July 8 Radio History

➦In 1954…Radio disc jockey Dewey Phillips of WHBQ 560 AM Memphis played an acetate disc pressing of "That's All Right" on his "Red Hot & Blue" rhythm & blues show. Due to audience response, the song was immediately played 14 more times. Callers to the station insisted that the singer, a local boy named Elvis Presley, must be a black man. Presley, who knew of the planned airplay in advance, hid out at a local movie theater, but with the help of Elvis' parents, Phillips was able to track him down for a live radio interview later in the evening.

Dewey Phillips

Phillips started his radio career in 1949 on WHBQ, and was the city's leading radio personality for nine years and was the first to simulcas➦t his "Red, Hot & Blue" show on radio and television.

Phillips' on-air persona was a speed-crazed hillbilly, with a frantic delivery and entertaining sense of humor. However, he also had a keen ear for music the listening public would enjoy, and he aired both black and white music, which was abundant in post-World War II Memphis, a booming river city which attracted large numbers of rural blacks and whites (along with their musical traditions). He played a great deal of rhythm and blues, country music, boogie-woogie, and jazz as well as Sun Records artists.



Phillips briefly hosted an afternoon program on WHBQ-TV/13 in the mid-1950s. It mostly consisted of Phillips playing records while he and others clowned around in front of the camera.

Though Phillips was not involved in the payola scandals of the time, he was fired in late 1958 when the station adopted a Top 40 format, phasing out his freeform style. He spent the last decade of his life working at smaller radio stations, seldom lasting long. A heavy drinker and longtime drug user (mainly painkillers and amphetamines, which contributed to his manic on-air behavior), Phillips died of heart failure at age 42.


➦In 1957... Herb Oscar Anderson debuted at 77 WABC (1st time, before flipping to Top40)


➦In 1958…The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented the first Gold record album, signifying $1 million in sales, for the soundtrack of "Oklahoma!" Four months earlier, the RIAA had issued the first Gold single, representing the sale of one million records, for Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star."


➦In 1960...Storer Broadcasting Company purchased WINS radio in New York City for $10 million.

It was the highest price paid for a radio station (to that time). Many great radio personalities including Murray the K, Bruce Morrow and Alan Freed were stars on WINS Radio. WINS, under Storer ownership, also aired some very clever promotions, including the clay tablet, ostensibly of Egyptian origins, found in the back seat of a taxicab.  Upon closer examination, it read, “Everybody’s mummy listens to 10-10 WINS!”


➦In 1978...Exile released "Kiss You All Over" to radio


➦In 1979…Radio-TV quiz show host John Reed King died following a heart attack at 64.

On radio in the 1930s and '40s, he was the announcer for "Our Gal Sunday," "Duffy's Tavern," "Death Valley Days." In the 1960s and '70s, he was a news anchor on radio and TV in Pittsburgh (KDKA 1020 AM) and San Francisco (KGO 810 AM).

Report: Radio Reaches Light TV Viewers

Traditional radio believes it can give TV advertisers better access to light TV viewers -- with higher campaign lift -- by allocating some of their media dollars to radio.

In its first Nielsen cross-media study, analyzing TV and AM/FM radio, network radio company Westwood One says that while light and non-TV viewers represent a large percentage of the TV audience, they represent only a small percentage of TV time spent and commercial impressions.

The study says that while light and non-TV viewers -- 18-49 -- represent 44% of the U.S, they only comprise 9% of total TV impressions.

With AM/FM radio reaches 90% of light viewers, a media buy on radio would make overall TV advertising plans more effective.

Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of Westwood One, tells Television News Daily: “Per Nielsen’s CommsPoint media-planning software, you can expect a 40% lift in campaign reach by allocating 20% of the TV budget to AM/FM radio.”

AM/FM radio reaches all light TV viewer demographics:

• Teens: 44% of persons 12-17 represent only 9% of total TV commercial impressions. AM/FM radio reaches 88% of this audience.
• Millennials 18-34: 45% of persons 18-34 represent only 7% of total TV commercial impressions. AM/FM radio reaches 89% of this audience.
• Persons 25-54: 44% of persons 25-54 represent only 10% of total TV commercial impressions. AM/FM radio reaches 92% of this audience.
• Boomers 55+: 41% of persons 55+ represent only 17% of total TV commercial impressions. AM/FM radio reaches 93% of this audience.

Nielsen, Bubba Work Out A Solution

Telecommunications ratings giant Nielsen Audio Inc. announced to a Florida federal court on Friday it had settled with Bubba the Love Sponge, a nationally syndicated radio host accused of trying to bribe the panelists whose listening input set radio rankings.

The single-line update, claiming that Nielsen had reached a settlement with the radio host, whose real name is Bubba Clem, and his Bubba Radio Network Inc., did not include the terms of the agreement.

According to NewsTalkFlorida, the details of the settlement are unclear at this time, but the announcement has brought an end to a case that never went to court after years of counter-suit claims and delays.

In a statement released by Nielsen acknowledging the end of the dispute, Bubba was quoted in an apologetic manner. “I understand how important it is to the radio industry that the NIELSEN ratings be free from bias and I deeply regret interfering with NIELSEN’s collection of listening data.”

