August 13 Radio History

➦In 1919...Rex Humbard, pioneer radio and television evangelist, was born. His Radio and TV ministry was based out of Akron, Ohio and founded in 1958.


➦In 1952...the original version of Hound Dog was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton. It was the first hit for songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who also wrote Kansas City for Wilbert Harrison, On Broadway for The Drifters, and Stand By Me for Ben E. King.  Four years later, Hound Dog got the attention of the world when it was recorded by Elvis Presley.

➦In 1966…The first of the "Beatles bonfires," where ex-Beatles fans could burn the band's records to protest John Lennon's "bigger than Jesus" comment, was organized by radio station KLUE in Longview, Texas.

The next morning, KLUE's broadcast tower was struck by lightning, damaging much of their equipment, throwing the station off the air and sending the news director to the hospital.


➦In 1993...Terry Steele "The Bear", long affiliated with CHUM-AM, Toronto, Canada, died from a fall in his bathtub.  He also worked at CKEY and CJEZ in Toronto. For CKEY aircheck: Click Here.

➦In 1959...Danny Bonaduce was born. Bonaduce began as a child actor on "The Partridge Family" an eventually became a very successful Radio/TV host. He's currently doing mornings on KZOK 102.5 FM in Seattle.


➦In 1986...KRE-AM in Berkeley CA changes call letters to KBLX (now KBFN)

Joe Bolton

➦In 1986...Joe Bolton - WOR TV, Giants baseball announcer, WPIX TV (Officer Joe) -died. He started his broadcast career in 1927 as a staff announcer for WOR in Newark, New Jersey. He was the announcer for DuMont Television Network's talent show Doorway to Fame in 1947, but he left DuMont for WPIX on May 15, 1948 to be a news announcer and weatherman.

On January 17, 1955, he appeared as "Officer Joe" and hosted The Clubhouse Gang, and showed the Little Rascals. WPIX lost the rights to The Little Rascals, and in September 1958, he switched to hosting The Three Stooges Funhouse. This program aired on weekdays at 5:30 pm. He showed Three Stooges shorts until May 7, 1970. At one time, he showed Dick Tracy cartoons as "Police Chief Joe".


➦In 2007...In 2007..Phil Rizzuto, NY Yankees player and announcer died.

After a long Hall of Fame career as a player, Rizzuto broadcast Yankee games on radio and television for the 40 years. His popular catchphrase was "Holy cow." Rizzuto also became known for saying "Unbelievable!" or "Did you see that?" to describe a great play, and would call somebody a "huckleberry" if he did something Rizzuto did not like.

Phil Rizzuto

He would frequently wish listeners a happy birthday or anniversary, send get-well wishes to fans in hospitals, and speak well of restaurants he liked, or of the cannoli he ate between innings. He also joked about leaving the game early, saying to his wife, "I'll be home soon, Cora!" and "I gotta get over that bridge", referring to the nearby George Washington Bridge, which he would use to get back to his home in Hillside. In later years, Rizzuto would announce the first six innings of Yankee games; the TV director would sometimes puckishly show a shot of the bridge (which can be seen from the top of Yankee Stadium) after Rizzuto had departed. Rizzuto was also very phobic about lightning, and sometimes left the booth following violent thunderclaps.

Rizzuto started his broadcasting career working alongside Mel Allen and Red Barber in 1957. Among a number of announcers that Rizzuto worked with over the course of his career, Frank Messer (1968-1985) and Bill White (1971-1988) were the two most memorable. Rizzuto, Messer, and White were the main broadcast trio that presided over an important time period for the Yankees, which spanned from the non-winning CBS years through the championship seasons and other years of struggle during the Steinbrenner era. On television, for example, the Yankees broadcast team went unchanged from 1972-82.


➦In 2010...longtime (1949-’84) NBC newsman Edwin Newman died of pneumonia at age 91.

Judge Tosses Mueller's Case Against Taylor Swift

Depiction of Swift, Her Mother & Attorney

• David 'Jackson' Mueller claimed that Swift made libelous statements about him
• The radio station employee said he was fired after she claimed he 'groped' her
• Her lawyer asked for former Denver KYGO DJ's case to be dismissed
• A few hours later the judge granted the request  
• Swift is still countersuing him for just $1, accusing him of reaching under her dress and grabbing her buttocks during a photo 
• Earlier on Friday, Swift's former bodyguard Greg Dent said he saw the skirt lift 
• Mueller's identical allegations against Swift's mother and her radio liaison will go to the jury 

Taylor Swift on Friday won an important ruling in the trial stemming from her allegation that she was groped by a Colorado disc jockey, with the judge dismissing the DJ's rival claim accusing the singer of wrongfully getting him fired.

According to Reuters, the ruling by U.S. District Judge William Martinez left intact Swift's assault and battery countersuit against David Mueller, who asserts he was falsely accused by the recording star and ousted from his $150,000-a-year job at Country KYGO 98.5 FM under pressure from her.

Mueller's claims against Swift's mother and her radio representative continue. The singer's countersuit accusing Mueller of groping her during a photo op also remains.

