Sports app, plus contribute to Cardinals game day coverage.

He comments, “I am thrilled to work with a team truly committed to producing local sports content.  I look forward to teaming up with Bertrand, a player I covered and respected on and off the field, and creating content for one of the largest local sports websites in the country.”

KMVP 98.7 FM (100 kw) Red=Local Coverage
Jurecki has covered Cardinals football and hosted sports talk radio shows in the Valley for more than 22 years.

S-F Radio: Hackers Silence KQED Stream

Bay Area radio station KQED was hit by hackers, who reportedly knocked out the station’s online radio stream for hours.

Employees say they were told to stay off their computers Friday while officials investigate the attack.

According to CBS Local, most senior staff have left for the day – their work hampered by the lack of network connection – and only IT staff remain to try and solve the problem.

In a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle, communications manager Brenda Tucker had this to say about the apparent hack:
“KQED observed suspicious activity late Thursday afternoon on several computers on the IT network. Our broadcast operations, TV and radio, were not affected and we have been on the air without interruption. We had an outage on the radio live stream from Thursday evening to 9:30 this morning. This was the only issue that affected our services to the public.”
Another statement was tacked up next to doors and elevators inside KQED on Friday afternoon.

It reads: “Network security issue. Do not use your PC or turn it off or on. Contact your manager. All network and wifi services are off until further notice.”

NC Radio: Brian Fisher New OM For WMMY, WWMY Simulcast

Curtis Media Group/North Carolina has announced the promotion of Brian Fisher to Operations Manager of its six radio station cluster in Boone, NC.

Fisher brings over twelve years of broadcasting experience to the post. He'll continue to air in middays from 11am to 2pm on Country simulcast WMMY 106.1 FM and WWMY 102.3 FM. Fisher is a graduate of Appalachian State University, as well as Dan Vallie's Kellar Radio Talent Institute.

Market Manager Robin Lineberger said, "Brian has demonstrated a deep loyalty for these stations, having started at WECR when he was just a teenager. We look forward to seeing Brian grow and flourish in this new role."

WMMY 106.1 FM (10.5 Kw) Red-Local Coverage
"I'm looking forward to improving our sound, our systems, and our operations. I'm ready to get started," added Fisher.

Apple Poaches Top Sony TV Execs To Boost Video Content


By Lisa Richwine and Piya Sinha-Roy | LOS ANGELES

(Reuters) -- Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has hired two long-time Sony Pictures Television executives to expand the iPhone maker's push into original television programming, plunging deeper into a field crowded by Hollywood studios and online streaming services.

Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, responsible for hit shows such as "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul" and "The Crown," will join Apple in newly created positions to oversee all aspects of video programming, the technology company said in a statement on Friday.

Jamie Erlicht
"Jamie and Zack are two of the most talented TV executives in the world and have been instrumental in making this the golden age of television," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

"There is much more to come," Cue said of Apple's video effort.

The new hires demonstrate a serious commitment by another deep-pocketed technology company to produce quality television shows. Erlicht and Van Amburg have served as senior Sony television executives since 2005.

But Apple did not elaborate on its strategy, leaving investors guessing how many shows it plans to distribute, how much it will spend and where the programming will be available.

The company is playing in an increasingly competitive field. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) have invested billions of dollars in award-winning comedies and dramas featuring A-list Hollywood stars. And social media company Facebook Inc (FB.O) has signed deals with millennial-focused news and entertainment creators, including Vox and BuzzFeed, to make shows for its upcoming video service.

Apple began its move last week with reality program "Planet of the Apps," an unscripted show about developers competing for venture capital funding. The series is available only to subscribers to Apple Music, a $10-a-month streaming service.



VIEWER DATA

Apple has one huge advantage compared with other companies - 1 billion iPhones, iPads and other devices that run Apple's mobile operating system and offer a broad distribution platform. The company has widely promoted "Planet of the Apps" across iTunes, the App Store, Apple's website and elsewhere.