The case, which began in October of 2015, was initially brought by Nielsen against Bubba—whose real name is Todd Alan Clem—for ratings tampering. Clem was alleged to have been given word that one of his listeners had been selected as a Nielsen panelist. The claim suggests that Clem offered to pay the listener money in order to manipulate the monitoring.

Bubba’s legal team responded with a countersuit that made Nielsen out to have attempted to frame the shock jock, and delays on top of delays prolonged the case for years. In June, the trial was pushed to a July 23 start date, as Clem’s legal team had been requesting more time to sort through as many as 75,000 documents related to the case.

In 2015, with the allegation still fresh, the radio host issued an apology that could be taken as a direct response to the allegations by Nielsen. It was unclear whether that apology would later be allowed in court.

Bubba The Love Sponge’s morning show airs on WWBA 820 AM Tampa Bay and 98.3 FM Pinellas County from 6-10 AM, Monday through Friday.

D-C Radio: Angie Ange Moves To Mornings On WKYS-FM

WKYS 93.9 FM PM Drive host Angie Ange moves to the morning show starting Monday as “The Fam” QuickSilva, Danni Starr and DJ 5’9 exit.

Angie will be joined by Déja Perez, who will bring her vast radio experience and “What’s Poppin!” entertainment report to the show. Joining Angie and Deja will be DJ Money, another DMV native who is also Wale’s tour DJ. Last but not least is DJ Analyze who will be the key mixer on the show. Angie Ange in the Morning will be a show filled with energy, fun and intelligent conversation.

A DMV native, proud Howard University Alum and the founder of College Is Cool Inc., Angie Ange’s road to radio began when she was in High School. It was there that she got involved with the school television station and hosted daily morning announcements. While in college Angie Ange served as Program Director at Howard University’s student station WHBC 830AM. Angie started as an intern at a station in the area before joining 93.9 WKYS as host of the evening show. Angie held down the number one spot in evenings for years before transitioning to afternoon drive.

WKYS 93.9 FM (24.5 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area)

J1, Program Director of WKYS said, “I’ve had the privilege of working with Angie for a year. During that time I’ve seen not only what she means to WKYS, but the entire DMV. There are very few talents who know and have a passion for good radio like Angie. I know she is going to work extremely hard to give our listeners the best experience possible. I am excited about the new morning show, both as a Program Director and a fan of Angie Ange.”

FCC Call Sign Activity For June 2018

During June 2018,  the FCC accepted applications to assign call signs to, or change the call
signs of the following broadcast stations:

Papers See Newsprint Costs Spike

Newspapers are getting caught in the middle of the White House’s trade war — and they are trying to get the International Trade Commission to roll back some of the increased tariffs.

Jacked-up tariffs on Canadian newsprint have caused newsprint prices to spike 30 percent this year, according to The NYPost.

The ITC is holding hearings on the issue on July 17.

“The situation for newspapers is dire,” said Paul Boyle, senior vice president of public policy at the News Media Alliance, a coalition of printers and publishers that he said collectively employs 600,000 people in the US.

“If these price increases stick, there will be another round of [payroll] cuts,” warns Michael Klingensmith, publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and past chairman of the NMA.

The hikes were instituted by President Trump after one of the few US papers mills in the US, the Northern Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), owned by New York City venture capital firm One Rock Capital Partners, last year filed a complaint with the ITC claiming that Canadian papermakers were dumping newsprint in the US at 23 percent to 55 percent below market value.

The Commerce Department in March agreed — and initiated anti-dumping duties on uncoated groundwood paper from Canada.

Boyle claims that is a misreading of what is truly taking place. “They are raising the price for an industry that employs 600,000 for the benefit of a single paper mill in Washington State that employs 300 people.”

Radio Talker Storms Off HLN Set

Syndicated radio host Steve Deace stormed off the set of HLN on Friday after criticizing another panelist's views on the Republican Party's approach to religion.

According to The Hill, Deace got into a heated exchange with SiriusXM radio talk show host Dean Obeidallah during a discussion of what President Trump's Supreme Court nominee could mean for the U.S.

Obeidallah said the stakes were high for Trump's second Supreme Court appointee because the next potential justice — likely a staunch conservative — could reverse key rulings like Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

“The stakes are really high in this country,” Obeidallah said. “And there are people who want to impose Christian Sharia law in this country. And what I mean by that is that they want the Bible as the law of the land. Mike Huckabee has literally said 'you can’t change the Bible but you can change the Constitution.'"

Deace appeared to take issue with Obeidallah's comment, saying that to argue conservatives want to impose "Christian Sharia law" was a "preposterous statement."

But Obeidallah continued to push back.

"Christian Sharia law in this context is simply shorthand for turning religious beliefs into the laws of the land," he said. "I’m not going through the Bible. To me that’s what sharia is in the Muslim world, what sharia is here. I’m not sure why you’d be upset unless you’re advocating it. I’m not suggesting you are."

The comments prompted Deace to remove his mic and storm off the set.

Dean, radical Islam says kill people to earn a false god’s favor. Radical Christianity says the one, true God freely gave up His life for yours so you can have His favor, which you don’t deserve. I will pray for God to open the eyes of your heart to know the difference. https://t.co/2BD1w8PWM1

— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) July 7, 2018

Ex-Reporter Accuses Trudeau of Groping

Justin Trudeau

The former news reporter who said she was groped by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2000 issued a statement Friday reaffirming the validity of her accusations but noting that she would not pursue the issue further, according to The Hill.