The ruling came one week into the civil trial in Denver. Swift had requested both dismissal and summary judgment. Closing arguments are set for Monday.

The Grammy-winning artist known for such hits as "Fearless" and "I Knew Your Were Trouble" reacted to the decision with tears of joy, embracing members of her legal team and family members with bear hugs in the courtroom.

Mueller sat alone at the plaintiff's table, appearing somber as he sipped a glass of water.

U.S. District Judge William Martinez ruled Friday that Swift could not be held liable because Mueller hadn’t shown that she deliberately set out to have him fired after the incident.

It’s the latest in a long string of legal setbacks for Mueller; another judge threw out Mueller’s claim of slander in June of 2017, and that July he was sanctioned by the court for destroying a  two-hour audio recording he secretly taped during an interview with his radio station boss just before he was fired.

Friday's decision capped the fifth day of a trial highlighted by vivid testimony from Swift charging that Mueller clutched her bare buttocks during a pre-concert fan reception in 2013 against Mueller's assertion under oath that he did no such thing.

Earlier on Friday, Swift's former bodyguard corroborated her account of being groped by Mueller, testifying that he saw the radio personality slip his hand under the singer's skirt as they posed together for a photo with Mueller's then-girlfriend.

Lawyers for both sides rested their respective cases after the ex-girlfriend, Shannon Melcher, took the stand as the final witness to deny seeing Mueller inappropriately touch Swift during the picture-taking session. But she added, "I don't have eyes in the back of my head."

Swift has said her representatives lodged a complaint with KYGO management about the alleged groping but insisted she never demanded Mueller be fired.

Although Martinez agreed to dismiss both claims as they related to Swift, he kept the contract claim intact for Swift's two co-defendants - her mother, Andrea, and her radio station liaison Frank Bell.

SoundCloud Gets New Funds And Top Management

SoundCloud, the world's most popular streaming music app, but one that has struggled to find a profitable business model, said it received new funding on Friday, insulating it from potentially running out of cash this year.

The company, which laid off 40 percent of its staff in July, said in a blog post that the financing was raised from media-focused investment bank Raine Group of New York and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek.

It did not disclose the amount or its terms. Raine and Temasek were not immediately available for comment, according to Reuters.

One source familiar with the investment said it amounted to around $170 million as reported on Thursday by online news site Axios, which had obtained the deal's term sheet.

The company said that as part of the new investment, digital media veterans Kerry Trainor and Michael Weissman, respectively the former chief executive and chief operating officer of online video service Vimeo, would take the same roles at SoundCloud.

The arrival of the former leaders of Vimeo - one of the biggest online video rivals to Google's YouTube and Facebook - raises the prospect SoundCloud may evolve beyond audio streaming in a more music video-oriented direction.

SoundCloud founder and former CEO Alexander Ljung has agreed to step aside to become chairman of the board, it said. Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Eric Wahlross will remain at the company as chief product officer.

K-C Radio: KCSP, K-State Sports Enter Into Broadcast Deal

K-State Athletics and its multimedia rights-holder, Learfield, have announced a four-year agreement with Entercom KC for KCSP 610 Sports to become the official radio home of Wildcat sporting events in Kansas City as the sports talk station will carry K-State football, men’s basketball and select women’s basketball games beginning this season.

“When we began our search for a new radio home in Kansas City, a strong commitment to K-State and our programs and an improved signal strength were at the forefront of our discussions,” said Athletics Director Gene Taylor. “With Entercom KC and 610 Sports, we were able to accomplish those goals, and we are excited to begin what we hope to be a long-term relationship together. I know our fans, both in the Kansas City metro area and throughout areas of the Midwest, will enjoy an improved listening experience.”

Wildcat football and men’s basketball games, in addition to all pregame and expanded postgame network programming, will be carried on 610 Sports, a full power daytime signal that reaches well beyond Kansas City into Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa and Arkansas, and with a non-directional full power signal at night will provide greater coverage for K-State fans. With 610 Sports being the official home of the Kansas City Royals, the few K-State football games that conflict with Royals broadcasts will be aired on Talk KMBZ 980.

KCSP 610 AM (5 Kw)

The Bill Snyder and Bruce Weber radio shows will also air on 610 Sports, while for the first time in program history, approximately 10 women’s basketball games will be carried in the Kansas City market as selected broadcasts will be available on The Score 1660 AM, another sister station of 610 Sports.

“This is a win for both Kansas State and KCSP 610 Sports. We are delighted to enter into this new partnership for what we hope is years to come. K-State has fantastic football and basketball programs and it’s our privilege to be able to provide the radio broadcasts to the Kansas City area and beyond,” added Dave Alpert, Vice President and General Manager, Entercom Kansas City.

The K-State Sports Network will feature 40 radio affiliates across the state of Kansas this season, while Wildcat fans can also follow the Cats via the TuneIn radio app in addition to games broadcast live on SiriusXM radio.

