Saturday, January 6, 2018

January 7 Radio History


➦In 1904...the Marconi Company made a proposal that there be an international Radio distress signal. "C.Q.D" meant "Stop Sending and Listen" although many eventually thought it to mean "Come, Quick, Danger". The code began use February 7, 1904 and was replaced in 1908 by "S.O.S."




➦In 1924...At the age of 26, composer George Gershwin began writing his classic, "Rhapsody in Blue," which he completed three weeks later. He passed the score to Paul Whiteman's arranger Ferde GrofĂ©, who orchestrated the piece, finishing it on February 4, just eight days before its premiere in an afternoon concert by Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra at Aeolian Hall in New York City.

➦In 1927...The company now known as AT&T first established commercial telephone service between North America and Europe on January 7, 1927.


Using radio, the American Telephone and Telegraph Co hosted a two-way conversation between New York and London. The two parties on the line were Walter S Gifford, the president of AT&T, in NY, and Sir Evelyn Murray, the Secretary of the General Post Office, which managed the British telephone system at the time.


➦In 1939...comedian Red Skelton was given his first national starring vehicle as ‘Avalon Time’ debuted on the NBC Red radio network.





➦In 1940..."Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch" first aired on the CBS Radio Network. It stayed on the air for 16 years.




➦In 1941...The NBC Blue Radio Network debuted "The Squeaky Door". The show was later became known as "Inner Sanctum."


➦In 1943...Physicist/engineer/inventor/futurist Nikola Tesla, best remembered for his design of the alternating current (AC) electricity supply system and his contributions to the invention of radio communication, died of a coronary thrombosis at the age of 86.

Nikola Tesla
Tesla's theories on the possibility of the transmission by radio waves go back as far as lectures and demonstrations in 1893 in St. Louis, Missouri, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the National Electric Light Association.  Tesla's demonstrations and principles were written about widely through various media outlets. Many devices such as the Tesla Coil were used in the further development of radio.

In 1898, Tesla demonstrated a radio-controlled boat—which he dubbed "teleautomaton"—to the public during an electrical exhibition at Madison Square Garden.  The crowd that witnessed the demonstration made outrageous claims about the workings of the boat, such as magic, telepathy, and being piloted by a trained monkey hidden inside. Tesla tried to sell his idea to the U.S. military as a type of radio-controlled torpedo, but they showed little interest.   Remote radio control remained a novelty until World War I and afterward, when a number of countries used it in military programs.


In 1900, Tesla was granted patents for a "system of transmitting electrical energy" and "an electrical transmitter." When Guglielmo Marconi made his famous first-ever transatlantic radio transmission in 1901, Tesla quipped that it was done with 17 Tesla patents.

This was the beginning of years of patent battles over radio with Tesla's patents being upheld in 1903, followed by a reverse decision in favor of Marconi in 1904. In 1943, a Supreme Court of the United States decision restored the prior patents of Tesla, Oliver Lodge, and John Stone.  The court declared that their decision had no bearing on Marconi's claim as the first to achieve radio transmission, just that since Marconi's claim to certain patents were questionable, he could not claim infringement on those same patents  (there are claims the high court was trying to nullify a World War I claim against the U.S. government by the Marconi Company via simply restoring Tesla's prior patent).



➦In 1949...Radio personality Bill Gable was born.

Bill Gable got his start in radio as a teenager in Allentown, Pennsylvania and went on to work in the biggest markets in North America, including Detroit-Windsor at CKLW (The Big 8) in the 1970s.

He retired March 2014 from AM 740 in Toronto.


➦In 1950...Nova Scotia-born Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb made their first appearances at “The Grand Ole Opry” in Nashville.  Ernest also did a 15-minute radio program each day that became very popular in West Texas. So popular, in fact, that he bought the radio station that had aired the program for years and years: KGKL in San Angelo, Texas.


➦In 1968...KMPX in San Francisco, a pioneer in "underground" FM radio, holds a "grass ballot" vote for national office among its listeners. The results: Bob Dylan is elected President; Paul Butterfield, Vice-President; George Harrison, US ambassador to the UN. Jefferson Airplane are all elected Secretaries of Transportation and the Grateful Dead are all elected Attorneys General.