Rose Knight told CBC News on Friday that allegations are true that Trudeau groped her at a 2000 fundraiser for avalanche safety, before he was in politics. She said he apologized to her and her newspaper the next day upon learning that Knight was a reporter.

“I’m sorry. If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward,” Trudeau reportedly said at the time.

"I did not pursue the incident at the time and will not be pursuing the incident further. I have had no subsequent contact with Mr. Trudeau, before or after he became Prime Minister," Knight said Friday, adding that she only issued the statement in response to "mounting media pressure."

On Thursday, Trudeau said that while he remembered the incident differently, his reported apology obtained by the newspaper at the time was accurate.

Singer Elvis Costello Discloses Cancer Fight

Elvis Costello has canceled the remainder of his European tour to recover from a cancer operation.

The British singer-songwriter, whose real name is Declan Patrick MacManus, said in a statement on his website on Friday that he had to undergo surgery for a “small but very aggressive” cancerous tumor.

The NYTimes reports the 63-year-old said he hoped he would be able to continue with the tour, but needs to take more rest. He said, “I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour.”

The canceled concerts, part of the “Elvis Costello and the Imposters European Tour,” were slated for Britain, Croatia, Austria, Norway and Sweden; the tour was to end originally on July 16.

Elvis Costello has been forced to cancel the remaining 6 dates of his current European tour on medical grounds. His doctor has strongly advised him to take a break from his current tour itinerary and rest. Please click here for more information - https://t.co/tEqHUo5l5o

— Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) July 6, 2018

Costello is best known for his post-punk hits from the 1970s, including “Alison,” “Oliver’s Army” and “Watching the Detectives.” His 1999 cover of “She” featured on the soundtrack for the Richard Curtis movie “Notting Hill.”

July 7 Radio History

➦In 1940...Beatle Ringo Starr was born.

➦In 194?...Radio personality Joey Reynolds was born.  Reynolds' broadcasting career started on TV- in Buffalo at WGR TV 2 his first radio job was WWOL in Buffalo with Dick Purtan then WKWK, Wheeling,WV after that he continued at several venerable stations, including WKBW in Buffalo, New York, WHTZ and WNBC in New York City, KQV in Pittsburgh, KMPC and KRTH in Los Angeles, WDRC in Hartford, WIXY in Cleveland, and WIBG and WFIL in Philadelphia.

➦In 1944...legendary DJ, Bobby Ocean, was born. He worked primarily on the West Coast. As you might expect Bobby Ocean is not his real name.  His real is...Johnny! Johnny Ocean!

However, his first radio job was WDLP, Panama City, FL in 1963 using the name Ray Farrell.

He also used the on-air handles of 'Radio Ray' and 'Captain Turntable'.  He first used the name Bobby Ocean at KGB 1360 AM, in San Diego, CA in 1968.

Best known for his work at KFRC 610 AM San Fransisco and KHJ 930 AM Los Angeles.

➦In 1949...the program "Dragnet" debuted on the NBC Radio Network.  The program was the first to dramatize cases from actual police files.  Dragnet went to television in January 1952 after a successful TV preview on Chesterfield Sound-Off Time a few weeks earlier. The show actually ran simultaneously on radio and TV from 1952 – 1956, continuing on television through 1959. After a seven-year hiatus, it returned as Dragnet ’67 to distinguish itself from its own reruns. This first major real-life police drama series was so successful that it remains in syndication almost 60 years later.

➦In 1974...“The Dr. Demento Radio Show” began national syndication, starring Barry Hansen who had created the good Doctor four years earlier on Los Angeles’ KPPC FM.

➦In 1989...Compact discs began to outsell vinyl records for the first time. The dominance of CDs practically wiped out the 45 RPM single format since nothing came along to replace it. The 3½-inch CD single failed to gain favor with the public partly because record companies refused to offer them at a reasonable price.

Bill Cullen

➦In 1990...radio/TV game show host & panellist Bill Cullen, who hosted the first TV Price is Right, and was a longtime panel member on I’ve Got a Secret & then To Tell the Truth, lost his battle with lung cancer at age 70. He’d begun in radio as host of Quick as a Flash and Hit the Jackpot, and hosted a total of 23 TV game shows, more than anyone else in broadcast history.

➦In 2009…After an earlier private funeral, Michael Jackson's family and fans said farewell to the King of Pop at a memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson 5 to Motown Records in 1968, closed his eulogy by saying "Michael, thank you for the joy, thank you for the love. You will live in my heart forever."

➦In 2015…Longtime Chicago radio personality/executive (WVON) Moses "Lucky" Cordell died of injuries suffered in a fire at his home. He was 86.

➦In 2016…Veteran Batimore radio talk show host (WCBM, WBAL, WFBR) Tom Marr died of complications after a recent stroke and back surgery at age 73. During his almost 50-year career, Marr hosted his own nationally broadcast talk show on the WOR Radio Network and spent eight seasons as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles.

Report: iHM Getting Closer To Finding A Buyer

Private equity firm Silver Lake Partners has recently shown interest in buying the bankrupt iHeartMedia — challenging John Malone, according to The NYPost citing two sources familiar with the situation.

