December 10 Radio History

➦In 1889...actor Ray Collins was born in Sacramento.  Although best remembered as Lt. Tragg in 86 episodes of TV’s Perry Mason, he was a prominent member of Orson Welles Mercury Players beginning in radio.  He played 3 roles in CBS Radio’s legendary 1938 War of the Worlds. For several seasons he played Commissioner Weston on Mutual Radio’s The Shadow.   He died of emphysema July 11 1965 at age 75.

David Brinkley, Chet Huntley

➦In 1911...Chet (Chester Robert) Huntley was born in Cardwell Montana.  His radio career began at KIRO Seattle & continued in radio newsrooms in Spokane & Portland, before joining first CBS Radio in Los Angeles, then ABC, as well as narrating Movietone Newsreels.  He was viewed as “another Ed Murrow” when he was hired by NBC Radio.  After teaming successfully with David Brinkley to cover the 1956 political conventions on television, the pair were assigned to co-anchor the TV Nightly News for the next 14 years as The Huntley-Brinkley Report.   

He succumbed to lung cancer March 20 1975 at the age of 63.  “Good night Chet .. Good night David ..And Good night for NBC News.”

➦In 1913...pianist, composer, conductor, and arranger Morton Gould was born at Richmond Hill NY.  In the 1930’s & 40’s he was musical director for national programs originating at WOR Mutual, and CBS Radio.  He moved on to composing Broadway & Hollywood film scores, winning a Grammy & Pulitzer Award along the way.   Gould died Feb 21, 1996 at age 82.

➦In 1914...actress/singer Dorothy Lamour was born in New Orleans.  In the early 30’s she had her own quarter-hour NBC radio show out of Chicago, and in the late 40’s she was singing hostess of NBC’s weekly Sealtest Variety Theatre from Hollywood. Besides her movie career, which included the “Road” series with Bob Hope & Bing Crosby, she made guest appearances on numerous TV series, including Damon Runyon Theatre, the Steve Allen Show, Burke’s Law, I Spy, Name of the Game, Marcus Welby MD, Hart to Hart, & Murder She Wrote.  She died of a heart attack Sep 22, 1996 at age 81.

DeFord Bailey, the Opry's First Star

➦In 1927...The Grand Ole Opry originated its first radio broadcast from Nashville, Tennessee.


➦In 1955...Johnny Cash met his future wife June Carter while in Shreveport for his first appearance on the KWKH's "Louisiana Hayride" radio show.


➦In 1961...One week after first meeting with Brian Epstein to discuss his taking over as the Beatles' manager, John, Paul, George and Pete Best were back in Epstein's office for a second interview. The band was now eager to listen to Epstein's proposal following a booking the night before where they played to only 18 people. After being assured that they were not expected to change their musical style, John spoke for the others, saying, "Right then, Brian, manage us!"



Beatles' Manager Brian Epstein is interviewed in New York City by Murray the K for WOR-FM Radio in March 1967.


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➦In 1963..."The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" featured a story about the new British pop music sensations, the Beatles. The report originally had been scheduled to air November 22 but was delayed because of extended news coverage of the presidential assassination.




➦In 1963...Donny Osmond made his debut with the Osmonds on The Andy Williams Show on NBC.


➦In 1967...26-year-old Otis Redding and four members of his band, the Bar-Kays, are killed when their tour plane crashes into a frozen near Madison, WI. Three days earlier, Redding had recorded what was to be his breakthough pop hit, "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay.


➦In 1980...The body of John Lennon was cremated at the Ferncliff Mortuary in Hartsdale, New York and his ashes were given to his widow Yoko Ono, who reportedly took them back to her Dakota apartment.

Gosden and Correll

➦In 1982...Freeman Gosden, the U.S. radio actor who portrayed "Amos" in the radio hit, "Amos 'n' Andy", died at age 83.

Gosden was born in Richmond, Virginia. During World War I he served in the United States Navy as a wireless operator, which prompted his great interest in the young medium of radio.

Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll

In 1921, Gosden first teamed up with Charles Correll to do radio work, presenting comedy acts, sketches, and hosting variety shows. They met in Durham, North Carolina, both working for the Joe Bren Producing Company. Their first regular show came in 1925 with their WEBH Chicago show Correll and Gosden, the Life of the Party. On this show the two told jokes, sang, and played music.

In 1926, Gosden and Correll had a hit with their radio show Sam & Henry on Chicago radio station WGN. Sam & Henry is considered by some historians to have been the first situation comedy.

From 1928 to 1960, Gosden and Correll broadcast their Amos 'n' Andy show, which was one of the most famous and popular shows on radio in the 1930s. Gosden voiced the characters "Amos", "George 'Kingfish' Stevens", "Lightning", "Brother Crawford", and some dozen other characters.

In 1969, Gosden was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio.

➦In 2004...One of three RCA microphones, used during 50 mid-1950s performances by Elvis Presley for the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show on KWKH in Shreveport, was sold for $37,500.

Nielsen, Cumulus Media Reach New Agreement

Nielsen has announced that Cumulus Media has signed a multi-year extension for radio ratings services for all Portable People Meter (PPM) and radio diary measured markets. Westwood One, the largest radio network in the U.S. and the national-facing arm of Cumulus Media, is also included in this agreement. This multi-year agreement provides Nielsen’s radio and network radio ratings services for Cumulus and Westwood One’s 446 radio stations across 90 local markets.

The deal comes amid a bankruptcy filing this past week, which indicated Cumulus Media is in arrears to Nielsen for $6.6M.