➦In 2013...Radio engineer Bill Mouzis died in LA at age 90.

Bill Mouzis 1965
Mouzis was already at AM station KHJ  as an engineer and board operator when the station shifted in 1965 to a rock and roll format promoted as Boss Radio.   He was the format’s first production director.

KHJ became a big deal in baby boomer Los Angeles, with on-air personalities such as Sam Riddle, Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele.

Mouzis became the production director for the station and for its signature piece of work, an ambitious compilation of records and interviews that KHJ aired as a 48-hour special "The History of Rock and Roll" — radio's first "rockumentary," they called it.

ESPN Not Happy With Comment From Katie Nolan

TMZ Sports composite
Recent ESPN hire Katie Nolan blasted President Trump with some pretty disparaging remarks on Wednesday night, and her new employer is not happy.

While appearing on Viceland’s talk show “Desus and Mero,” the 30-year-old sports talker called POTUS a "f—ing stupid person."

According to Fox News, Nolan clamored to cover up her harsh words, saying she was on "medicine" because she had the flu.

While Nolan's comments occured on a talk show and not on Twitter or Facebook, her attempt to quickly explain away her outburst may have been due in part to ESPN's social media guidelines for journalists, implemented after fellow network employee Jemele Hill called Trump a "white supremacist" on Twitter.

A rep for the network told Fox News: “We have looked into the totality of Nolan’s comments, they were inappropriate, and we have addressed it with her.”

Hill made her comments in October 2017, and was suspended by the network. Trump had called for her to be fired.

ESPN Fires McNabb, Davis For Sexual Harrassment

USAToday graphic
Donovan McNabb and Eric Davis will not return to their positions at ESPN in the wake of a lawsuit that alleged the two sexually harassed a former wardrobe stylist while they were NFL Network employees, a person with knowledge of the move confirmed to USAToday Sports.

McNabb and Davis were suspended on Dec. 12 pending an investigation, hours after a lawsuit filed against NFL Network was made public. That investigation was completed and led ESPN to drop both McNabb and Davis, according to the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

McNabb, a former NFL quarterback who worked as an analyst on ESPN Radio and made appearances on other of the network’s programming, allegedly made inappropriate comments to via text, including asking about a specific sex act multiple times.

Davis allegedly told Jami Cantor, the former wardrobe consultant, “You look like a woman who knows what to do in bed." Davis, who played cornerback in the NFL for 13 years, was a host on ESPN 710 in Los Angeles.

The wrongful termination lawsuit also led NFL Network to suspended Marshall Faulk, Ike Taylor and Heath Evans pending its own investigation.

NFL Network spokesperson Alex Riethmiller told USA TODAY Sports there was “no update” on its investigation of the three.

ESPN Radio To Cover NCAA Football Playoff Championship


ESPN Radio will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship across its shows and platforms highlighted by the live broadcast of the game between No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama on Monday, Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPN Monday Night Football commentator Sean McDonough will call the game with analyst Todd Blackledge and reporters Ian Fitzsimmons and Holly Rowe. ESPN Radio’s on-site studio coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. with host Marc Kestecher and analyst Trevor Matich.

Golic and Wingo, ESPN Radio’s morning drive program hosted by Mike Golic and Trey Wingo, with Mike Golic Jr., will bring with them the Golic and Wingo Bus presented by Progressive Insurance to Atlanta for a live broadcast from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in advance of the national championship, on Monday, Jan. 8, from 6-10 a.m. ET. The show, which will welcome guests on-set, will air from inside the stadium’s concourse near Gate 2 and will be open to the public. Doors open at 5 a.m., and a valid ID is required for entrance. Golic and Wingo will welcome guests on-set including Booger McFarland, Todd McShay, Maria Taylor and David Pollack.

In addition, The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz will participate in ESPN’s MegaCast of the CFP National Championship, as part of the revamped Voices option, which will offer five different productions featuring their own cast of ESPN personalities – and in some cases, guests – watching and reacting to the game in real-time, while providing their unique vantage point/spin on the action based on their particular show.  Hosts LeBatard and Jon “Stugotz” Weiner will convene at the show’s studios in Miami with their cast of producers and staffers to watch and comment on the biggest game of the college football season. ESPNU will feature all five shows, plus the game, in a six quadrant viewing experience, with sound from each production rotating through the span of the game. For fans interested in watching only the LeBatard production, they can watch live on ESPN3 or stream via the ESPN app.