“We’re very pleased to announce this new partnership with Entercom KC and appreciate how their team embraced the strength of K-State’s brand in Kansas City,” added K-State Sports Properties General Manager Ben Boyle. “The combination of the powerful 610 am and 980 am signals, along with the enhanced programming, provides K-State fans in the entire market the coverage and programming they desire.”

S-F Radio: PD Don Kollins OUT At KMGZ

Don Kollins

KGMZ 95.7 The Game in San Francisco has parted ways with program director Don Kollins. The official decision was made on Thursday, according to sportsradiopd.com.

Kollins joined the radio station in June 2015. Prior to moving to Northern California, he worked in Toronto for Rogers Media overseeing programming operations for Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

A nationwide search for the station’s next PD is expected to follow. In the interim, OM and KOIT PD Brian Figula will oversee the station’s day to day operations.

Meanwhile for Kollins, he’s looking for his next opportunity.

Chicago Radio: WSCR Searching For Fantasy Football Expert

WSCR 670 The Score is kicking off its “2017 Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert” to find Chicago’s next fantasy football expert. The search begins on Thursday, August 17 through a series of live auditions where listeners will have the opportunity to showcase their writing and broadcasting talents on-site at various local venues. To find out where and when, listeners are encouraged to visit CBSChicago.com/expert.

The Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert will contribute to the station’s fantasy football content, both on-air and online, by offering tips and strategies for anyone managing their own fantasy football team throughout the 2017 NFL regular season. The winner will appear live every Sunday on Joe Ostrowski’s show on The Score, Chicago’s first and premier sports radio station, between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM and write a weekly column for CBSChicago.com.

“We are excited to launch the 2017 search for 670TheScore.com’s fantasy football expert,” said WSCR Program and Operations Director, Mitch Rosen. “This is an amazing opportunity for a die-hard fan to participate in the action on-air and online. With fantasy football continuing to grab our listeners’ attention, I look forward to finding the right candidate who can provide an exceptional perspective in a highly visible role with the station.”

The station will identify the top 10 candidates from all on-site applicants who will then be invited for a formal interview. Listeners will have the opportunity to get to know the final four candidates by visiting the Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert section on CBSChicago.com/expert. A panel of expert judges will select the Great Clips Fantasy Football Expert during a finale event from 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM on September 9, 2017.

FCC Call Sign Activity For July 2017

During Julty 2017 the FCC accepted applications to assign call signs to, or change the call signs of the following broadcast stations:

FCC Extends Deadline For Net Neutrality Comments

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday agreed to extend a deadline for submitting comments on its proposal to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules.

According to The Hill, the deadline for responding to the first round of public comments, which closed last month, has been extended from Aug. 16 to Aug. 30.

Groups supporting net neutrality filed a motion for an eight-week extension to respond to comments in favor of the repeal effort, submitted largely by the cable and telecom industries.

Those industry groups opposed the extension arguing that both sides of this long-running debate have had “multiple opportunities to weigh in on the core issues in play here for over fifteen years across a range of public dockets.”

"While it is the policy of the Commission that 'extensions shall not be routinely granted,' we find that an extension of the reply comment deadline is appropriate in this case in order to allow interested parties to respond to the record in this proceeding," Daniel Kahn, the FCC's chief of the competition policy division, wrote in Friday's order.

Andrea Tantaros’ Anti-Feminist Book Was Written By A Man

Recently unearthed court documents reveal that the former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros' anti-feminist manifesto “Tied Up in Knots” was allegedly written by a man.

According to The Wrap, the revelation comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Michael Krechmer, who claims to have ghostwritten the tome. Krechmer had initially filed the suit under seal, “out of an abundance of caution” over a confidentiality provision in his alleged agreement with Tantaros. However, he has “since argued vigorously that the seal should be lifted.”

Tantaros had fought to keep the matter under seal in a motion that was denied in the recent order, handed down in federal court in New York in late July.

According to the papers, Tantaros argued “that she will be irreparably harmed absent such a restraint because her professional credibility and career as a journalist would be seriously jeopardized by public revelation of plaintiff’s claims that he is the actual author of her book.”

In his suit, filed in October 2016, Krechmer alleges that he and Tantaros entered a collaboration agreement in May 2015, in which he would “assist [Tantaros] in writing” the book. The agreement included a confidentiality agreement, but the suit says that in July 2015 Krechmer and Tantaros terminated the collaboration agreement in favor of a “new, separate and completely oral” ghostwriting agreement, which would give him a flat fee of $150,000 in exchange for ghostwriting the book.

According to Krechmer, Tantaros balked at the new agreement, because she feared that it would “cause her editor to discover that she was not writing the book herself,” and that Harper Collins “would cancel the book if they discovered that there were any negative issues in the writing process, particularly since she was already running more than two years behind schedule.”

WV Radio: Clint McElroy Retires From WTCR

Clint McElroy

A long-time Huntington, WV radio host retired Friday after more than four decades on the air.

Clint McElroy has been a radio host for 42 years. On Friday, Country WTCR 103.3 in Huntington said ‘good bye’ to McElroy and hosted a retirement party for him.