“Despite the abundance of media options, radio continues to lead the way in reach and ROI. We are excited to extend our agreement with Nielsen so that we can continue to leverage their vast datasets and analytical insights to provide the proof that we do indeed deliver the highest ROI of any local media to our advertisers,” said Bob Walker, Executive Vice President Operations, Cumulus Media.

In addition to extending Nielsen’s core audio ratings services, Cumulus and Westwood One will continue to have access to local qualitative behavioral data from Nielsen Scarborough, enhanced talent analytics from Nielsen N-Score and national networks ratings from Nielsen RADAR. As part of the agreement, Westwood One will extend its use of Nielsen Marketing Cloud and Pointlogic for enhanced purchase-based marketing and media planning functions.

“We are pleased to extend our audio measurement agreement with Cumulus Media,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director, Nielsen Audio. “This extension is a symbol of the mutual respect and trust that exists between Nielsen and Cumulus, and we believe that our measurement services will enable Cumulus to tell their complete audience story to their advertisers and capture their fair share of media ad dollars.”

Nielsen is committed to total audience measurement and audio is big piece of that story as it reaches more than 90% of American adults every week. Radio’s unmatched reach is a great appeal to marketers that want to connect with broad-based consumers and increase the effectiveness of their advertising.

St. Louis Radio: KSLZ Adds Jordan For Mornings

Jordan

KSLZ  Z107.7 FM, St. Louis’ #1 Hit Music Station, has announced the debut of “St. Louis’ Most Hit Music in the Morning with Jordan,” effective Monday, December 11.

“St. Louis’ Most Hit Music in the Morning with Jordan” will broadcast weekdays from 5am-10am. Hosted by local radio veteran Jordan, the new show will feature the latest in local and national entertainment news in addition to hit music from artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Demi Lovato, Sam Smith, Niall Horan and more.

“Jordan is one of the best radio talents in the industry,” said A.J., Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia St. Louis. “Moving him to mornings will help write the next chapter in Z107.7 history. During his time in St. Louis, Jordan has had tremendous success with afternoons and we are very excited for him to host a fun, compelling and local morning show for St. Louis.”

KSLZ 107.7 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“To say that I’m deeply humbled to have the opportunity to lead mornings on Z107.7 would be an incredible understatement,” said Jordan. “To our passionate iHeartMedia St. Louis family, thank you for your trust and belief. This sure is a dream come true.”

Apple In Talks To Acquire Shazam

Apple Inc is in talks to acquire Shazam Entertainment Ltd, whose software helps users identify songs by pointing their phone at an audio source, according to a Reuters story citing a person familiar with the situation.

Shazam’s smartphone app is already tightly integrated with Apple’s Siri digital assistant. Users of Apple’s iPhone with the Shazam app installed can say: “Hey Siri, what’s that song?” and the app will identify it. But Shazam has other features, such as the ability to identify television shows, that do not yet work with Siri.

Tech news website TechCrunch reported the talks earlier, writing that Apple could pay about $400 million for Shazam and that a deal could be signed as early as next week.

An acquisition of Shazam could help bolster Apple’s music efforts by making it easier for users to find songs and add them to playlists in its Apple Music service. As of mid-2017, Apple Music had 27 million subscribers, behind rival music streaming service Spotify’s 60 million users.

CNN Eats Crow Over Trump Jr, Wikileaks Story

CNN issued a correction on Friday about a story that said someone identified as "Mike Erickson" sent Trump Jr., his father and others in the Trump Organization a website address for hacked WikiLeaks documents.

CNBC reports the media organization had reported that the email included information about hacked emails from former Secretary of State Colin Powell 10 days before those emails were leaked by the website DCLeaks.com.

The Washington Post reported later Friday that the email was sent on Sept. 14, which was a full 10 days later than described in the CNN report. The Post's report suggested that the information offered in the email may have been publicly available at the time it was sent.

NBC News and The Wall Street Journal also reported Friday that the email was sent Sept. 14. The Wall Street Journal wrote that Michael Erickson has no apparent connection to WikiLeaks.

CNN's correction confirmed that the email was sent Sept. 14.

"We understand that the media reported 12 hours prior to this email that the DNC emails had been hacked or leaked," Trump Jr.'s attorney, Alan Futerfas told CNN. He said his team does not know who Erickson is and did not respond to the email.

WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange denied having a role in the email.

"It's not clear what this has to do with @WikiLeaks," he wrote. "Many enthusiastic readers emailed around archives of our publications during the election."

Following the report in The Washington Post, Assange wrote that the CNN story was "100% fake news."

I know you can’t help but spread #fakenews @cnn, but now that you know the truth you should have the decency to retract the false story, make the correction, take down the bs tweet, and apologize to the 2 or 3 people that still believe you to be credible #yourewelcome https://t.co/bjL6mSdaii

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 8, 2017

Friday's correction is not the first high-profile error in recent memory for CNN. Earlier this year, the network retracted a story about former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Three journalists, including the executive editor in charge of the network's new investigative unit, resigned their positions after the publication of that story.

CNN's error also comes on the heels of a major correction from ABC News. Last Friday, ABC News' Brian Ross reported based on one source that Michael Flynn was prepared to testify that as a candidate Trump instructed him to make contact with Russians. That report, which ABC News has said was not fully vetted through its editorial standards process, was later corrected to say that Flynn was prepared to testify the instruction came while Trump was president-elect. ABC News has since suspended Ross for four weeks without pay.

A CNN spokesperson said there will not be disciplinary action in this case because the reporters followed CNN's editorial standards process, which requires review and approval of the use of anonymous sources.