As tech companies push further into the content business, pressure mounts on traditional media outlets that do not have the same amount of data on viewers or the ability for content to be a loss leader, said Rich Greenfield, an analyst with BTIG.

"These companies do not need to make money off video because they can make money other ways," Greenfield said. "And they are going to have tons of data on their viewers."

Zack Van Amburg
It is more cost-effective for Apple to pay for original content and secure licensing deals on its own than to buy a content company, said Moody’s analyst Gerald Granovsky.

"From a credit perspective, we’d much rather see Apple overpay to deliver original content than pay $50 billion to buy Netflix and basically compete for the same content," he said. "They’ll definitely get a better bang for their buck by focusing on their Apple TV product."

Greenfield said news of Apple’s hires should put to rest rumors that Apple might acquire another content company, Walt Disney Co (DIS.N). "It’s pretty clear now that Apple isn’t buying Disney," he said.

Disney shares were down 0.5 percent at $105.40 on Friday afternoon. Apple shares were down 0.9 percent at $143.01.

For Sony, the departures come as the Japanese conglomerate revamps its movie and television studio under new Chief Executive Tony Vinciquerra. In a memo to staff, Vinciquerra suggested Apple could be a buyer of Sony programming.

"While we are sad to see them go, we are excited by the opportunity to work with them as partners in the future," he said.

Amazon Moves Beyond Digital, Acquires Whole Foods Markets


Amazon has agreed to acquire Whole Foods market for a whopping $13.7 billion, giving the online retailer a solid presence in grocery brick-and-mortar stores, according to MediaPost.

“Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, in a prepared statement.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by Whole Foods Market's shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The companies expect the deal to close during the second half of 2017.

While there was no mention in the official announcement of combining services, the potential to create a cross-services company would enable consumers to buy online and pick up products in stores in many more locations. It also will add the ability to delivery groceries to many more areas across the United States.

(Reuters graphics)


Whole Foods has about 465 locations, about 444 in the United States, 12 stores in Canada, and nine stores in the United Kingdom. There are 87,000 employees in 12 regions, according to the company.

Whole Foods Market will give Amazon the footprint and customer base that otherwise would have taken years to build out, wrote Colin Sebastian, analyst at Baird Equity Research, in a research note published Friday. "We also expect Amazon to connect Prime memberships (including Prime Now) and last-mile delivery, forging a dual-track Grocery strategy," he wrote. "Moreover, we believe that Grocery is a key element of Amazon's strategy to drive transactions through Alexa, Echo devices and other connected devices (IoT, such as refrigerators)."

The deal not only has sweeping implications for cross-channel sales, but also in the advertising and marketing industry.

Scott Pelley Says Goodbye To CBS Evening News


Scott Pelley said goodbye to his CBS Evening News viewers for the final time on Friday.

"This is my last broadcast at the CBS Evening News. We hope this has been something of a lighthouse for you to help you with your bearings in a stormy world. To the men and women of CBS News, my profound gratitude."

He went on to quote James Madison, who said, "Freedom of the press is the right that guarantees all the others."


Pelley was reportedly pushed out of his role at the show last month and had arranged for his office to be cleaned out while away. The news of Pelley's exit has long been rumored, as CBS Evening News lagged in ratings.

The anchor will move to a full-time position at 60 Minutes, while Anthony Mason, who has filled in for Pelley before, was announced as the interim anchor to replace him. Mason, a 30-year veteran at CBS, is currently the co-host of the Saturday edition of CBS This Morning and the senior national correspondent at the network.

CT NBC Affiliate Decides Not To Air Kelly-Jones Interview


The only NBC television station in Connecticut will not air “Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly’’ this weekend, to protest her interview with Alex Jones, who infuriated victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre by claiming the atrocity never happened.

In a memo to the staff at New Britain’s WVIT, obtained by The NYPost, station general manager Susan Tully said the “wounds of that day,’’ when a madman with a rifle murdered 20 first graders and 6 adults “have yet to heal.’’

The network will instead air a special which will include parents of the Sandy Hook victims and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy. The special will discuss how to “affect change around violence and mental illness,” the memo said.