Fox11 reports he plans to do more work with his three sons whose careers are taking off. They currently host a popular podcast series.

McElroy said he’ll miss all of his co-workers and will miss being a part of his listener’s lives every day.

"The fact that people hear my voice and I’m their friend part of their family and it has always moved me and I think radio will always have that kind of power and I’m certainly going to miss it,” McElroy said.

August 12 Radio History

➦In 1877...Edison invented the phonograph.

The phonograph, also called gramophone,  is a device introduced in 1877 for the recording and reproduction of sound recordings. The sound vibration waveforms are preseved in the form of a groove engraved into the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc. As the recorded surface rotates, a playback stylus traces the waveforms and vibrates to reproduce the recorded sound waves.

While other inventors had produced devices that could record sounds, Edison's phonograph was the first to be able to reproduce the recorded sound. His phonograph originally recorded sound onto a tinfoil sheet phonograph cylinder, and could both record and reproduce sounds. Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several improvements in the 1880s, including the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders, and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side in a "zig zag" pattern across the record.



In the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery to near the center. Other improvements were made throughout the years, including modifications to the turntable and its drive system, the stylus or needle, and the sound and equalization systems.

The disc phonograph record was the dominant audio recording format throughout most of the 20th century. From the mid-1980s, phonograph use declined sharply because of the rise of the compact disc and other digital recording formats. While no longer mass-market items, modest numbers of phonographs and phonograph records continue to be produced in the second decade of the 21st century.

➦In 1937…Comedian Red Skelton made his network radio debut on NBC's "Rudy Vallee Show."


➦In 1977...Cousin Brucie did last show at WNBC 660 AM,


➦In 2001...XM Satellite Radio began broadcasting in the US.


➦In 2003...longtime Richmond, Virginia DJ, Eric E. Stanley, died after a 3-year battle with cancer. He was 53. He was known for his program, "The Bebop, Boogie, and Blues Revue" heard first on WRXL, then WVGO and later on WJMO.




➦In 2004...NYC personality Chuck Leonard - WWRL, WABC, WXLO, WRKS, WBLS, WQEW, WNSW - died.

Leonard began at ABC's flagship New York radio station, Musicradio 77 WABC, under program director Rick Sklar in 1965. He broke the color barrier for all who followed — the first African-American to cross over from black R&B radio to (then-mostly white) mass-appeal radio.

Leonard began in the 11 p.m. to midnight slot, and continued working late nights and Sundays at the station until November 27, 1979. He did the 10:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. shift following “Cousin” Bruce Morrow and later George Michael. He also gladly handled weekend and fill-in work.

Leonard was the host of "Sneak Preview," a five-minute Monday-through-Saturday evening program on ABC's American Contemporary Radio Network, which featured newly released songs. He stayed at WABC until 1979, before moving to WXLO and WRKS.

➦In 2005...Newsradio KNX 1070 Newsradio in Los Angeles, left its studios at the CBS Columbia Square broadcast center and moved to 5670 Wilshire Blvd to join other locally owned Infinity radio stations.

KNX-AM had been housed at the CBS Columbia Square building for 67 years, in the heart of Hollywood.


➦In 2009...Rock WBCN in Boston closed its doors after 41 years on the air, and 98.5 "The Sports Hub" debuted immediately afterwards.



➦In 2011...WEMP 101.9 FM switched to FM News

Bodyguard, Photographer Back-Up Swift's Account

Taylor Swift's former bodyguard told a jury on Friday that a former disc jockey the singer-songwriter accuses of groping her bottom had been drinking and that he saw the man's hand go under her skirt during a photo shoot.

Reuters is reporting former bodyguard Greg Dent was the latest witness in the U.S. District Court trial that is considering the 27-year-old performer's allegation that former radio disc jockey David Mueller assaulted her at a meet-and-greet session with fans before a 2013 concert.

Mueller, 55, says the Grammy-winning performer of hits such as "Fearless," "Bad Blood" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" falsely accused him and then got him fired from Denver station KYGO-FM.

Under questioning from the former disc jockey's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, Dent told the court he witnessed the incident.

"I saw his hand under her skirt. ... Her skirt went up. ... She jumped," Dent testified, adding that Swift then moved closer to Mueller's girlfriend, who was standing on the other side of the singer for the photograph.

"I was definitely sure that he had been drinking," Dent said of Mueller. "I don't know what level. He wasn't staggering or falling down."

Dent, a former police officer who testified that he had also worked for the National Security Agency, said he took his cues from Swift and that she continued the meet-and-greet session, so he did not immediately intervene. When she finished meeting her fans, Dent said, Swift told her staff about the groping.

Swift gave an unflinching account of the incident when she took the witness stand on Thursday.

The pop superstar testified for about an hour on Thursday, sometimes using unflinching language in giving her account of what happened.

Swift used the word “ass” dozens of times on the witness stand as she told jurors that David Mueller reached under her skirt during a meet-and-greet photo op in 2013.