Silver Lake is in talks with iHM creditors, the sources said, which are in line to take over control of the company once it emerges from Chapter 11.

If Silver Lake were to make an offer for iHM it may look to form a partnership between the owner and arena venue manager Oak View Group.

iHM bought a stake earlier this year in Oak View, which manages the New York’s new Islanders arena and for a fee books events into Madison Square Garden, the Prudential Center and Los Angeles’ Forum.

Silver Lake, too, owns a leading stake in the Ari Emanuel-run Endeavor, a leading talent and marketing agency, a combination of the former WME and IMG.

iHM, when it was known as Clear Channel, bought arena manager SFX Entertainment in 2000 for $4.4 billion. Clear Channel spun out SFX, which changed its name to Live Nation, in 2005.

Irving Azoff is a former Live Nation chief executive and now runs Oak View.

iHM is on pace to emerge from bankruptcy in early October, at which time it will reduce its debt from $20 billion to $10 billion and likely seek a buyer, a source close to the situation said.

Malone’s Liberty Media on June 15 withdrew its proposal to buy 40 percent of iHM for $1.16 billion, which, when factoring in the company’s $10 billion of remaining debt, values iHM at $12.9 billion.

“Liberty is not going to get iHeart at that price,” the source said.

Leading iHeart creditors believe the company is worth between $12 billion and $15 billion, the source said.

Bob Pittman, iHeart chairman and CEO, might prefer Silver Lake because it would be more likely to keep him in charge of the radio platform than Liberty.

Entercom CEO: 'Radio Ripe for Rediscovery'

Broadcast radio is constant, curated, safe, and boils down to two options: AM and FM. But for David Field, CEO of radio operator Entercom, safe doesn’t have to be boring.

Field has become one of the industry’s prime advocates, often touting the fact that 93% of Americans tune in on a weekly basis. He believes his company’s 2017 acquisition of CBS Radio, and all the newfound scale that brings, renews radio’s value proposition as an advertising space.

David Field

"The biggest issue we have right now is, for a lot of advertisers and agencies, we’re not the shiny new toy," Field tells PRWeek. "Radio is ripe for rediscovery in an era when other media are being disrupted to quite an extent."

Field succeeded his father, Joe, as CEO in 2002. Since then, listenership has splintered as streaming apps that siphoned off music lovers proliferated, says Russell Lindley, president and partner at radio specialist Ad Results Media.

But in a time when social media is populated by fake news, bots, and political rancor, brands are turning to the relatively safe environment of radio, where music, sports, and talk content are "carefully curated," notes Entercom corporate comms head Esther-Mireya Tejeda via email.

"Radio is unique in its ability to generate live real-time ads to large audiences," Field explains. "There are very few ways to do that anymore, so the future is bright for radio advertising."

Plus, new investments in formats such as podcasts, as well as its combination of traditional strengths — sports, news, and personalities — will buoy the industry.

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Bidding War for 21st Century Fox To Heat Up

Wall Street is warming up to the idea that the bidding war for 21st Century Fox assets isn't over just yet.

"I do think that it's likely," RBC Capital Markets analyst Steven Cahall told Business Insider, referring to the chances Comcast makes another bid for 21st Century Fox assets.

In late June, Disney agreed to a deal that values 21st Century Fox's assets, excluding the Fox News and Fox Business channels, at $71.3 billion. That agreement outdid Comcast's $65 billion offer, which itself bested Disney's initial December bid of $52 billion.

Comcast has roughly $6 billion in cash, compared to Disney's $4 billion. "If it has to be an all cash bid, it would suggest that Comcast is in a stronger position," he added.

But after Disney and 21st Century Fox agreed to the latest offer, Jefferies analyst John Janedis predicted that "given the strategic importance of the 21st Century Fox assets, we expect Comcast will come back with a higher offer." He predicted one that would value the 21st Century Fox assets at $80 billion.

And as of Thursday morning, Janedis isn't alone. In a note sent out to clients, Cahall predicted Comcast could indeed make another bid. "Comcast will similarly approach Fox focused on post-RSN leverage so we wouldn't be surprised to see Disney and Comcast bidding into the $40s," he wrote. Any buyer of the assets would have to divest the regional sports network.

The price of 21st Century Fox's assets is being driven up due to their scarcity, according to Cahall. "There is a certainly scarcity premium here that defies the way we normally look at multiples," he said. "These are hugely strategic assets that cannot be necessarily replicated through organic investment."

Report: Amazon Profits From Sale Of White-Supremacist Propaganda

Shoppers can purchase Amazon.com merchandise displaying symbols of white supremacy, such as a swastika necklace, a baby onesie with a burning cross, and a child’s backpack featuring a neo-Nazi meme, all in contradiction of the retail giant's policy against selling products that promote hatred, according to a new report from two watchdog groups, according to The Washington Post.

Amazon's policy says that “prohibited listings” on its website include “products that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views.” But the report, to be released Friday by the Action Center on Race & the Economy and the Partnership for Working Families, argues that Amazon is failing to adhere to its own policy by allowing the sale of dozens of products in its online store as well as its publishing and music platforms that facilitate the spread of racist ideology.