SiriusXM Upsets Libs

A bevy of SiriusXM hosts came out in defense of free speech and the satellite radio giant after former Vermont governor Howard Dean and actor Seth Rogan threatened to cancel their SiriusXM subscriptions in protest of the network naming Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon host of its daily radio program Breitbart News Daily.

Dean slammed SiriusXM for the move in a tweet Friday, linking to the network’s tweet announcing the news:

You should be ashamed of yourselves. I will not renew my subscription. https://t.co/Hy0XePeRI2

— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) December 7, 2017

Rogen pledged to pull out of scheduled interviews on SiriusXM satellite radio in protest of Bannon return as a regular host on the platform.

I was supposed to do a press tour on @SIRIUSXM on teusday but I'm no longer doing it because I can't bring myself to appear on the same service that has decided to support Steve Bannon. Apologies to the shows I had to cancel. And fuck Steve Bannon.

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) December 8, 2017

Dean’s tweet, however, sparked intense pushback from several SiriusXM hosts, many of them imploring the former presidential candidate to redouble his efforts to win debates for liberal Democrats instead of attempting to stifle the freedom of speech of his political opponents.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, SiriusXM spokesman Patrick Reilly said: “Since its inception, SiriusXM has promised to deliver a diversity of opinions and viewpoints, from conservative to progressive to everything in between.”

“SiriusXM takes no political position of our own across our more than 175 channels, but we are here to provide an open forum no matter where listeners stand on the political spectrum. Free speech is vitally important,” the statement said. “We ardently believe that by allowing a virtually unlimited platform of viewpoints, we are doing our best to uphold that core value.”

ESPN Posts Viewing Gains From Streaming

While there continues to be concern over measuring live video streaming for traditional TV networks, ESPN says it is seeing early positive results from Nielsen’s new Total Live Audience metric, according to MediaPost.

From September 25 though November 12, 2017, ESPN says live video streaming and out-of-home viewing (OOH) has added 14% more audience overall to ESPN’s traditional TV viewing totals, across both total day and prime time.

Among the adult 25-54 demographic, Nielsen C3 ratings -- the average commercial minute rating plus three days of time-shifted viewing -- witnessed an 18% gain for ESPN by including live streaming and out-of-home viewing.

Millennial viewers 18-34 were up 23% in total day viewing and 28% in prime time.

When looking at year-over-year results, adding in these live streaming/OOH results now means millennial viewers have been boosted 4% for total day and 13% more in primetime over the same period a year before.

ESPN also says millennials drive 46% of all ESPN streaming. Females make up 34% of all millennial OOH viewing. Millennial females increased by more than 12% when including OOH viewing.

ESPN says streaming of ESPN programming on ABC broadcasts is not currently included in Nielsen Total Live Audience.

In the third quarter, ESPN was in fifth place among all cable TV networks in prime time, averaging 1.4 million overall TV viewers. As with other cable TV networks, ESPN has seen a decline in its overall subscribers, and now sits at 87 million subscribers, according to one estimate.

NYTimes Declares 2018 'The Year of The Audience'

The New York Times is adding three positions to develop its audience strategy to “ensure our audience is at the core of our work” going into 2018. That's per a memo from the NYT’s executive editor Dean Baquet, managing editor Joe Kahn, editorial page editor James Bennet and deputy managing editor Cliff Levy.

MediaPost reports The NYT has 2.5 million digital subscriptions, 1 million print subscriptions and more than 130 million monthly readers, according to its third-quarter earnings. That is double the audience the newspaper had two years ago.

But the top editors at the NYT say they “have more work to do if we’re going realize our ambitions of reaching still more people with Times journalism and adding millions of subscribers in the years ahead."

In October 2015, the publication said it was aiming to double digital revenue to $800 million by 2020 (from $400 million in 2014). It emphasized the need to increase subscriptions and engage with loyal readers.

In the memo released Friday, the NYT editors declared 2018 “the year of audience.” They said the company would work on “developing an even clearer view of who we’re going after, how we can best compete for their time and attention..." The larger goal is to demonstrate to readers that "Times journalism is so valuable it’s worth paying for.”

The NYT is hiring a newsroom audience director, an off-platform editor and an on-platform editor to lead these efforts.

The newsroom audience director will develop a strategy to understand the newspaper's audience and advise on coverage and distribution. The off-platform editor will oversee programming and distribution across channels like Facebook and Twitter. The on-platform editor will be tasked with programming across desktop and mobile home screens, push notifications and recirculation.

Boston Herald Sold, Files Bankruptcy

Boston Herald Publisher Patrick J. Purcell announced Friday that the media company with its flagship Boston Herald tabloid has reached an agreement with GateHouse Media, LLC for them to acquire the company's operational assets. The purchase is subject to court approval.

The announcement came as Purcell gathered management and staff in the Herald newspaper's offices on Fargo Street in Boston's Seaport District. He spoke first with his long-time management team and immediately following with staff from across all departments.

In a simultaneous letter to employees, Purcell wrote: "I am very proud of the spectacular management team with whom I have worked hand in hand over the years. And I am equally as proud of the excellent staff in all areas of our company who have worked tirelessly to make the Boston Herald a relevant and respected provider of local and regional news for Boston and the area.

"Boston is a better city for the Herald's unique and fearless local reporting. Because of all of you, we are well known for our influential political, community, business and sports coverage across the region and beyond."

The Herald (BHI), hindered like many other newspapers with significant pension and retirement liabilities as well as declining revenue with the onset of digital media and a growing variety of news originators and aggregators, had some 900 employees at its peak in 2000. Today it has 240; more than 120 of them work in the newsroom.