Earlier Friday, a photographer who took pictures of Taylor Swift during a meet-and-greet at which the star alleges he groped her, testified in U.S. District Court in Denver Thursday that she saw former radio host David Mueller grab the star’s bottom, according to The Denver Post.

“I saw her fall into the female, and she had a shocked look,” event photographer Stephanie Simbeck said, “and I saw his hand grab her ass.”

Report: iHM's Biggest Creditor Softens Stance

The biggest creditor of iHeartMedia is close to blinking in its nearly six-month stare-down with America’s largest owner of radio stations, The NYPost is reporting.

Mutual fund Franklin Resources is working with investment bank PJT Partners on a restructuring plan that could save iHM from bankruptcy — although it may ask for more cash guarantees and possibly a controlling equity stake in return, a source close to the situation tells The Post.

Franklin is preparing a proposal to present to fellow creditors and iHM as early as next week, a source close to the situation said.

Franklin, which owns $2.3 billion of iHeart’s $20 billion in debt, has until now taken the hard stance that it could get a better recovery in bankruptcy than by accepting a restructuring.

But Franklin’s adviser, PJT Partners, has recommended not pushing iHeart into bankruptcy, which would likely result in a sale of the most profitable of its 855 stations.

In addition to keeping iHeart’s best stations, Franklin’s restructuring plan also would likely leave in place iHeart Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman, the former MTV honcho who is generally liked by creditors, the source said.

In exchange, however, sources said Franklin may ask for creditors to get a majority stake in the business. Also, it might ask iHeart to issue new debt, perhaps as much as $1 billion, that would need to be paid first before equity holders could take any distributions or dividends, the source said.

There remains a possibility if Franklin’s ask is too stiff, iHeart will simply reject the offer and go bankrupt.

On Thursday, iHeart said it priced a $150 million bond offering that pays 8.75 percent interest so it can stay current with debt payments over the next several months.

“I don’t think iHeart would be raising these bonds unless they thought they were going to reach a restructuring deal,” the source said.

Taylor Swift Testifies: Intentional Grope Was 'A Very Long Grab'

“He had a handful of my ass. I know it was him. I thought what he did was despicable”  

“I am not going to allow your my client to make me feel like it is anyway my fault because it isn’t” 

"He had a handful of my ass"  

"I know it was him. I didn't need a photograph. I could have picked him out of a line of a thousand people. I know exactly who did this, this what happened. It happened to me. I know it was him'"

“I’m being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions. Not mine.”  

“Other than grabbing my ass against my will, underneath my skirt, and refusing to let go, he did not otherwise touch me inappropriately”

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift testified on Thursday she was subjected to a "very long" and "intentional" grope by a Colorado disc jockey who appeared to be drunk during a photo session four years ago.

According to Reuters, the 27-year-old pop star was testifying for the first time for a U.S. District Court jury weighing her accusation that David Mueller grabbed her bare buttocks during a pre-concert fan reception in 2013 against Mueller's assertion that she falsely accused him and then got him fired.

Swift spoke forcefully under questioning by Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland. She said several times, "Your client grabbed my ass," at one point calling it a "devious and sneaky act."

"It was a definite grab ... a very long grab," she said. "It was intentional. He stayed latched onto my bare ass cheek. I felt him grab onto my ass cheek under my skirt."

Mueller, 55, testified on Tuesday that he may have made innocent contact with Swift but denied any inappropriate behavior. Asked if he grabbed her backside, the former disc jockey for Denver radio station KYGO-FM replied, "No, I did not."

Swift spent an hour on the witness stand on Thursday and said it appeared both Mueller and his girlfriend, who stood on the other side of her for the photo, had "had a few cocktails."

The photograph, repeatedly displayed in court, shows the pop star in a black skirt and top, flanked by Mueller and his girlfriend, all three smiling for the camera. Mueller has his right hand concealed behind her rear end, and Swift appears to have shifted her hip slightly away from him.

Asked by McFarland why her bodyguard did not step in when "this big drunk guy" groped her, Swift replied: "No one could have expected this to happen. ... It had never happened before. It was horrifying and shocking."

Eddie Haskell (Denver Post photo)

Meanwhille, The Denver Post is reporting that before former radio host David Mueller is alleged to have groped Taylor Swift, KYGO was looking for another person to join him and his partner Ryan Kliesch, on “Ryno and Jackson,” one of his former bosses testified Thursday in U.S. District Court.

But the pair seemed to be lobbying for someone weak, who would “keep the show ‘Ryno and Jackson and the little lady,'” said Hershel Coomer, former programming manager at at Country KYGO.

Coomer said he presented them with a number of qualified candidates for the job from large radio markets, and they always chose the weakest.

When he flew in Tracy Dixon, a radio personality from San Francisco who is “amazing,” he said, they didn’t want her.

One day they came to his office, visibly excited, and said “We’ve got it. This lady who works at our Starbucks is so funny.”

“I said, that’s awesome, but I’m not going to hire a barista from Starbucks to do a morning show in the 18th biggest market in the country,” Coomer said.