“It’s clear that Amazon is bringing in money by propping up these hate organizations and allowing them to spread these messages in a moment of rising white nationalism and violence,” said Mariah Montgomery, campaign director for the Partnership for Working Families. The Action Center on Race & the Economy and the Partnership for Working Families are national nonprofit organizations that say they are focused on advancing racial and economic justice.

Montgomery said Amazon, which posted a record $3 billion in profits in 2017, should use its vast resources to curtail the dissemination of white supremacy, anti-Semitism and anti-Islam ideology “rather than seek to profit off hate.”

An Amazon spokesman said the company is in the process of removing some of the identified neo-Nazi bands from its music platform.

“Third-party sellers who use our Marketplace service must follow our guidelines, and those who don’t are subject to swift action, including potential removal of their account,” said Aaron Toso, an Amazon spokesman.

(Amazon founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

San Diego Radio: DSC Show OUT at KFMB-FM

The Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw morning show has dominated ratings for most of its 28 years on KFMB 100.7 FM, its radio home for the last six years.

And discussions with other stations continue over a new radio home for the morning show that includes Dave Rickards, Shelly Dunn, Cookie Chainsaw Randolph, Ruth 66, Chris Boyer and Emily Maguire.

According to the San Diego Reader, Tegna, a Virginia-based media group (formerly known as Gannett) owned 46 TV stations in 38 markets when it bought the KFMB stations for $325-million in December. That purchase included TV Channel 8, KFMB 760 AM, and Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw’s radio home since 2010, KFMB-FM.

But radio was not in Tegna’s portfolio. It is clear to key broadcast insiders that Tegna has no interest in staying in the radio business.

As of July 1, Dave Shelly and Chainsaw are free to look elsewhere for a new radio home. Their current contract with KFMB-FM expires at the end of this month.

A source who did want to be identified says there has been no effort since Tegna took over the KFMB stations four months ago to communicate with the popular morning show.

One well-substantiated rumor is that Local Media San Diego (operators of 91X, Magic 92.5 and Z-90) is in talks to buy KFMB-FM if a price can be agreed on.

R.I.P.: Nashville Recording Engineer Jim Malloy

Jim Malloy, a recording engineer, publisher and producer, died Thursday, The Tennessean reports.

He was 87-years-of-age,

Over the course of his career — first in Hollywood, then Nashville — Malloy worked with a staggering list of legends, including Elvis Presley (who called him the "best engineer anywhere as far as I'm concerned"), Duke Ellington, Johnny Cash, Henry Mancini and Dolly Parton.

He won a Grammy Award in 1964 for engineering Mancini's "Charade" and was nominated for five more Grammys that decade for his work on Presley's "How Great Thou Art," Eddy Arnold's "The Last Word in Lonesome is Me," "The Latin Sound of Henry Mancini," "Pink Panther" and "The Addams Family Main Theme."

Malloy was born in a Dixon, Ill. garage in 1931. In 1954, he moved to California to pursue a career in the electronics industry. He eventually got a job at NBC and went to night school at National Electronics in downtown Los Angeles.

After leaving NBC, Malloy got a job in electrical maintenance at Radio Recorders, an L.A. studio. There, Alan Emig, head of Columbia Records' West Coast division and a former mixing engineer for Capitol Records, took Malloy under his wing.

During his time in California, he engineered several records for, among others, guitar great Duane Eddy. “He was a sweetheart, and he had great ears,” Eddy said. “(Great engineers) kind of peripherally produce the record themselves. They don’t really inflict themselves on the producer…but they subtly sneak little things in there to make it better."

Producer Chet Atkins, who came to Los Angeles to record the Anita Kerr Singers, asked Eddy who the best engineer in town was. His answer: Jim Malloy.

“As soon as I said it, I bit my tongue, because I knew what was coming,” Eddy remembered. Sure enough, Atkins' next question was, “Think he’d move to Nashville?”

Malloy came to Tennessee in the mid-1960s. In Nashville, he worked with Atkins at RCA from January 1965 to November 1968, then worked at Monument Records.

July 6 Radio History

➦In 1924...in an experiment, the first photo was sent across the Atlantic by radio from the United States to England.


➦In 1925...rock `n’ roll pioneer Bill Haley (William John Clifton Haley Jr.) was born in Highland Park, a section of Detroit. The biggest hit for Bill Haley & His Comets was the rock `n’ roll classic “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock,” a No. 1 song for eight weeks in 1955. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He died of a brain tumour Feb. 9 1981 at age 55.

➦In 1925...singer/host/entrepreneur Merv Griffin was born in San Mateo Calif.  His singing career began at KFRC San Francisco, and hit its peak as vocalist with Freddy Martin’s Orchestra.  He was the singer on a number of hits, including I”ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts.   He was a TV quizmaster, and started guest hosting the Tonight Show, which led to his own wildly popular syndicated talk show.   He became enormously wealthy after selling his two successful TV quiz creations, Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune.  He died of prostate cancer Aug. 12 2007 at age 82.


➦In 1943...after several years in supporting radio roles with Rudy Vallee, Paul Whiteman and Edgar Bergen, Judy Canova began her own weekly comedy-and-music show on CBS. The show continued for the next 10 years, mostly on NBC Radio.


In 1947...a hidden microphone eavesdropped on unsuspecting people for the first time, as Candid Microphone hit the airwaves. Allen Funt was the host of the ABC radio show the forerunner of the long-running TV version, Candid Camera.  Candid Microphone didn’t have as long a run on radio, however, lasting one year on ABC, taking a two year hiatus and returning 1n 1950 on CBS Radio for a three-month summer run.