BHI filed a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition today in the District of Delaware to maximize the value of the company and its assets by selling the business as a going concern under the supervision of the Bankruptcy Court.

The company contemplates that the sale will allow the operation to continue, providing the greatest stability for employees, customers and vendors; as well as the best return to unsecured creditors.

Purcell told employees gathered that the company would continue its day-to-day operations, providing breaking news to its daily newspaper readers and online consumers as usual.

The Boston Herald's roots date back to 1846 when it was a single two-sided sheet of news published by a group of Boston printers. In more recent times, the media company has been anchored by the 64,500-circulation Herald, known for its eye-catching Page 1 photos and headlines, and also has a loyal online following at BostonHerald.com and on its Herald Radio platform. 

GateHouse Media, headquartered in Pittsford, NY, is one of the largest publishers of locally-based media in the United States. In Massachusetts alone, it publishes the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the Cape Cod Times, The Patriot Ledger and more than 100 other weekly and daily newspapers.

By filing for bankruptcy protections, and even with a purchase agreement with GateHouse, the court requires BHI to hold an auction to allow all potential buyers an opportunity to submit competing offers.

Even Santa Claus Has Alexa Skills

Ho, ho, ho! The holidays are here and we’re all preparing to gather ’round the old Amazon Echo to celebrate the miracle of AI with our loved ones. With its newest update, Alexa hosts Santa Clause who’ll help Echo owners find the perfect seasonal music.

According to thenextweb.com, Amazon’s virtual assistant now responds to “talk to Santa Claus” across all supported devices. When prompted it’ll summon Santa himself to spread holiday cheer by asking what kind of Christmas music you’re interested in listening to.

The jolly one even hosts one of the stations, North Pole Radio on iHeartRadio.

“Talk to Santa Claus” works without having to enable any skills in the app or on Amazon’s website. Alexa will respond to several other holiday commands, including:

• What do you want for Christmas?
• Is Santa Claus real? / Do you believe in Santa? / Is there a Santa?
• Where does Santa Claus live? / What is Santa Claus’ full address?
• How old is Santa Claus?
• Sing me a Christmas Carol
• What can you tell me about Santa’s reindeer?
• What do you know about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
• Who’s your favorite reindeer?
• What is the true meaning of Christmas?

Kids should get a kick out of interacting with Alexa and Santa, and if parents get tired of hearing the same thing over and over there’s always the world of skills.

The “NORAD Tracks Santa” skill is a fun way to stoke excitement leading up to Christmas Eve. Another nifty skill worth enabling is “Santa Claus,” which will help you determine if you’ve been naughty or nice this year.

Disney Music Executive Charged with Child Sex Abuse

Jon Heely

Jon Heely, the director of music publishing at Disney, has been charged with three felony counts of child sexual abuse.

The 58-year-old Heely is accused of sexually abusing two underage girls approximately a decade ago. He allegedly victimized the first girl when she was 15. According to the charges, he began abusing the second when she was about 11 years old and continued until she was 15.

In a statement, a Disney spokesman said the company suspended Heely late on Friday, after being informed of the charges.

“Immediately upon learning of this situation tonight, he has been suspended without pay until the matter is resolved by the courts,” the spokesman said.

Heely was arrested on Nov. 16 by deputies from the Santa Clarita station of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Booking records indicate he was later released on $150,000 bail.

Heely’s attorney, Robert Helfend, denied the charges.

“He vehemently denies these allegations and we will be fighting until the end to clear his name,” Helfend said. “It’s a shame, that’s all I’ve got to say.”

December 9 Radio History

➦In 1902...announcer/actor Brace Beemer, the voice of radio’s Lone Ranger for more than 13 years, was born in Mount Carmel Illinois.

He had been the announcer on the WXYZ Detroit production from early in the series (1933), and assumed the title role when the program’s early star, Earle Graser, was killed in a car accident in 1941.  Beemer starred in more than 3,000 episodes of the youth-oriented western radio adventure.

He died after a heart attack March 1 1965 at age 62.

➦In 1933...Talk show host Morton Downey Jr. was born in Los Angeles.  Unsuccessful as a pop & country singer, in the 1960’s he turned to deejaying at radio stations in Bakersfield, San Diego, and Miami as “Doc Downey the DJ.”

He perfected the abrasive, right-wing populist style of talk radio at Sacramento’s KFBK before transferring it to TV out of New York. (He was replaced at KFBK by Rush Limbaugh.)

Downey died from lung cancer Mar 12, 2001 at age 67.


➦In 1940...the radio panel show that originated with joke-telling sessions at the Friar’s Club, Can You Top This debuted on WOR New York.  It would hit the networks 22 months later, and run on first NBC, then Mutual, ABC, and then NBC again, until 1954.


➦In 1940...The Longines Watch Company became the first FM radio advertiser when it signed a contract with W2XOR in New York City, an experimental station.

➦In 1968...Douglas Engelbart demonstrates the computer mouse

➦In 1977...Gene Klavan last show at WNEW 1130 AM NYC.

Klavan is most known for his time as half of the morning program "Klavan and Finch." The program ran from 1952 to 1968; prior to 1952, Dee Finch had co-hosted the show with Gene Rayburn. Co-host Finch departed and Klavan continued solo until 1977.



He wrote a biography in 1964, "We Die at Dawn", that largely focused on the morning show. He followed it up in 1972 with "Turn That Damned Thing Off", a book about the news media industry. In 1977 he moved to 710 WOR and left radio in 1980. He later became a commentator at WCBS-TV, a host for the AMC channel, and a columnist for Newsday.