Dixon now has a morning show on KYGO.

Coomer, who goes by his radio name “Eddie Haskell,” denied a story that Mueller told on the stand. In his testimony, Mueller said that on the night he allegedly grabbed Swift’s bottom during a meet-and-greet before the singer’s 2013 show at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Coomer told him that Swift had jumped into his arms and that he had held her by her rear end.

Radio Exec: Mueller Kept Changing His Story

David Mueller

The radio executive who fired the DJ accused of groping Taylor Swift in 2013 said he did so because of the photo of the alleged assault and a changing explanation.

Buzzfeed is reporting Robert Call, the vice president of radio station KYGO, told jurors in Denver Thursday that input from Swift’s liaison also influenced his decision to fire the DJ, David Mueller, “for touching Taylor’s rear end."

The photo, Call said, shows Mueller’s hand, “in my mind, without question, behind Ms. Swift’s rear end.”

He also said Mueller changed his story when confronted with the allegation, and that he trusted the account relayed to him by Swift’s respected radio liaison, Frank Bell.

“I had no reason to disbelieve what he was telling me,” Call said. “My understanding was that he had put his hand under her dress and grabbed her rear end.”

Mueller claims in his lawsuit that he lost his job over what he insists are false allegations. Swift countersued alleging sexual assault, which she testified to earlier in the day, telling jurors that Mueller "stayed latched onto my bare ass cheek” during a meet-and-greet photo op in 2013.

Court Narrative: Stations, Artists Need Each Other

Frank Bell

Of the many narratives coming out of the civil trial between singer Taylor Swift and former radio host David Mueller, one has slowly weaved its way throughout: The relationship between the radio station and the artist is an important one, and there is likely an imbalance of power, reports The Denver Post.

During his opening statements and through his line of questioning, Mueller’s attorney Gabe McFarland has depicted it as one where the popular megastar, such as Swift, holds the power over the station, which would scramble to keep the star in its good graces.

But the Swift team describes it another way. One where both the stars and their record labels have to work to get their music on the station’s airwaves.

With so many big names out there, there’s a lot of competition.

“For better or for worse, the radio stations have the power over the artists,” testified Frank Bell, who had 37 years in radio before going to work with Swift as her radio promotions manager. He is one of those being sued by Mueller in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Both sides need the other — the station for music and the artist for an outlet to fans. And the relationship between Swift and KYGO was temporarily put in a rough place.

Britney Spears Fan Rushes the Stage

A crazed man storms the stage in Las Vegas and Brit's team pounces to keep her safe.

Day 4 July PPMs Released By Nielsen

Nielsen on Thursday 8/10/17 Released The Final Day of July 2017 PPM Data for the following markets:

   34  Austin
t
   38  Raleigh-Durham NC

   39  Indianapolis

   41  Milwaukee-Racine

   43  Nashville
   
   44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket RI

   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 The Topline Numbers For Subscribing Nielsen Stations

Tune-In Raises Funds To Buy Content

TuneIn Inc., the online radio company, has raised $50 million to fund its growing portfolio of programming for a paid service that rivals Sirius XM Holdings Inc., the dominant player in satellite radio.

According to Bloomberg, the deal values TuneIn at about $500 million, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because the terms are private. Marker LLC, IVP and Comcast Ventures led the funding, which also included Sequoia Capital, Causeway Media Partners LLC and General Catalyst Partners LLC. The company has raised $140 million to date.

Tune-In will use the money to pay for rights to live sporting events and original programming like podcasts and music shows, which will help the company sign up more customers for a two-year-old subscription service. Paying subscribers can listen to live streams of games from major U.S. sports leagues, as well as foreign sports. Two-thirds of Tune-In users hail from outside the U.S.

“Two years ago we launched a premium subscription with a play by play of every game from every league, home and away, with worldwide rights for every connected device,” Chief Executive Officer John Donham said in an interview. “It turns out those deals are not cheap. We’re excited about building a subscription base. But in the mean time, we’re paying for that content.”

Founded in 2002, San Francisco-based TuneIn offers thousands of radio stations on demand for free to more than 75 million users. Fans of talk radio, sports and music can find their favorite stations and sample offerings that are unique to TuneIn, such as a temporary station for the Outside Lands music festival and an interview with reggae star Damian Marley.

The company needs more of those listeners to pay for its premium service, which adds audio books, live sporting events and commercial-free music channels for $9.99 a month. The company, which isn’t yet profitable, declined to say how many paying customers it has.

Denver Radio: Aaron Seller Joins KYGO Morning Show

Aaron Seller

Bonneville Country 98.5 KYGO/Denver has added Aaron “Goose” Seller to its morning line-up joining Tracy Dixon and Guy David from 5a-9am.

“With the addition of ‘Goose’ we now have all the pieces of what will be a great morning show for the Denver audience for years to come” says PD John E. Kage.

Seller adds; “I want to thank OM Bobby Irwin and GM Scott Jones for an awesome 10 years in Colorado Springs. I would also like to thank Cumulus EVPP Mike McVay and RVP Doug Hammond for everything they have done.”