On Saturday, Jan. 6, ESPN Radio’s Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, hosts of Mary & McGee (7-9 a.m.), will be in Atlanta and will be joined by special guest host and former Ohio State tight end Ben Hartsock. Also Saturday, Dari Nowkhah, co-host of Dari & Mel (9 a.m. – Noon), will be in Atlanta, while the SEC Network’s Peter Burns joins regular co-host Mel Kiper Jr. in the studio.

On Sunday, Jan. 7, Weekend Observations (7-9 a.m.) co-host Stugotz will be in the studio while co-host Mike Golic Jr. will be in Atlanta and bring all the latest from the site of the CFP National Championship. ESPN Radio’s programming will continue to deliver the top stories and sound from Atlanta, through Monday, with The Will Cain Show previewing the matchup beginning at 3 p.m., through the start of ESPN Radio’s pre-game coverage at 6:30 p.m.

Barstool Sports Says NFL Ripped Them Off

It's been a difficult season for the NFL, with lower ratings, sagging attendance and players' ongoing national anthem protests. Now, the league appears to have another problem on its hands, reports Fox News.

The website Barstool Sports has threatened to file a lawsuit claiming the NFL stole its “Saturdays Are For The Boys” trademark.

On "Tucker Carlson Tonight," website founder Dave Portnoy argued Friday evening that the NFL committed a copyright violation by putting shirts on sale featuring team logos and the words  “Sundays Are For The [Team Name]."

"The NFL has no problem suing everybody when they think they've even sneezed at what they're doing. So, we decided we'd fight back on this one," Portnoy said.

Host Tucker Carlson asked why the NFL didn't just pay Barstool Sports for the right to use the trademark.


Carlson asked if the NFL gave them a heads-up that they would be appropriating the slogan.

"They did not. I think that would ruin the steal," Portnoy said. "No, we just saw them. We were surprised by them. And then we sent the cease-and-desist out."

ABC's Brian Ross No Longer Covers Breaking News


ABC's Brian Ross is returning from his recent four-week suspension, but he'll no longer be reporting on President Trump.  As a matter of fact, Ross will no longer be covering breaking news.

Instead,  Ross will be assigned to Lincoln Square Productions, the production company that makes unscripted content for the Disney ABC Television Group/ABC News, and other broadcast, cable and digital outlets.

Ross will have the title of “chief investigative correspondent,” and he will work with ABC chief of investigative projects Rhonda Schwartz on “long-term projects” at the company, including unscripted programming and documentaries.

Ross was suspended in December after making a major error in a breaking news report about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. He corrected his reporting more than seven hours later on "World News Tonight."

Ross and ABC were widely criticized for mishandling the story. About 24 hours later, ABC said Ross was being benched for four weeks without pay.

Some ABC staffers privately said the network should go further and fire him.

But Ross also had defenders in and around ABC. They said he made an honest mistake and should not be severely punished.

Philly Radio: WPEN Promotes Johnson, Egenoff


Beasley Media Group has announced that Tyrone Johnson and Natalie Egenolf have joined the full-time lineup at Sports WPEN 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia.

Tyrone Johnson
Natalie Egenoff
Johnson has been promoted to full-time producer of the The Mike Missanelli Show. Johnson brings over 18 years of radio experience into this position. He most recently produced the nationally syndicated Buck Sexton Show for iHeartMedia. In addition to his previous work at 97.5, Tyrone’s other experience includes time spent at Wall Street Journal Radio, New Jersey 101.5 and WHYY-FM/Philadelphia.

Egenolf will move from part-time to full time (from 12pm to 6pm) as update anchor and Fanatic Social Media Coordinator. Egenolf has been working part-time on Mike Missanelli’s show three days a week. A native Philadelphian, Natalie has been an update anchor on the Mike Missanelli Show since November 2016. In addition to her duties at the Fanatic, she is the in-game reporter for NFL Sunday Drive on Sirius XM and ESPN’s Operation Radio covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the host of Saturday Sports Social with Natalie Egenolf on 610 AM Sports. Natalie started in radio as an on-air personality on Sportsradio WIP with her own weekly segment.