➦In 1998...CBS Corp. raised $2.9 billion by selling a 17 percent stake in Infinity Broadcasting Corp., its radio and outdoor advertising business. The initial public offering of stock was the largest ever in the media industry.

➦In 2004...Boston radio listeners lost one of that city's most listened to and respected talk show hosts, David Brudnoy, who succumbed to cancer. During his career, he worked at WBZ 1030 AM, WHDH-AM, and WRKO-AM. He was 64.

David Brudnoy

Brudnoy began a career in broadcast commentary in 1971 on Boston's local PBS television station, WGBH-TV.

In 1976, David Brudnoy took over as host of his friend Avi Nelson's radio show on WHDH, in the midst of the city's unrest over forced busing and desegregation in schools. He took to the job with ease, and increasingly gained popularity. From 1981 to 1986, he appeared on former Top 40 WRKO, which was now news and talk, before moving to local stalwart WBZ. The top-rated talk radio host in New England, he appeared in a regular weekday evening slot until his retirement. At the end of his career, Brudnoy was among the most-listened-to evening talk hosts in the United States.

Over the years, Brudnoy also appeared as a news commentator and host on local TV stations besides WGBH, including WCVB-TV (ABC), WNAC-TV, and WBZ-TV (CBS). He also appeared nationally on the CBS Morning News. He wrote movie reviews for Boston magazine and local community newspapers. During the 1970s he wrote articles for the National Review, and befriended its editor William F. Buckley.  He also wrote for The Alternative (later known as The American Prospect) in the early 1970s, but quit because of the editor's unwillingness to adopt a more liberal position on gay rights.   His articles have appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic, and the Saturday Evening Post.

In 1990, his WBZ show was canceled, but a mass public response, including a letter writing campaign sponsored by The Boston Globe, helped lead to his quick return to the station's lineup.

Brudnoy's popularity escalated him into the Boston media elite, and he was the host of numerous social gatherings at his upscale Back Bay apartment, mixing students, media personalities, and politicians. After his bout with AIDS, Brudnoy began broadcasting from his apartment four nights out of five, welcoming his radio guests into his home.

His popularity in Boston was so great that when he returned to the air in early January 1995, after his first battle with HIV/AIDS kept him off the air for ten weeks, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino formally declared January 5 as "David Brudnoy Day."

Brudnoy was awarded the Freedom of Speech Award from the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts, and nominated for the "Personality of the Year" Marconi Award, both in 1997.

In 2001, he celebrated his 25th anniversary on the air.


➦In 2016…St. Louis broadcaster (KSD-Radio, KSD-TV) Clif St. James, a TV weatherman who also played children's show character Corky the Clown for 26 years, died of complications from pneumonia at 91.

Chicago Radio: Delilah Returns To WLIT

iHeartMedia's WLIT 93.9 FM The New LITE FM has announced the return of  syndicated personality Delilah. She joins the iHeartMedia AC outlet weekdays from 7-11pm.

With more than 150 radio stations, she's the most listened-to woman on radio in the U.S. Delilah has quite a resume, winning a Marconi Award, being inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame.

"I'm so excited to be back on the radio every evening in the Chicago area," said Delilah. "The New 93.9 Lite FM is the perfect place to reconnect with so many listeners and pick up where we left off. It's an early Christmas present!"

WLIT 93.9 FM (4 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

"Delilah is a living legend in the radio industry," added iHeartMedia Market Group Chicago Region President Matt Scarano. "I am so excited to have Delilah back on 93.9 Lite FM. Her passion for her craft and the deep connection she has with our audience make Delilah the perfect choice."

Bakersfield Radio: The Woody Show Arrives At KRAB

iHeartMedia’s KRAB 106.1, Bakersfield’s Alternative, announced Thursday the debut of The Woody Show, effective December 11, 2017. The top-rated morning show will broadcast Monday through Friday from 5 – 10 a.m. PT, and Saturdays from 6 – 10 a.m. PT.

The Woody Show is highly-interactive, socially-engaging appointment radio.  Featuring Woody, along with co-hosts Ravey, Greg Gory, Menace and Sebas, The Woody Show is described by listeners as “authentic,” “raw,” “unapologetic” and “recess/happy hour on the radio.” In 2016, the popular program was a NAB Marconi Radio Award finalist for “Major Market Personality of the Year,” and it was launched into national syndication by Premiere Networks in 2017. Fans can follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“You normally would want to keep KRAB(s) off your Woody, but yet, Woody on KRAB has a nice ring to it,” said Woody. “Thanks to Steve Geofferies, Danny Spanks and the entire iHeart Bakersfield team for letting us crash their party.”

“106.1 KRAB Radio is thrilled to have one of iHeartMedia’s brightest stars join our team,” said Danny Spanks, KRAB-FM Program Director. “The Woody Show is going to take us to a whole new level of content and entertainment for our listeners!”

KRAB 106.1 Fm (25 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

“Alternative is heating up as a format all over the nation right now, and we are very excited to bring The Woody Show to Bakersfield,” said Jeremy Price, Market President for iHeartMedia Bakersfield.

NYC Radio: Mike Francesa Hints At The Future

Mike Francesa

Mike Francesa has given his first significant hints about his future after his time with WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM ends next week.

The legendary radio host told Sports Illustrated that he is considering making his NFL picks on Bill Simmons’ Ringer podcast.

“It is no secret that Bill and I like to work together,” Francesa said on the podcast. “A lot of people want to know where I will go to finish my football picks, which are very popular. A couple of people have asked me to sell them. I said no. Bill has offered me a home to pick them on his podcast, which I am thinking about. The NFL Network has offered me the opportunity to do it. So I will do it somewhere. I don’t know where. But I would say the likeliest place is Simmons’ podcast because of my relationship with him.”