➦In 1950...the CBS Radio answer to NBC’s Dragnet aired for the first time. The Lineup had a distinguished three-year run in the waning days of bigtime radio.

➦In 1957...Liverpool teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time after a performance by Lennon's band, the Quarrymen.


➦In 1963...Dick Biondi - the once-popular evening DJ on WLS 890 AM inChicago, begins on KRLA 1110 AM in Pasadena, Calif. He walked out on WLS about 2 months ago in a disagreement. KRLA is in a top-40 battle with KFWB.Even though KFWB is #1 - the new KRLA lineup looks like this - Reb Foster, Casey Kasem, Bob Eubanks, Dick Biondi, Ted Quilin. (Today, Biondi airs on WLS 94.7 FM in Chicago.)

KRLA overtook KFWB by the mid-1960s. In 1965, KHJ start its “Boss Radio” Top 40 format, which launched it to the No. 1 position.  KRLA was the second-place Top 40 station.  KFWB abandoned music and flipped to all-news in 1968.



As music listeners moved to FM, KRLA evolved to adult contemporary by 1982.  It became an oldies station in 1983.  That lasted until 1994, when KRLA moved to urban oldies.  In 1998, KRLA went to an all-talk format before flipping to all-sports KSPN in 2000.  Today, it’s KDIS, a Radio Disney children’s music station.

When KRLA became KSPN in 2000, the KRLA call letters went to 870 AM, which carries a conservative talk format.


➦In 1974..."A Prairie Home Companion," a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor and first broadcast from Macalester College in St. Paul, made its debut on Minnesota Public Radio.

R.I.P.: Longtime Broadcaster Ed Schultz

Former MSNBC host and longtime radio broadcaster Ed Schultz has died.

He was 64, according to philly.com.

Schultz, a liberal firebrand, died of natural causes.

Schultz is most known for his stint as the host of the Ed Show, which aired on MSNBC from April 2009 to July 2015. Most recently, he hosted News with Ed on RT America, part of the Moscow-backed RT network that has been criticized as pushing Russian propaganda and was forced to register as a “foreign agent” by the Justice Department in 2017.

Schultz was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin during his time on MSNBC, but once he joined RT America in January 2016, he repeatedly dismissed intelligence assessments that Russia interfered in the 2016 election through social media posts and the hacking of DNC emails.

We at RT America are sad to announce the passing of Edward Andrew Schultz,” RT said in a statement. “Ed Schultz passed quietly early morning on July 5 at his home in Washington, D.C. This announcement comes as a shock to all of us here at RT America.”

Schultz got his start on radio and TV as a sportscaster in Fargo, N.D., but developed a national following once he became more focused on politics. At one point, The Ed Schultz Show was syndicated to nearly 100 affiliates, and in 2008 he was ranked No. 17 nationally by Talkers magazine, reaching a weekly audience of more than 3 million listeners.

Schultz got his start as a sports broadcaster for Fargo-Moorhead television stations in the early 1980s, including time as sports director at WDAY-TV. He eventually moved to talk radio, including WDAY radio, dominating the local airwaves as a conservative firebrand in the 1990s.

However, he later said his views changed and he became a Democrat.

In 2004, Schultz took his radio show nationwide. Then in 2009, he moved to national television, becoming a prime-time progressive voice on MSNBC.

TWH Makes It Official: Bill Shine Joins Trump Team

Bill Shine

President Trump has formally named former Fox News co-president Bill Shine as White House deputy chief of staff.

Shine’s title will be assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications, according to Fox News.

“He brings over two decades of television programming, communications, and management experience to the role,” the president said of Shine in a statement.

Shine resigned from Fox News in May 2017, nine months after he was named co-president along with Jack Abernethy. He had been with the channel since its founding in 1996.

Trump has been searching for a replacement for Hope Hicks, who resigned as White House communications director in February -- shortly after she said to lawmakers that she occasionally told "white lies" on the president's behalf.

Report: 'Cable-Keepers' Overwhelmed By Steaming Options

So called “cable-keepers” -- consumers who still pay for and watch TV through a traditional, linear pay-TV subscription -- remain a significant chunk of the U.S. population. According to MediaPost citing comScore’s recent “State of OTT” report, some 28 million households pay for cable/satellite but don’t stream OTT.

Still, many in the industry have been wondering why those people aren’t making that switch to streaming bundles, often available at lower price points than traditional bundles.

A new report from Telaria, the sell-side video ad platform, suggests that consumer confusion is key to answering that question. Specifically, not only are consumers confused by the sheer number of OTT options (55% of respondents felt that way, per the report), but many are under the misconception that in order to get live content like sports or awards shows, they need to pay for a traditional subscription.

Proposed Sinclair Spin-Offs Face More Scrutiny

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.’s bid to become a broadcasting powerhouse by purchasing Tribune Media Co. hinges on spinning off TV stations to comply with U.S. limits on broadcast ownership.

Yet its proposals to sell stations from Pennsylvania to California are drawing fresh scrutiny as critics, including business rivals, say some of the transactions are designed to evade the ownership rules, reports The LA Times.