Jones, who hosts an Internet radio show, bizarrely claims the parents of the victims could be actors hired to give credence to a government conspiracy to take away people’s guns

Kelly has said that she finds Jones’ arguments “as personally revolting, as every other rational person does.’’

June 17 Radio History



➦In 1926...Colonel George Johnston and E. G. Hauselt took over WDBO, Orlando from Justice Lee and Maxwell Green.

According to cflradio.net, WDBO began in 1924 as a physics class project. In May  E.F.  Wineberg, a Rollins College math, physics and engineering professor, launched  a 50-watt radio station in a small wooden building on the Winter Park campus.

The first night's programming - less than an hour - included talks by college officials, a violin solo and a performance by the men's glee club, according to the Rollins newspaper that week. It was the first radio station in Orange County and only the third in  Florida. WDBO operated at 1250 on the dial with 50 watts of power for thirty hours a week. There are some conflicting stories surrounding the call letters.

Some research says the call letters were issued in alphabetical sequence as was the policy of the time.  There was WDBN Bangor, Maine, and WDBP, in Superior, Wisconsin. That would make the next set of call letters WDBO. Other research shows a request for the call letters WDBO to stand for "Way Down By Orlando."

Rollins College decided the $600 budget to run WDBO was too much and gave the station to Col. George C. Johnston. Johnston was a radiologist from Pennsylvania who headed an investment bank called The Morris Plan, Co. Johnston named the corporation that took ownership of WDBO, The Orlando Broadcasting Company.

Today, WDBO 580 AM airs ESPN Sports.


➦In 1927...WOR switches to 710 AM.


WOR began broadcasting on February 22, 1922, using a 500-watt transmitter on 360 meters (833 kc.) from Bamberger's Department Store in Newark, New Jersey.

The station's first broadcast was made with a home made microphone which was a megaphone attached to a telephone transmitter, while Al Jolson's "April Showers" was played.  Louis Bamberger's sale of radio sets to consumers explained their affiliation with the station.

The WOR call sign was reissued from the U.S. maritime radio service. The station initially operated limited hours, sharing time with two other stations, WDT and WJY, which also operated on 833 kc. WOR changed frequency to 740 kc. in June 1923 and shared time with WJY until July 1926, when WJY signed off for good and WOR received full use of the frequency. In December 1924, WOR acquired a studio in Manhattan.

On June 17, 1927, as a result of General Order 40, WOR moved to 710 kc., the channel it currently occupies (unlike most stations, it was not affected by NARBA). Later in 1926, WOR moved from its New York City studio on the 9th floor of Chickering Hall at 27 West 57th Street to 1440 Broadway, two blocks from Times Square.


➦In 1941...WNBT-TV, channel 4 in New York City, was granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the United States. (WNBT signed on the air on July 1, 1941 at 1:29 p.m. but just months later went dark for the duration of WW2.) Owned by Radio Corporation of America (RCA), the station later changed its call letters to WRCA and finally WNBC.


➦In 1942...‘Suspense,’ known as radio’s outstanding theatre of thrills, debuted on CBS radio. The program kept millions of loyal listeners in suspense every week for the next 20 years.


➦In 1954...guitarist Danny Cedrone died of a broken neck suffered when he fell down a staircase.  Ten weeks earlier the 33 year old had recorded the lead guitar break on ‘Rock Around The Clock’ with Bill Haley and His Comets, for which he was paid a mere $21, although it is widely considered one of the greatest rock and roll guitar solos of all time.


➦In 1968...Seattle’s KOL-FM 94.1 switched from automated background music to “Progressive Rock”, a format based on album cuts and album sales, instead of the singles used in Top 40 radio. Today it is all-country KMPS.


➦In 1986...rotund singer Kate Smith, whose rendition of ”God Bless America” made her a symbol of U-S patriotism, following a long career in 30’s & 40’s radio as well as early TV, died of diabetes at age 79.


➦In 2004...Joe McCoy leaves as PD at WCBS 101.1 FM.  McCoy had been program director since 1981.