WPEN 97.5 FM (26 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
“I’ve been watching Tyrone grow as a radio talent from his early days when I worked with him in the past,” said Eric Johnson, Director of Sports Content at 975 The Fanatic. “He has the perfect skill set for his new role as producer of our #1 rated Mike Missanelli Show. Tyrone has the sports knowledge, radio experience and comedic timing that will enhance Mike’s show.”

He added, “Natalie Egenolf has so much passion for Philadelphia sports and is very plugged in to the Philadelphia sports social media scene. Combining that with her on air skills makes her uniquely qualified for her new responsibilities as afternoon drive update anchor and 97.5 The Fanatic Social Media Coordinator.”

Miami Radio: Dina B Promotes To PM Drive On WKIS

Dina B
Entercom has announced Dina “Dina B” Bonanni promotion to afternoon drive host on WKIS Kiss99.9 FM Miami. Dina B. will host from 2:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. She will also engage with listeners across the station’s social media channels.

“Dina’s love and passion for the station, as well as for country music is unparalleled,” said Keriann Worley, Entercom South Florida’s Senior Vice President and Market Manager. “We are excited to see her bring the afternoon drive show to new heights in her new role.”

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I love for a station that I grew up listening to,” said Dina B. “I’ve spent 12 years of my career in country radio from Palm Beaches to the Keys, so to say I’m excited to be afternoon host of Kiss 99.9 in my hometown is an understatement.”

WKIS 99.9 FM (100 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Dina B. has been with WKIS-FM, Kiss 99.9 since 2010. Prior to WKIS-FM, she worked for CBS Radio in West Palm Beach. Born and raised in North Miami Beach, Dina B. has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Florida Atlantic University.

Columbus OH Radio: WWCD Promotes Two Station Veterans


Modern Rock WWCD 102.5 FM in Columbus has upped longtime midday and night jocks Rachael Gordon and Tom Butler to programming positions.

Rachel Gordon
Tom Butler
Gordon will take on the role of APD and Butler has been named MD. Both have been at the station for over 10 years.

“Rachael and Tom have both been such a huge help to me since I took over the PD position here at the station a month or so ago,” says PD Mase Brazelle.

“I’ve known Tom for years having met at SXSW and he is a new music sponge not to mention knowing everything there is to know about the local scene. As for Rachael, she’s a stickler for detail and an all around calming presence here at the station. She will continue to be a huge help to me so I don’t forget to dot my i’s and cross my t’s.”

WWCD 102.5 FM (15 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Station owner Randy Malloy said, “Rachel and Tom are an integral part of the radio station and as we move into the New Year we wanted to recognize their longtime contribution to the programming department.”

Toledo Radio: Meaghan Mick To Program WCKY-FM

iHeartMedia/Toledo has announced that midday personality Meaghan Mick has been named program director for Country WCKY 103.7 FM.

The Toledo native succeeds Jay Harris, who exited recently.

Mick will continue cohosting on CHR-sister WVKS 92.5 KISS-FM's morning show, handling middays for WCKY.

MIxh also finds time to host middays for Country sister WBCT B-93 in Grand Rapids.

WCKY 103.7 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Charleston SC Radio: Paul O'Malley To Manage Saga Cluster

Paul O'Malley
Saga Communications has announced that Paul O'Malley has been appointed President/General Manager for Saga's Radio Group in Charleston, SC.

The 27-year radio veteran was most recently Senior VP//Strategic Sales Partnerships for Westwood One, based in Atlanta.

Previously,  O'Malley was Regional President for Citadel from 2003-2008 where he oversaw its clusters in Dallas and Atlanta. Prior to that, he was Station Manager for KYSR-FM (Star 98.7) in Los Angeles before being named Market Manager of Citadel's 8-station cluster in Charleston.

Ed Christian, Saga's CEO commented, "Paul's world-class reputation and experience, coupled with his love for Charleston, made this a perfect fit for us and our outstanding team in Charleston."

Toby Knapp Joins Syndicated Backtrax USA

Backtrax USA with Kid Kelly, the original 80’s and 90’s show heard across North America and on radio stations around the world, has announced iHeartMedia’s Toby Knapp has joined the show’s team as a 90’s music curator and fill-in host for both the 80’s and 90’s versions of the show.