In one case, two Texas stations are to be sold to a partner company that until recently was controlled by the estate of the mother of Sinclair’s controlling shareholders. And the flagship Tribune station in Chicago, WGN-TV, is going to an automobile executive who’s a business partner of Sinclair Chairman David D. Smith.

“They’re not really arm’s-length. They’re not really divestitures,” Chris Ruddy, chief executive of Newsmax Media Inc., which offers TV news that competes for viewers with Sinclair, said in an interview. “It’s just really an insult to the public, to the rules, and to fairness.”

Sinclair says the station buyers are independent businesses, and that it’s working diligently to follow the rules as it seeks to close the $3.9-billion Tribune deal proposed in May 2017. “Ownership rules are not being evaded; they are being complied with,” Sinclair said in a statement.

The Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission are scrutinizing the transaction, with a decision possible in coming weeks. At issue is whether Sinclair, which grew from a single TV station in Baltimore in 1971, can win approval for the purchase of Tribune’s 42 stations, including outlets in New York and Los Angeles. The purchase would lift Sinclair’s station total to more than 200.

Once all its proposed purchases and sales are completed, Sinclair calculates it would reach almost 59% of the U.S. audience — or less than 38% using a discount allowed under FCC rules. That snugs it up against the U.S. national cap of 39%.

The discount, which lets station owners count only half the audience of some stations, is under challenge in a court case, and a ruling expected by August could leave Sinclair above the cap. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai also may act independently to raise the ownership limits, even as Sinclair’s deal remains under consideration.

KS Radio: KWME Launches 'The Blast'

Rocking M Media, LLC has announced the launch of the New 92.7 The Blast-The Rhythm of River City in the Wichita, Kansas market.

KWME 92.7 FM The Blast plays all the great party songs you know and love, from artists like Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Prince, TLC, Vanilla Ice, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez and so many more.

“We are very excited to bring this new format to Wichita. We’re confident that The Blast will make the Wichita radio market even more robust. Advertisers will be eager to target this very valuable audience,” said Rocking M Media Wichita General Manager, Jeff McCausland.

92.7 The Blast is programmed by Tommy Castor, who also serves as the General Manager for Rocking M Media’s radio stations in Wellington and Winfield, Kansas. Castor added, “The New 92.7 The Blast fills a void in the Wichita radio landscape. These are all the awesome party songs you grew up listening to at a school dance, a wedding reception or even just driving down the street. We know that this new radio station for the Wichita area will quickly find a strong and loyal audience.”

KWME 92.7 FM (14 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Beginning on Monday, July 9th, the on-air lineup for 92.7 The Blast will debut. Morning drive will be anchored by long time Wichita radio personality Marco Benitez who will host The Marco Show each weekday morning. Caitlin Geer, who also hosts mornings on sister KLEY AM/FM in Wellington, Kansas, will handle middays, and Castor will round out the on-air lineup in afternoon drive.

ABC Admits Media Peddled ‘Fake News’ On Immigration

The Media Research Center is reporting ABC openly admitted this past Sunday to having published “fake news” about the Trump administration “losing” 1,500 migrant children, a debunked story that quickly caught fire and spawned countless hashtag campaigns and anti-ICE protests across the country.

Now, according to MRC,  well after the myth has been permanently ensconced as fact in the brains of millions of rapid anti-Trumpers nationwide, ABC's admitting the entire thing was false – but, in a stunning feat of mental gymnastics, they claim the bogus story ended up being a good thing.

In an article actually entitled, “A fake news story helps expose a real crisis,” author Lauren Pearle admits the Trump administration was unfairly accused of having “lost” 1,500 kids who’d crossed the southwest U.S. border illegally – a claim I’d disputed in a video roughly four weeks ago, only to be accused of Nazism by radical progressives.

But by ABC’s own admission, the administration didn’t “lose” anyone; they’d simply placed these kids with sponsors, usually a family member, who didn’t respond when the government tried to check up on the child.

The network suggests the “fake news” ended up being a great thing because it blew the lid off the Trump administration’s family separation policy. Here's an actual excerpt from ABC's piece:

“But all the digging had uncovered a separate issue that had also been reported, but had not yet captured the nation’s full attention: the Trump administration’s practice of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern border, which accelerated under the ‘zero-tolerance’ policy announced in April. 

“...That outcry, which reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, took months to unfold. And it largely began with a search for children who probably weren’t missing after all."

NYTimes Re-Assigns Reporter Who Dated Source

Ali Watkins

The New York Times reporter whose records were secretly seized related to a probe into a high-ranking Senate intelligence staffer she dated has been booted off her beat in Washington, reports The NYPost.

Ali Watkins is being transferred from the newspaper’s DC bureau to a new position in New York where she’ll be “closely supervised” under a “senior mentor,” Times executive editor Dean Baquet announced Tuesday.

The move is the result of the paper’s internal investigation into the 26-year-old journalist, who had a three-year affair with James A. Wolfe, the former head of security for the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Wolfe, 57, was charged last month with lying to the FBI about his contacts with reporters, including Watkins, during the agency’s probe into media leaks. He’s denied leaking information. Watkins’ phone and email records were seized by the Department of Justice.

In an email to staffers, Baquet chided Watkins for making “poor judgments,” saying that “for a reporter to have an intimate relationship with someone he or she covers is unacceptable.”