Simmons has been a frequent guest/co-host on Francesa’s show in recent years after growing up a fan of “Mike & the Mad Dog.” The former ESPN-er made an appearance at Long Island’s Tilles Center for a prime-time public goodbye to Francesa, whose final show is Dec. 15. After Chris Russo left the program in 2008, Francesa offered Simmons a permanent spot next to him. The only other person Francesa seriously considered was Ian Eagle.

It’s unclear what Francesa’s long-term plans will be beyond his NFL picks, though he spoke glowingly about Simmons and his own podcast on The Ringer’s growing network is one possibility that makes sense, according to The NYPost.

Seattle Radio: Warren Moon Gone From Seahawks Broadcasts

Warren Moon

Warren Moon, radio color commentator for the NFL Seattle Seahawks is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Moon is on a leave of absence from the broadcasts, which air on Sports KIRO 710 AM in Seattle.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Orange County, Calif., also alleges that Moon, 61, committed sexual battery by grabbing the woman’s crotch during a trip to Seattle this year. The suit further accuses Moon of pulling off the woman’s bathing suit after slipping a drug into her drink during a separate trip to Mexico in October.

According to The Washington Post, The plaintiff, Wendy Haskell, 32, was hired as Moon’s executive assistant in July and traveled with him on a weekly basis for speaking engagements, charity events and personal appearances, according to the lawsuit. She alleges that she was demoted by the firm in October after she complained about Moon’s sexual advances.

Wendy Haskell

In May 1995, he was sued by a Vikings cheerleader who accused him of sexual harassment, alleging that he offered her cash for sex. The case was settled out of court days later.

Two months after that, Moon was arrested in Texas after the quarterback’s wife, Felicia, told police that he had slapped and choked her in their mansion near Houston.

Moon told reporters that the couple had an argument and that he had made “a tremendous mistake.” He reconciled with his wife, who declined to press charges.

Authorities in Texas charged Moon with assault anyway, but he was acquitted by a jury after his wife testified that she had provoked the fight. They divorced in 2001.

Moon co-founded Sports 1 Marketing in 2010 and serves as its president.

Report: Garrison Keillor Not Going Away Quietly

Garrison Keillor

One week after Minnesota Public Radio announced it was severing ties to Garrison Keillor because of alleged inappropriate behavior toward a female co-worker, the legendary broadcaster is working to salvage his reputation, insisting he was treated unfairly during MPR’s investigation.

“I wish Jon McTaggart had asked to hear my side of the story,” Keillor said in an e-mail Thursday to The Star-Tribune, referring to the chief executive officer for American Public Media, MPR’s parent company. “Every story has two sides, sometimes more. He could have looked at the e-mails and the phone texts. It would’ve taken about an hour of his time and it could’ve saved us all this drama.”

Later in the afternoon, Keillor said that both parties may be “heading towards a happy resolution.” When pressed for more details, the former host of “A Prairie Home Companion” responded: “It means lawyers talking to lawyers. I’m out of it. Writing a story.”

Keillor also said he was having heart problems and scheduled an appointment next week at the Mayo Clinic for a pacemaker implant. “Pretty routine but still serious,” he wrote. “I’m fine.”

Early Thursday morning, his attorney, Eric Nilsson, informed the Star Tribune that Keillor was seeking a swift resolution of the consequences from MPR’s decision and with it, “he expects a full restoration of his reputation.”

In the statement, Nilsson cited an MPR News report about a staff meeting Wednesday during which McTaggart referred to “multiple allegations” against Keillor. “We are aware of allegations against Mr. Keillor by only one individual,” he wrote. “We trust that Mr. McTaggart will set the record straight.”

Later, MPR communications director Angie Andresen said that the company had complaints from two individuals associated with “A Prairie Home Companion” but that the alleged behavior was directed at only one of them.

Report: YouTube To Launch Music Subscription Service

Alphabet Inc’s YouTube plans to introduce a paid music streaming service in March, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, reports Reuters.

Record label Warner Music Group has already signed on while Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, are in talks with the video streaming website, Bloomberg said.

The service, internally referred to as Remix according to Bloomberg, will compete with similar offerings from Spotify and Apple Inc (AAPL.O).

Google, another Alphabet unit, introduced Google Play Music, a streaming service, in 2011. YouTube launched ad-free, subscription-based YouTube Red in 2016 featuring exclusive video content from popular creators such as Lilly Singh Michael Stevens.

AT&T, Time Warner Antitrust Trial Set For March

The trial to determine if the U.S. Department of Justice can stop AT&T Inc’s $85 billion purchase of media company Time Warner Inc will begin on March 19 with no decision expected before the companies’ April 22 deadline to complete the deal, a federal judge said on Thursday.

Time Warner and AT&T, which is the No. 2 U.S. wireless company and also owns DirecTV, announced their deal in October 2016, but it was not until last month that the Justice Department sued AT&T to block the deal, arguing it could raise prices for rivals and pay-TV subscribers and hamper the development of online video.

According to Reuters, Judge Richard Leon said during a hearing on Thursday he would likely not have a decision by the deadline in the companies’ merger agreement, but would rule in late April or May. The trial date is almost midway between the Feb. 20 date AT&T had requested and the U.S. government’s preferred date of May 7.

AT&T would have to pay Time Warner $500 million if the deal does not close by April 22. It is not unusual, however, for companies to extend the deadlines included in merger agreements.

The next pre-trial hearing was set for Dec. 21.