Knapp, who also joined iHeartRadio’s Mainstream AC WASH-FM in Washington, DC’s morning show after 11 years as Assistant Program Director and Afternoon Host across the hall at CHR WIHT Hot 99.5, was Kelly’s morning producer/sidekick at CHR WBHT-FM Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the mid-90’s.

Toby Knapp
According to Kelly, “These days, there are only a handful of Top-40 jocks that were also students of the golden era of Pop radio. The kind who have the discipline to study and work hard at perfecting the craft and art of being word efficient, while being able to mix in relevant information and entertainment in a unique and engaging way in 20 seconds or less and Toby Knapp is definitely one of ‘em! After over a decade of major market afternoon domination we waited until he successfully segued into his new major market morning gig and seized the moment to secure him as our “official” Backtrax USA fill-in host; ahem … “Hello Toby!”

Knapp’s other stops included WIOQ/Philadelphia; WFLZ/Tampa Bay; WLAN-FM Lancaster, PA and he has been heard on iHeartRadio stations across the country, including iconic CHR KHKS-FM Dallas among others in multiple formats.

“Kid’s been a mentor and a friend literally every step of the way through my career since the day he hired me back in the day, and to be able to work with him and the Backtrax USA team really means so much to me personally,” Knapp said. “I’m excited to help him continue the legacy he’s built with Backtrax USA so it can continue to entertain fans with hits from the 80’s and 90’s, while continuing to inspire people like me who got into this radio game because of people – and personalities – like Kid.”

Backtrax USA premiered in December 1992. The show originally highlighted hit music from the 80’s, and launched a 90’s version of the show in 2003 and is distributed by Westwood One.

CBS Can't Dodge $750M Lawsuit

A judge declined to dismiss a $750 million defamation lawsuit filed against CBS by JonBenet Ramsey’s brother.

The Boulder Daily Camera reports a circuit court judge in Michigan on Friday denied a motion by CBS and other defendants who asked that he toss the case.

Burke Ramsey sued CBS in December 2016, saying his reputation was ruined after a television series that concluded he killed his 6-year-old sister more than two decades ago.

The beauty pageant star was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. A prosecutor cleared her parents and brother in 2008 based on DNA evidence.


USAToday reports Llawyers for CBS argue the statement that Burke Ramsey killed JonBenet “was never made in the series.”

January 6 Radio History



➦In 1838...Morse Code privately demonstrated



➦In 1939...Carleton E. Morse of One Man’s Family fame, introduced his second-best known radio creation, I Love a Mystery afternoons on NBC’s West Coast network.  It went national as a ni ghtly strip that October and ran for five years. A 30 minute weekly series titled I Love Adventure aired for 13 summer weeks in 1948 on ABC.  In 1949 ILAM was revived with a New York cast (including Tony Randall) and ran for 15 minutes nightly for the next 3 years on Mutual.

➦In 1941...actor Richard Widmark made his first radio appearance in "The Home of the Brave."




➦In 1957…Elvis Presley appeared for the third and final time on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show." After receiving viewer complaints about Presley's first two appearances on the show and worried about getting more negative audience reaction because of Presley's pelvic gyrations, Sullivan demanded that the cameramen shoot Elvis only from the waist up this time. Presley sang seven songs: "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Peace in the Valley" (at the request of the network), "Too Much," and "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again." After the last of Elvis' performances, Sullivan attempted to prevent any further controversy by declaring:"I just wanted to say that this is a real decent, fine boy. We want to say that we've never had a pleasanter experience with a big name than we've had with you."


➦In 1969...Veteran NYC personality Joe O'Brien started at WNBC 660 AM. He died in a car accident in 2005 at age 90.

A Yonkers native, O'Brien began his career in 1935 when he got his first radio job with WMCA-AM in New York City. He worked at the station for 34 years and became one of the Good Guys team of disc jockeys in the late 1960's. They played Top 40 hits and became nearly as popular as the music they played.

They had the same clean-cut hairstyles, wore matching suits and worked together at record hops and personal appearances. They also sang as a group and released an album. During that time, Mr. O'Brien was the No. 1 morning man in New York City.