Joe McCoy
McCoy took over as program director in 1981, and at that point WCBS-FM began to gradually shift its focus to the 1964–1969 era, but would also feature a more pre-1964 oldies than most other such stations. The station continued to also feature hits of the 1970s and some hits of the 1980s while cutting future gold selections to one per hour.

Also in the 1980s, after 77 WABC and later WNBC 600 AM abandoned music in favor of talk, WCBS-FM began employing many disc jockeys who were widely known on other New York City stations, most notably Musicradio WABC alumni Ron Lundy, Dan Ingram, Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, Chuck Leonard and Harry Harrison, as well as former WMCA "Good Guys" Dan Daniels and Jack Spector.

Bob Shannon, whose only previous New York City radio experience before coming to WCBS-FM was as a fill-in DJ at WYNY, became well-known himself through his 19-year run as the station's afternoon disk jockey. Bill Brown (who had started with the station in 1969, during their rock days) and Don K. Reed (who started at the station 6 months before the switch to oldies) remained with the station during their entire first period as an oldies station.

In 1989, WCBS-FM limited current music to late nights and overnights. While most oldies stations were playing songs from exclusively 1955 to 1973, WCBS-FM continued to play a moderate amount of songs from the late 1970s as well as about one 1980s hit per hour. Most of the 1980s music came from core oldies artists.

The station's ratings increased during the 1990s (and were sustained into the 2000s) and market research studies showed a small and growing audience in the 35-to-49-year-old demographic as a new generation's "songs they grew up with" moved into the oldies format. The station even hit number one overall in the ratings on at least several occasions during the 1990s.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Major Management Re-Alignment At ESPN

  • Connor Schell Named EVP, Content, at ESPN
  • Company Will Merge Strategy and Development Under Justin Connolly
  • Digital Product Development to Move to Technology Under Aaron LaBerge


Connor Schell has been named ESPN’s Executive Vice President, Content, overseeing all of ESPN’s content creation across ESPN’s television, digital and print platforms.  The appointment, effective immediately, was announced today by ESPN President John Skipper.

Schell adds responsibility for studio and remote production, and digital and print content creation, to his previous responsibilities overseeing ESPN Films, Original Content, Audio and the company’s Talent Office.  He will continue to report to Skipper.

Norby Williamson, Executive Vice President, Production and Executive Editor; Stephanie Druley, Senior Vice President, Events & Studio Production; and Rob King, Senior Vice President, SportsCenter, News & Information, will now report to Schell and oversee the following areas of content:

Williamson will add oversight of daytime studio programming, original content, the award-winning ESPN Films group, ESPN Audio and the Talent Office to his previous content operations, creative services, multi-media sponsorship integration, management operations, content development and special projects responsibilities, such as ESPN’s successful fantasy and college basketball bracket marathons. He will also focus on working with all content leaders to help bring new concepts to life across platforms.

Connor Schell
Druley will continue to be responsible for all of ESPN’s Event Production, and all studio content associated with the NFL, MLB and college sports. Additionally, Druley oversees all content production on the SEC Network and Longhorn Network, and will now add a global footprint with the addition of international and Spanish language production efforts. Rodolfo Martinez, Vice President, ESPN Deportes & International Production, will jointly report to Druley and Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President, International Programming, Production, Marketing and Ad Sales.

King will continue to oversee SportsCenter and news content (including E:60, Outside the Lines), and will now add responsibility for all global digital and print content, including ESPN.com, The Undefeated, espnW, FiveThirtyEight, ESPN The Magazine, and ESPNFC, merging all of ESPN’s news and information operations under one management team.

Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling, will continue to report to Skipper, overseeing all of the company’s program acquisitions and rights holder relations, content strategy and scheduling.  Magnus and his team will now assume direct oversight of ESPN’s relationship with BAMTech.

Skipper said: “Connor has demonstrated keen insight into what resonates with fans, and his instincts allow him to excel at managing the creative process.  I have tremendous confidence that he and his new team of talented executives will help us create dynamic content that will break through in a changing environment.”