The fate of the deal has been widely followed because U.S. President Donald Trump criticized it on the campaign trail last year and has repeatedly attacked the reporting of Time Warner’s CNN news network.

Trump renewed his opposition to the deal last month.

Rogers Communications Announces Executive Changes

Alan Horn

Canada's Rogers Communications Inc. announced Thursday that Alan Horn will step down as Chair of the Board effective January 1, 2018.

Edward Rogers, currently Deputy Chair, will become Chair of the Board. Melinda Rogers will assume the role of Deputy Chair. Horn, who is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rogers Telecommunications Limited and certain private companies that control RCI, will remain on the RCI Board.

"The company is in great shape, there is great momentum in the business and the company is being led by an outstanding CEO in Joe Natale," said Alan Horn. "This is the right time for the Board to make the planned transition of the Chair's role to Edward."

Edward Rogers is the Chair of the Rogers Control Trust. He is also Chair of the Rogers Bank and the Toronto Blue Jays. He sits on the Board of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, CableLabs and the Toronto Sick Kids Foundation. He previously spent 20 years in management at Rogers in various roles, including President of Rogers Cable.

"On behalf of the Board and the entire Rogers team, I would like to thank Alan for his terrific leadership as our Chair," said Edward Rogers. "I look forward to working with the Board to support Joe and the management team as they deliver on the strategic vision for Rogers."

Melinda Rogers is the Vice Chair of the Rogers Control Trust and is founder of Rogers Venture Partners. She is also Chair of the Jays Care Foundation and Chair of the Board of Texture by Next Issue Media.  She sits on the Advisory Council of the Rotman School of Management and is an International Board member at Right To Play.  She previously spent 15 years in management at Rogers Communications, including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development.  Prior to that she worked in Silicon Valley in the technology services space.

Joe Natale, President and Chief Executive Officer, added, "Alan has been a great advisor and support to both me and the management team. I look forward to continuing to work with Edward, Melinda and the rest of the RCI Board along with the entire Rogers team to write the next chapter in the company's history."

Cleveland Radio: WNCX Host Michael Stanley Has By-Pass Surgery

Michael Stanley

Cleveland radio personality Michael Stanley shared some health news on Thursday.

The 69-year-old announced that he will be away from his role as a host at WNCX while he recovers from quadruple bypass surgery.

“Unfortunately, I’ve now moved on to coronary bypass surgery. I thought, “ya know, there are guys out here getting double bypasses, I don’t want to be the low man on the totem pole so I said ‘let’s go for four!'” Stanley wrote on the WNCX website.

More than 25 years ago, Stanley suffered a major heart attack. Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016.

Michael Stanley posted the following on the WNCX website:

Hey ‘NCX listeners. You may have heard that there have been a few things go wrong in my life here–that would be right.  Bill and I have tried to do our part in filling you in on our battles with prostate cancer.  As you know, I am done with that, I’ve moved on. Unfortunately, I’ve now moved on to coronary bypass surgery.  I thought, “ya know, there are guys out here getting double bypasses, I don’t want to be the low man on the totem pole so I said ‘let’s go for four!’” 

Nevertheless, it could be a while until I get back to full strength here. So I know you all took care of your prostates earlier – Bill and I are very glad about that – now go get your heart checked! 

I’d like to thank all the well-wishers for your phone calls, texts and emails.
You guys keep rockin’ and I will talk to you later.

ABC Radio Announces End of Year Programming

As 2017 comes to an end, ABC Radio announces a full slate of end of year programming including five long-form programs featuring top news stories, major events and more from the past year; eight short-form series that focus on topics including news, politics, entertainment, sports and technology; and a three-hour country music special, “Country Hot List 2017,” hosted by Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi of superstar country group Old Dominion.

Long-Form Programs:

• Playback 2017 is a one-hour special anchored by ABC News Radio’s Cheri Preston and Aaron Katersky featuring an inside look at the biggest stories of the year and the newsmakers behind those stories.
• 2017: As It Happened is a three-hour retrospective of some of 2017’s top stories, as told through highlights of ABC News Radio’s breaking news coverage. Hear how some of the biggest events of the year unfolded live on ABC News Radio.
• Powerhouse Politics 2017 in Review features interviews with the top political newsmakers of the year in this “best of” edition of Powerhouse Politics with ABC News Chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl and ABC News Political Director Rick Klein.
• Perspective, a special Year-End edition of ABC News Radio’s award-winning weekly news magazine.
• World News This Year takes a look back at the major news events of the past year in 2017’s final edition of this weekly show.

Short-Form Series:

• 2017 in Review takes a look back at the biggest stories of 2017 including the Las Vegas Mass Shooting, Violence in Charlottesville, Hurricanes Devastate Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico, Terror in 2017: London, Paris, Barcelona and more.
• 2017 in Sports features the biggest sports stories of the year and the athletes behind them including the Astros winning the World Series, the NFL players protesting by kneeling during the National Anthem, the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup and more.
• 2017 in Entertainment features the headline grabbers of 2017 including sexual assault and harassment across media, The Year in Music, The Year in TV and more.
• 2017 in Politics looks at the biggest political stories in a very busy first year for President Donald Trump including The Russia Investigation, North Korea, Healthcare and more.
• Tech Trends 2017 takes a look at which tech trends succeeded, which ones failed and how technology continues to change our daily lives.
• Health Trends 2017 features the biggest health-related breakthroughs and takeaways from ABC News Chief Medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.
• Law and Justice 2017 In Review takes a look back at some of the most important and interesting court cases and judicial action from 2017 including the Bill Cosby Mistrial, Travel Ban and more.
• 2017 Year-End Tax Tips provides a helpful guide to year-end financial and tax planning.
• ABC Radio’s three hour country music special, “Country Hot List 2017,” will be hosted by Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi of superstar country group Old Dominion and feature a roundup of this year’s hottest songs and artists. The special will feature artists Sam Hunt, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Jon Pardi and Old Dominion.