In 1970 he left for WNBC-AM, where he handled morning duties until he was replaced by Don Imus in 1972. Mr. O'Brien then went to WHUD in Peekskill, N.Y. He retired in 1986, but continued to do weekend specials for WHUD until 2000.




➦In 1971...WJRZ 970 AM sold to Pacific Southern.  It changed its call letters on May 16 of that year and became WWDJ, known on the air as "97-DJ", attempting to take on WABC and replace WMCA as the New York market's second Top 40 outlet.

For a brief time, program director Mark Driscoll began imaging the station as "9-J", giving rise to a recorded parody of the station called "Nine" produced by a group that included future disk jockeys Howard Hoffman and Randy West.

The station was hampered by a directional signal that covered Manhattan and parts of New Jersey well but suffered in the rest of the Five Boroughs and was virtually nonexistent on Long Island and western New Jersey. Eventually, FM competition from WCBS-FM and adult top 40 station WXLO (now WEPN-FM), and an evolution to adult Top 40 by WNBC (now WFAN), began to eat into WWDJ's ratings. In November 1973 it was ranked 15th in the Arbitron ratings.


➦In 1974...the CBS Radio Network debuted "Radio Mystery Theatre."


Bob LeMond
➦In 1980...the "1940's Radio Hour" closed at the St. James Theater in New York City after 105 performances.


➦In 2008...one of the last surviving announcers of bigtime radio, Bob LeMond died of complications from dementia at age 94.

Beginning in the 1930’s he was a staff announcer at CBS .. and continued there well into the TV era, on such shows as Leave It to Beaver, The Red Skelton Show, Our Miss Brooks, My Friend Irma, Edgar Bergen’s Do You Trust Your Wife? and Life with Luigi.


➦In 2012...WFME 94.7 FM NYC (now WNSH) license changed from non-commercial to commercial.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Death Threats Force Pai To Cancel CES Appearance


Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance at a major upcoming tech industry trade show after receiving death threats, two agency sources told Recode on Thursday.

It’s the second known incident in which Pai’s safety may have been at risk, after a bomb threat abruptly forced the chairman to halt his controversial vote to scrap the U.S. government’s net neutrality rules in December 2017.

For both Pai and the whole of the FCC, the uptick in security concerns also presents a serious challenge to their ability to discuss critical tech policy issues in public view — without jeopardizing their safety or the wellbeing of others in attendance.

In this case, the exact nature of the threat, made in advance of Pai’s fireside chat at the 2018 International CES, isn’t clear. A spokesman for Pai at the FCC only said Thursday: “We do not comment on security measures or concerns.”

FCC December Open Session Interrupted By Bomb Threat
But sources at the agency said that federal law enforcement had intervened in the matter, and other FCC offices are expected to be briefed on the matter. The FBI did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

For months, Pai has been hounded by his critics, who view his vote to repeal net neutrality rules as tantamount to destroying the internet. The FCC chairman has lamented that he and his family have been mocked, attacked and threatened, in public as well as on Twitter, where Pai himself is active.

Richmond VA Radio: N/T WRVA Adds FM Simulcast

Entercom has announced that News Radio WRVA 1140 AM is now simulcasting on translator W241AP 96.1 FM. 

Listreneer now have an additional option to tune in to the station’s live and local talents like John Reid on Morning Drive, Jeff Katz on Afternoon Drive and the All-Star Cast of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

W241AP 96.1 FM (145 watts)
“News and politics are integral to the communities we serve and we’re excited to better serve our audience by expanding the distribution of News Radio 1140 WRVA in Virginia’s Capitol City,” said Bennett Zier, Entercom Richmond’s Senior Vice President and Market Manager. “News Radio 1140 WRVA has served the Richmond Community since 1925 and to add it on the FM band is a real win for this legendary brand.”

WRVA 1140 AM is a 50 kw-DA Powerhouse, W241AP transmitts with 145 watts.

Pacifica Radio Faces Financial Crisis


Pacifica, a nonprofit founded in 1946 by conscientious objectors from World War II, is the mother of America’s alternative radio, pioneering decades of left-leaning public affairs programs and community-based music.