KYGO 98.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage

Goose joins KYGO from KKPK 92.9 Peak FM in Colorado Springs where he has handled wake up duties the past 10 years, also spending time in mornings with KKMG 98.9.

Milwaukee Radio: Tony Hess Joins WMYX For Mornings

Tony Hess

Entercom Milwaukee announced today that WMYX 99.1 FM The Mix will debut a new morning show named “Elizabeth and Radar,” hosted by Mix veteran Elizabeth Kay and the new WMYX member, Tony ‘Radar” Hess. The new show will be on air weekdays beginning Monday, August 14 from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

“I am excited for the new morning show and I am confident that Elizabeth and Radar will bring the energy our listeners crave in the morning,” said Brian Kelly, Vice President of Operations, Entercom Milwaukee. “Radar has been a part of waking up Milwaukee for the past 17 years and is extremely embedded in the community. I can’t think of a better match to join Elizabeth Kay.”

“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to work with Radar again,” added Kay. “Our paths crossed early on in my career, and I have always had great respect for him as a radio host, and who he is as a person. The Mix listeners will have a show they’ll be able to relate to and enjoy for many years to come.”

WMYX 99.1 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“So very grateful for the opportunity at The Mix,” said Hess. “I stay in radio, and stay local.  This only happens in dreams…don’t wake me up.”

Atlanta Radio: Scott Gaines Joins WKHX For PM Drive, APD

Scott Gaines

Cumulus Media has announced that it has appointed radio programming professional and on-air personality Scott Gaines as Afternoon Host and Assistant Program Director for Country radio station Kicks 101.5/WKHX in Atlanta, GA.

Gaines moves from Cumulus Media-Memphis, where he was Afternoon Host for Country station Kix 106/WGKX. Gaines will debut on Kicks 101.5 on September 5, 2017. His show will air weekdays from 3pm-7pm. In addition to his new role at Kicks 101.5,

Gaines has over 20 years’ radio experience and was previously Afternoon Personality for Cumulus Media-Dallas’ Country station, 95.5 NASH Icon/WSM-FM. He was also Afternoon Drive Host, Assistant Program Director and Music Director for 106.7 THE FOX/WDTW-FM in Detroit, MI. Gaines holds a B.A. degree in Communication/Radio/Television from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Sean Shannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Atlanta, said: “It’s exciting to see a person of Scott’s caliber join Kicks 101.5. Our listeners, clients and partners and staff all win with this move.”

WKHX 101.5 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Scott Lindy, Program Director, Kicks 101.5, said: “The high level of Scott’s talent, experience and dedication to the craft of creating great radio is a perfect fit for Kicks 101.5. Our listeners are in for a treat and we’re gaining a very strong internal player. Scott will do great things in Atlanta.”

Gaines said: “I want to thank Morgan Bohannon and Duane Shannon for making Cumulus-Memphis a great place to work. My thanks go out to Mike McVay and John Dimick for affording me this opportunity. I’ve only met Cumulus-Atlanta VP/Market Manager Sean Shannon once in my life and can already see why his leadership has created a winning team. I’ve been a huge fan of Scott Lindy’s and am honored to join his team at the legendary Kicks 101.5.”

Flint MI Radio: Nancy Dymond To Manage Cumulus Cluster

Nancy Dymond

Cumulus Media has announced that it has appointed Nancy Dymond as Vice President/Market Manager for the company’s five-station cluster in Flint, MI.

Dymond is a deeply experienced radio broadcasting executive, with over 30 years’ as a Market Manager/General Manager, in markets including Flint, Lansing and Saginaw, MI; Erie, PA; and Toledo, OH.

The appointment marks Dymond’s return to Cumulus Media-Flint, where she served as Market Manager from 2000-2004. She was most recently Market Manager for Community Broadcasters’ five-station cluster in Watertown, NY. Prior to that, she was General Manager for Max Media of PA’s Susquehanna Valley, PA, stations and was also General Manager of Connoisseur Media-Erie, PA.

Chris Monk, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-Saginaw/Flint/Ann Arbor, said: "It's great to have Nancy back in Flint. This is a market she knows and it's an area she loves. Nancy is the perfect person to lead our Flint team."

Dymond said: “I couldn't be more excited to be home and work with such a great community and stations.”

Cumulus Media-Flint owns and operates NASH-FM 95.1/WFBE-FM (Country); SuperTalk 1570/WWCK-AM (News/Talk); Z92.7/WDZZ-FM (Urban AC); Sports Xtra 1330/WTRX-AM (Sports/Talk); and CK 105.5/WWCK-FM (Top 40/CHR).

Bill O'Reilly Launches Webcast

Bill O'Reilly debuted a 30-minute webcast on Wednesday, marking his return to an on-camera role after being ousted from Fox News earlier this year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 30-minute-long news show, shot inside a studio and made available online to premium subscribers to his website. The show will then be made available to the non-paying public on Thursday.