Schell said: “ESPN has always been at the forefront of the creation of exceptional content for sports fans across every platform, and my colleagues are the most creative, collaborative and dedicated people in the industry.  I am very excited about working with this team to build on our legacy of innovation and great storytelling to continue to serve fans in new ways.”

Report: Stress Driving Medical Leave For News Hosts

Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge weighed in on cable news "stress" in a Friday morning tweet, citing recent medical leaves of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Fox News's Tucker Carlson while stating that "another host appears heavily drugged."

"Tons of stress on cablenews as competition heats," Drudge wrote to his more than 500,000 followers on his personal account. "Maddow and Tucker have recently been out on medicals. Another host appears heavily drugged."

According to The Hill, Drudge's tweet referred to Carlson missing his Thursday program due to appendicitis and Maddow missing nearly two weeks of hosting her prime-time program due to an undisclosed illness.


It is not known who the other host that Drudge is referring to being as "heavily drugged" is.

The daily drama of the President Trump era continues to be ratings gold for all three of the major cable news networks, with combined viewing of Fox News, MSNBC and CNN up 33 percent through the first week of June compared with the same time in 2016, according to data from Pivotal Research Group

Report: NBC, Kelly Overhaul Sunday's Jones Interview Piece


Megyn Kelly has completely overhauled her Sunday night show featuring Alex Jones, inviting Sandy Hook families on the program and editing her interview with Jones to be tougher on him, following all the backlash this week, according to Page Six at The NYPost.

NBC News execs were scrambling following the furor over Kelly’s decision to give a platform to the controversial Infowars host, who claimed the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.

A contrite Kelly personally called the Sandy Hook families, we’re told, to invite them on the show to counter Jones’ rhetoric.

The Post is reporting, “Everyone on the show believes it’s vitally important that the piece conveys the immense pain that Jones has caused the Sandy Hook families.” The source added it was normal to be editing right up until airtime.

Page Six has learned that Neil Heslin, the father of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was slain in the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Conn., has agreed to be interviewed on Kelly’s show. In 2013, he appeared at a Senate committee hearing and pleaded with senators to ban assault weapons such as the gun that killed his son.

Jones himself thinks the piece will be deliberately cut to make him look crazy.

He spent 13 hours with Kelly, but says he expects producers to pick the parts that make him look bad, to prove to Kelly’s critics that she is a serious journalist.

Meanwhile, The Hill reports Alex Jones on Thursday released secretly-taped audio of his interview with Megyn Kelly three days before the official airing was supposed to occur on NBC.

"I've never done this in 22 years, I've never recorded another journalist," Jones said in a Twitter video. "I've never done this, but I knew that it was a fraud, that it was a lie."

"It's not going to be some gotcha hit piece, I can promise you that." Kelly is heard saying to Jones.



"What are they going to do, when I've got the tapes of what really happened?" Jones said after playing other snippets clips of Kelly, adding she was "obsessed with him."

NBC News responded to The Hill's comment request on Friday, stating it remained committed to airing the interview.

"Despite Alex Jones' efforts to distract from and ultimately prevent the airing of our report, we remain committed to giving viewers context and insight into a controversial and polarizing figure, how he relates to the president of the United States and influences others, and to getting this serious story right. Tune in Sunday," wrote a spokesperson in an email.

Ted Nugent Pledges To Tone-Down Rhetoric

Politically charged musician Ted Nugent appeared on Talk WABC 770 AM’s “Curtis & Eboni,” and in the aftermath of the GOP congressional shooting, Nugent claimed that he can’t engage in “hateful” political rhetoric any longer.

“I cannot and I will not and I encourage even my friends/enemies on the left in the Democrat and liberal world that we got to be more civil to each other,” Nugent said. “The whole world is watching America where you have the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And we have to be more respectful to the other side.”

TheBlaze reports he continued and said, “I’m gonna take a deep breath, and I’m gonna back down. And if it gets fiery, if it gets hateful, I’m going away and I’m not gonna engage in that hateful rhetoric anymore.”