But, reports The Mercury News,  it is $8 million in debt — more than double its assets. And now one of its creditors — the New York City-based Empire State Realty Trust, which is owed $1.8 million in back rent on the antenna and transmitter atop the Empire State Building used by New York station WBAI — is demanding to be paid.  It has filed paperwork in California that would allow it to seize Pacifica’s assets, including KPFA.

In an effort to save its flagship station KPFA and four other stations, Pacifica is seeking loans to pay off its debt.

“It is scary, especially because it is difficult to come up with $1.8 million and it is difficult to make the changes needed to be sustainable and pay the bills,” said Pacifica’s interim executive director, Bill Crosier.  “But we will get through it.”

Starting Tuesday, the New York creditor has the legal authority to seize bank accounts and put a lien on Pacifica’s California properties, including the national headquarters. This means KPFA could lose control of its building and finances if its property is seized or subject to a lien.

On the KPFA website, general manager Quincy McCoy warned that this “would take the Bay Area’s only truly progressive radio station off the air.”

The nonprofit foundation’s board hopes to secure two loans to forestall a crisis. One $500,000 to $1 million loan has already been offered by Los Angeles supporters, Crosier said. A larger $3 million loan is also being sought to pay off the New York debt and other financial obligations.

Pacifica’s $8 million in debt approaches the equivalent of its $10.17 million in annual receipts. And its debt is more than double its entire assets of $3.97 million, according to the Guidestar database.

Crosier disagrees with the board’s strategy and is urging the board to file for voluntary bankruptcy, which would protect the foundation’s assets from creditors and give it time to restructure.

After the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, rents on the Empire State Building transmission antennas soared because so many of New York City’s antennas were atop the Twin Towers. WBAI pays $60,000 a month — about $700,000 a year — for a signal.  That’s more than half the station’s total annual budget.

NE Radio: Flood Com Names Andy Ruback New CEO

Andy Ruback
Broadcast veteran Andy Ruback is joining Flood Communications as CEO, according to Mike Flood the founder of Flood Communications.

Ruback is leaving his 5-year post as general manager for NRG Media’s seven Omaha radio stations which include KOIL 1290 AM and KQKQ Sweet 98.

Flood is confident Ruback will lead the company, which currently owns 15 radio and TV stations, into its “next phase” of growth.

“Andy has a proven track record,” says Flood.” His expertise in building media brands, engaging teams, and creating ideas makes him an ideal fit for our organization.”

“Flood Communications has tremendous media brands and a motivated team,” said Ruback. “The team lives and breathes their communities, while generating tremendous value to users and advertisers through the creation of high quality and relevant content across radio, TV, and online.”

His first day on the job will be January 16.

Flood will remain the company’s chairman and says he will continue to play a significant role in its development.

Chip Flaws Put iPhones, Macs At Risk

 Apple Inc will release a patch for the Safari web browser on its iPhones, iPads and Macs within days, it said on Thursday, after major chipmakers disclosed flaws that leave nearly every modern computing device vulnerable to hackers.

Browser makers Google, Microsoft Corp and Mozilla Corp’s Firefox all confirmed to Reuters that the patches they currently have in place do not protect iOS users. With Safari and virtually all other popular browsers not patched, hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users may have no secure means of browsing the web until Apple issues its patch.

Apple stressed that there were no known instances of hackers taking advantage of the flaw to date.


On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc’s Google and other security researchers disclosed two major chip flaws, one called Meltdown affecting only Intel Corp chips and one called Spectre affecting nearly all computer chips made in the last decade. The news sparked a sell-off in Intel’s stock as investors tried to gauge the costs to the chipmaker.

In a statement on its website, Apple said all Mac and iOS devices were affected by both Meltdown and Spectre. But the most recent operating system updates for Mac computers, Apple TVs, iPhones and iPads protect users against the Meltdown attack and do not slow down the devices, it added, and Meltdown does not affect the Apple Watch.

Macs and iOS devices are vulnerable to Spectre attacks through code that can run in web browsers. Apple said it would issue a patch to its Safari web browser for those devices “in the coming days.”

Zuckerberg Vows To Fix Facebook In 2018

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his "personal challenge" for 2018 on Thursday (January 4th), and unlike his past years' challenges, this one is focused on his company, with Zuckerberg saying he wants to fix Facebook's problems.