For the last few months, since leaving Fox News, O'Reilly has produced a daily No Spin News podcast that's available only to subscribers. The goal of the studio show, he said at the end of the program, is to "bring everybody into the annual premium membership fold and spread the word."

Compared to the short-sleeve golf shirt he normally wears when taping his podcast, O'Reilly was dressed in a suit and wore a dress shirt made by a company that he advertised at the end of the show. During a commercial break, he advertised his stage show with Dennis Miller and his ever-growing catalogue of history books.

Topically, it was a standard O'Reilly program. He interviewed two guests via Skype, the first radio and TV host Michael Smerconish and the second syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette, who had called O'Reilly "the king of cable" in a "farewell" column in April.

Smerconish, who has a daily show on SiriusXM radio and hosts a show on CNN on Saturdays, was introduced as an "old pal" of O'Reilly.

O'Reilly has been promoting his online TV debut for weeks, though some have questioned whether he can make an OTT offering work. He admitted, in an Aug. 3 podcast, that older viewers might not be comfortable watching his show on a computer.

Michael Smerconish

In the same episode last week, O'Reilly discussed his future and said that he has "a lot of offers, luckily" to return to television, if he so chooses. He said he will begin to consider the offers this fall, most likely in early September. "I'm not in a hurry," he said of a potential return to TV. "It's a nasty, dirty game. If I get back in, I'll be attacked. I know that. I have my attorneys ready to go."

During the live webcast, O’Reilly welcomed his “Philadelphia bud” Michael Smerconish, a SiriusXM host (formerly with Talk WPHT 210 AM) and Inquirer columnist.  O'Reilly brought up CNN, which he described as part of the “Hate Trump media” overflowing with “hour after hour of speculation” involving claims of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Smerconish, who hosts a weekend program on CNN, said he thought some personalities on the network and at other news outlets may go overboard at times.

“I think there have been people out there who have been lying in wait for this president since before the inauguration,” Smerconish said, “I think there are some who go after him and make it their livelihood to do so.”

But, reports philly.com,  Smerconish stopped short of saying CNN as a network was attempting to undermine Trump, as O’Reilly and others have claimed.

O'Reilly will appear on Michael Smerconish's CNN program sometime in September. The appearance will be part of a promotional campaign for O'Reilly's next book in the "Killing" series, "Killing England," which will hit bookshelves next month. O'Reilly has often appeared on other channels while promoting his books, though he has never appeared on CNN before.

Denver Radio: Steffan Tubbs OUT At iHM's KOA

Steffan Tubbs

New/Talk KOA 850 AM announced Thursday that host Steffan Tubbs will no longer be part of their morning news program.

According to KDVR Fox31TV, Steffan Tubbs was arrested on July 30  and has pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges.

Tubbs, 48, has been a regular fixture on the station’s morning news show for nearly 12 years.

“Steffan Tubbs will no longer be part of Colorado’s Morning News on KOA. We appreciate all of his contributions during his time with us and wish him well,” Tim Hager with iHeartMedia stated. “The morning show will continue on schedule with April Zesbaugh and guest host Ed Greene beginning the week of 8/14.”

Tubbs has been charged with domestic violence, disturbance via phone. Legal expert David Beller said the charge means a suspect is accused of using a telephone to harass a victim.

Tubbs’ attorney stated in court that the alleged victim has two domestic violence cases pending where she is listed as the defendant and Tubbs is listed as the victim.

A judge agreed to release Tubbs on $250 bond, but ordered enhanced supervision — meaning he will have to check in with someone.

Miami Radio: Sports Host Ethan Skolnick Arrested

Ethan Skolnick

Recently departed WAXY 790 The Ticket afternoon host and NBA writer Ethan Skolnick was arrested Wednesday. The 44-year old resident of Miramar, was charged with battering his 70-year-old father in Boca Raton, according to a police report.

Skolnick’s mother Shelly, called 911 around 11am ET to report that her son was punching his father, Louis, in the face and arms. Police had been called to the residence earlier in the day, when Skolnick’s estranged wife contacted police to check on him. The Miami sports media personality cooperated with authorities during that visit, but later “went nuts”, believing his parents had contacted the police.

The fracas resulted in a bloodied nostril and torn shirt for Skolnick’s father. He told police that his son punched him on the left side of his face and left arm, and a visible bruise on his arm was from a previous altercation one week earlier.

(H/T: Sportsradiopd.com)

Chattanooga Radio: Charges Dropped Against WGOW's Jim Reynolds

Jim Reynolds

Recent charges against local radio personality Jim Reynolds were dropped Thursday.

Authorities got called to Jim Reynolds’ home in Ooltewah last week. At the time, his wife told officers her husband grabbed and pushed one of their daughters.

Reynolds was originally charged with aggravated child abuse and aggravated assault.

Evidence presented led the District Attorney to believe that this was not a case to be prosecuted.

The Hamilton County District Attorney’s office says the charges have now been dropped, and that Reynolds volunteered to attend anger management classes without the court ordering him to do so.

Reynolds is hoped to be back on air soon with TalkRadio WGOW 102.3 FM.