For affiliation information, contact Heidi Oringer 212.456.5541 or heidi.b.oringer@abc.com.

Westwood One Offers Country Holiday Specials

It’s the most wonderful time of the year when three of Westwood One’s most popular Country programs celebrate the holidays with year-end specials that will bring joy to all!

• American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks will feature the top 30 songs of 2017. The broadcast will air the weekend of December 23rd and the weekend of December 30th.
• Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton will count down the top 70 songs of 2017 over two weekends. Songs #70-36 will air the weekend of December 23rd. Songs #35-1 will air the weekend of December 30th and will feature highlights from Lon’s co-hosts from 2017.  
• Country Gold with Terri Clark will showcase Christmas music featuring special guests, including Diamond Rio, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Lorrie Morgan, Kenny Rogers, and more. This broadcast will the weekend of December 23rd. Country Gold will air year-end interview highlights with great Country artists over the weekend of December 30th.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Country@westwoodone.com

December 8 Radio History

➦In 1928…In Nashville, George D. Hay used the term "Grand Ole Opry" for the first time when introducing the show to the WSM radio audience.


➦In 1940... the first NFL championship game heard nationally was broadcast by the Mutual radio network. The Bears beat the Redskins, 73-0, in the most one-sided NFL final ever.




➦In 1941…A Presidential Address was delivered at 12:30 p.m. to a Joint Session of Congress by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, one day after the Empire of Japan's attack on the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii. Roosevelt described the previous day as "a date which will live in infamy."

Within an hour of the speech, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan and officially brought the U.S. into World War II. Britain and Canada also declared war on Japan, although both countries already had been fighting World War II in Europe against Germany.


➦In 1943....The Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison was born. He died of heart failure in Paris on July 3, 1971 at 27.


➦In 1962…In New York City, disc jockey and promoter Alan Freed appeared at his payola trial and admitted to receiving money from record labels to play their songs on the air. He was found guilty, fined $300, and given six months probation, but the irreparable damage to his reputation and career had been done. Dick Clark, host of ABC-TV's "American Bandstand," was also questioned but was cleared of all charges.


➦In 1962...New York newspaper strike begins - WABC FM goes all news



➦In 1980…Two months after his 40th birthday, John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman, outside his home at the Dakota apartment building on the northwestern corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City.

After approaching the former Beatle and calling his name, Chapman dropped into a combat stance and shot John in his chest, back and left arm. Lennon staggered into the porters' vestibule and was comforted by porter Jay Hastings, who covered him with his jacket and removed his glasses. Police were quickly summoned and took John to Roosevelt Hospital on West 59th Street. Doctors did everything they could to save him, but John Lennon was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. A sobbing Yoko Ono cried "Oh no, no, no, no ... tell me it's not true," and was led away in shock.

The 24-year-old Chapman remained at the scene, took out his copy of "The Catcher in the Rye" and read it until the police arrived and arrested him without incident.

Many Americans learned of the tragedy while watching ABC-TV's "Monday Night Football." Howard Cosell announced the news of the murder: "This, we have to say it, is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous perhaps of all of the Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival."

After being denied parole multiple times, Lennon's killer remains in prison.

➦In 2004…Producer/former "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark was hospitalized in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. Clark later reduced his workload and public profile but returned to Times Square for limited TV segments during the annual New Year's Eve celebrations. He died of a heart attack in April 2012.

➦In 2012…Arnold Dean, a radio broadcaster for nearly 65 years and the host of WTIC-Hartford's "SportsTalk" show since 1976, died a day after he had his pacemaker replaced at age 82.

➦In 2015...Bonnie Lou, a pioneering country music artist and rockabilly singer who later became a radio and TV host on programs such as Midwestern Hayride on WLW Cincinnati, died at age 91.

Orlando Radio: Claudia Menegus Named SVP/MM For Entercom

Claudia Menegus

Entercom Communications has announced that Claudia Menegus has been elevated to the role of Senior Vice President and Market Manager in Orlando, effective immediately. 

Menegus is overseeing Alternative WQMP 101.9 FM, Classic Hits WOCL Sunny FM, HotAC WOMX Mix 105.1 FM. She previously served as Vice President and Director of Sales for CBS Radio.
“Claudia is an experienced radio executive who continues to impress us with her business acumen, client relationships and leadership,” said Doug Abernethy, Entercom’s Regional President. “We’re confident that she’ll lead Orlando stations to new heights.”

“I couldn’t be more proud to lead the Orlando team. We have the most talented group of people here and we’re thrilled to have the power and support of Entercom behind us,” said Menegus.

Claudia Menegus is a 19 year broadcast veteran, 18 of those spent at CBS Radio. During her tenure with CBS Radio, Menegus spent 14 years in various roles in the Baltimore market, including as NTR Director and Sales Manager for Talk and Alternative station WHFS-FM.  Menegus also developed the CBS Radio Baltimore Marketing Group, a vehicle to expand non-traditional platforms, venue sponsorships, and sports marketing with Baltimore Ravens players, providing exclusive sponsorship programs and raising awareness for their foundations.

In 2014, she was appointed as Director of Integrated Marketing for CBS Radio Corporate overseeing the Events and Experiences Division in 15 markets. Menegus began her career with Infinity Broadcasting in Tampa, which later merged with CBS Radio.