The rocker also acknowledged his previous speeches directed at Democrats Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, saying that the reason he would engage in such controversial rhetoric was because he was so hyped up and angry about the political climate.

Friday's Hot Links: What Others Are Saying


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‘Fair Play, Fair Pay’ Radio-Royalty Act Gains Momentum

Spotify Has Guaranteed To Pay Big Music Labels Billions Over The Next Two Years

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‘Radio Tour Is Not For The Weak’: Inside The First Step To Country Music Stardom

Day 4 For Nielsen May 2017 PPMs

Nielsen on Thursday 6/15/17 Released the Day 4 of May 2017 PPM Data for the following markets:

    34  Austin

    38  Raleigh-Durham

    39  Indianapolis

    41  Milwaukee-Racine

    43  Nashville

   
    44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

    45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News

    46  Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point NC

    47  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton

    48  Jacksonville FL

    51  Memphis

    52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT

Click Here To View Topline Numbers for Subscribing Nielsen Stations

Phoenix Radio: Lois Lewis Joins KNIX As APD, MD

Lois Lewis
iHeartMedia Phoenix’s KNIX 102.5 FM announced Thursday that Lois Lewis has been named Assistant Program Director and Music Director, effective July 17th.

Lewis will be responsible for record label relations, concert booking, as well as on-air content and music programming. She will also continue to host her highly rated Midday Show featuring 90’s @ Noon as well as hit Country music with her unique take on pop culture and entertainment news.

“I’ve worked with Lois for over 4 years and have always appreciated her tremendous attention to detail and great relationships,” said Steve Geofferies, Executive Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia’s West Division. “She’s quickly becoming one of the best on-air talent we have in the Country format. Plus, I love the amazing energy she brings to the building.”

KNIX 102.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage
“Answering an ad in the ASU State Press nearly 20 years ago kick-started my journey in radio,” said Lewis. “Today, my dreams are being realized once again as I’m coming home to the legendary 102.5 KNIX. I couldn’t be more thrilled by this incredible opportunity and can’t wait to work alongside Steve Geofferies and the talented iHeartMedia Phoenix team.”

“I am thrilled to have Lois Lewis back in Phoenix where she began her career in radio. Not only is Lois a great talent, but clients love her genuine and passionate approach to everything she does.” said Arizona Region President Linda Little.

Lewis previously worked as the Assistant Program Director and Music Director for iHeartMedia Las Vegas’ 95.5 The Bull. She also worked as the Senior Director of Regional Promotion for Republic Nashville and helped launch the careers of artists like Florida Georgia Line and The Band Perry. Prior to the record industry, Lewis was the Music Director and Night host for KIIM-FM in Tucson. She holds two degrees from Arizona State University in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communications.

Memphis Radio: Drake Hall, Cumulus Reach New Deal

Cumulus Media has announced that it has signed popular Morning Show Host, Drake Hall to a long-term contract extension with Rock WXMX 98.1 FM The Max in Memphis, TN.

Drake Hll
Hall hosts The Drake Hall Show with Danni, Wes & Syd weekdays from 6am-10am. He has been an on-air personality for 98.1 The Max since 2006 and a talent in Memphis for over 30 years.

The Drake Hall Show is the top-rated morning show in Memphis TN, airing on 98.1 The Max within a 100 mile radius covering four states. The Drake Hall Show is an entertainment-based, issue and lifestyle-inclusive radio program that is consistently ranked number one for men and adults aged 25-54 in the Memphis radio market.

Morgan Bohannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Memphis,TN, said: “We are excited to have secured Drake Hall for the foreseeable future. We look forward to even more success with his unique and compelling content, not to mention the service he provides many as the voice of Memphians.”

WXMX 98.1 FM (100 Kw) Red-Local Coverage Area
Hall said: “I’m grateful that Cumulus Memphis has allowed me to keep the job. Many thanks to my friends and colleagues for their ongoing support; particularly, the three gifted people that join me daily. I look forward to getting up at 4am for another 30 years.”