More specifically, he wrote in a Facebook post that he wants to focus on protecting the giant social network's users from abuse, defending against interference by other countries, and making sure that time on Facebook is well spent, admitting, "We currently make too many errors."

Zuckerberg's announcement comes after a rough 2017 for Facebook, summarized this way by Fox: "The social network was blamed for helping the rise of fake news, it uncovered fraudulent ad spending aimed at influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election and controversies arose surrounding Facebook Live and its potential for nefarious use. Former employees said it was "destroying how society works," while others worried about the long-term effects it was having on children's brains."


Some on Twitter mocked Zuckerberg after he posted his personal challenge, saying he basically was pledging to do his job as CEO. Some of Zuckerberg's past yearly challenges, which he started in 2009, have included learning Mandarin, wearing a tie every day, and last year's -- visiting every U.S. state he hadn't been to yet, which fed speculation he was considering running for political office

Report: Jimmy Iovine To EXIT Apple Music

Music mogul Jimmy Iovine is said to leave Apple Inc’s music streaming service in August, Billboard magazine reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Iovine is best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records, a rap music pioneer that branched out to include artists like Lady Gaga and U2.

Iovine's departure is likely timed to his Apple shares fully vesting, according to Reuters.

The former Interscope CEO joined Apple in 2014 after the iPhone maker bought Beats Electronics, the audio technology firm co-founded by influential hip-hop producer Dr Dre and Iovine, for $3 billion.


Apple declined to comment.

The company told Billboard in September it had 30 million Apple Music subscribers.

Spotify Claims 70M Subscribers


Music streaming service Spotify, which filed confidentially with U.S. regulators for an initial public offering on Wednesday, has 70 million subscribers, it said in a tweet on Thursday.

Spotify, valued at as much as $19 billion last year, is targeting a direct listing in the first half of 2018.



Spotify is the biggest global music streaming company and counts Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc as its main rivals.

Edison Research Announces Expansion, Promotions

Edison Research, a Somerville, New Jersey-based market research agency, announces the purchase of additional office space to double its current square footage and the promotion of several key employees in advance of a significant expansion. The company is expanding its Somerville offices as it adds employees to support its growth in both election and audio research.

Edison Research has been the sole provider of exit polling to the National Election Pool since 2003. In mid-2017, the company was also awarded the sole contract to provide vote count data to the NEP, and many of the company’s new hires will be dedicated to that effort. In addition, Edison is expanding its digital audio portfolio, as the company has seen significant growth in research engagements in Podcasting, Streaming Audio, and the syndicated Share of Ear® research series, the only single-source measure of online and offline audio in the U.S.

In addition to these moves, Edison is also announcing the following promotions:
  • Rob Farbman - Executive Vice President
  • Melissa Kiesche - Senior Vice President
  • Tom Webster - Senior Vice President
  • Nicole Beniamini - Vice President
  • Randall Brown - Vice President
  • Megan Lazovick - Vice President
  • Mary Meyn - Vice President
  • Johanna Roche - Vice President
  • Laura Silvia - Vice President, Digital Operations and Information Technology
In addition, the company has hired Clint Stevenson as Vice President, Data Science.

Edison’s President, Larry Rosin, said of the recent expansion, “We are honored by the immense trust placed upon us by our election, media, and consumer research clients over the past 24 years, and we are thrilled to be able to continue to grow and expand our capabilities. We know we have the right team in place to continue to achieve our objectives.”

NAB Now Accepting Entries For Crystal Radio Awards

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is now accepting entries for the NAB Crystal Radio Awards, honoring outstanding community service. Winners are announced at the We Are Broadcasters Celebration, held Tuesday, April 10 during the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Established in 1987, the NAB Crystal Radio Awards bring national recognition to radio stations for their year-round commitment to serving communities. A panel of judges with backgrounds in broadcasting and community service select 50 finalists and 10 winners.

To enter, a station must submit an online entry at http://www.nab.org/crystals describing their community service efforts for the 2017 calendar year.

Finalists will be announced in February. Entry submissions must be received by January 31. Entry information is available here or by contacting NAB Radio Recognition Programs Manager Tobi Hall at thall@nab.org.