But he said the young reporter, who has covered federal law enforcement at the Times, deserved a second chance and that her move to the Big Apple would be a “fresh start.”

Baquet also noted that the accuracy of Watkins’ reporting has never been challenged.

“We hold our journalists and their work to the highest standards,” he wrote. “We are giving Ali an opportunity to show that she can live up to them. I believe she can.”

He added: “I also believe that The Times must be a humane place that can allow for second chances when there are mitigating circumstances.”

Watkins apologized for the debacle:

“I respect and understand the Times’ review and agree that I should have handled aspects of my past relationships and disclosures differently,” she said. “I sincerely regret putting The Times in a difficult position and am very grateful for the support I’ve received from my editors and colleagues here. I also appreciate the review’s conclusion that my reporting has been fact-based and accurate.”

Watkins’ relationship with Wolfe ended in 2017 before she joined the Times. She previously worked for McClatchy, BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Politico covering national security, and denied he was ever a source.

Suspect Calls Texas Broadcaster 'Dead Man Walking'

Jason Bewley

A Texas man is due in federal court on Friday for allegedly threatening to burn down a TV station.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jason Eric Bewley, who was arrested in North Carolina last week, faces charges of transmitting threats through interstate communications.

Jail records obtained by the publication revealed Bewley threatened to set a Texas TV station ablaze during a phone call. Bewley allegedly harassed the station's general manager and told him he was “a dead man walking” via email last year.

The Hill reports Bewley was reportedly indicted in Texas in April and spent the next few months on the run until he was picked up by North Carolina law enforcement officials in late June.

"It's too bad you're a dead man walking," Bewley reportedly told Mike Wright, who works at local TV station KBTX in Bryan, Texas, where Bewley is from.

Bewley has a history with news outlets, though. He was accused of throwing a cinder block through a KBTX window and harassing several staffers in the station's parking lot in 2008. Earlier that same week in 2008, he also caused a minor disturbance at the town's newspaper, the Bryan Eagle, and at the Brazos County District Attorney's Office, KBTX reported.

July 5 Radio History

Don Dunphy

➦In 1908...boxing’s reknowned blow-by-blow ace broadcaster Don Dunphy was born in New York City.  For more than 50 years he was America’s foremost announcer of boxing matches on radio and TV. He called more than 2,000 fights, many of them over a 19 year span when he was the voice of Gillette’s Friday Night Fights on NBC. He called the Joe Louis-Billy Conn title bout in 1941 and the famous Muhammad Ali-George Foreman match in Zaire in 1974.   He died July 22, 1998 at age 90.


➦In 1929...WOWO-AM, Fort Wayne, Indiana went back on the air - one day after its transmitter burned down.


➦In 1935...the first broadcast of "Hawaii Calls" occurred.



Hawaii Calls was a radio program on the Mutual Broadcasting System that ran from 1935 through 1975 that featured live Hawaiian music conducted by Harry Owens, the composer of "Sweet Leilani". It was broadcast each week, usually from the courtyard of the Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach but occasionally from other locations, and hosted by Webley Edwards for almost the entire run.

The first show reached the West Coast of the continental United States through shortwave radio. At its height, it was heard on over 750 stations around the world. However, when it went off the air in 1975, only 10 stations were airing the show. Because of its positive portrayal of Hawaii, the show received a subsidy for many years—first from the government of the Territory of Hawaii, and then from the State of Hawaii.


➦In 1943...After a three-month run with J.B. Williams in the title role on the New England Network, the detective series "The Adventures of Nero Wolfe," now starring Santos Ortega, moved to ABC Radio. Luis Van Rooten succeeded Ortega the following year. Between 1943 and 1982, Wolfe was portrayed in four radio series on five different networks.


➦In 1945...Ann Southern starred on CBS Radio as Maisie for the first time, based on the MGM movie series. The 2-year network run was followed by a 4-year syndicated version, featuring a who’s who of Hollywood radio veterans.

Lucille Ball, Richard Denning

➦In 1948...“My Favorite Husband”, with Lucille Ball, became the gifted redhead’s first regular radio program on CBS. Lee Bowman, and later, Richard Denning, co-starred with Lucy as “two people who live together and like it.” She would use the character as a stepping stone to TV’s iconic classic “I Love Lucy” three years later.


➦In 1951..."The Silver Eagle," a radio series starring Jim Ameche as Jim West of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police, began its four-year run on ABC.


➦In 1951...Dr. William Shockley made the announcement that he had invented a junction transistor.

A junction transistor is a type of transistor that relies on the contact of two types of semiconductor for its operation. BJTs can be used as amplifiers, switches, or in oscillators. BJTs can be found either as individual discrete components, or in large numbers as parts of integrated circuits.

➦In 1963...it’s announced that CONELRAD, a means ofwartime communication among the civilian population via AM radio frequencies 640 and 1240Khz, will be going away on August 5 to make way for a new system.

CONELRAD (Control of Electromagnetic Radiation) was a method of emergency broadcasting to the public of the United States in the event of enemy attack during the Cold War. It was intended to serve two purposes: to prevent Soviet bombers from homing in on American cities by using radio or TV stations as beacons, and to provide essential civil defense information. U.S. President Harry S. Truman established CONELRAD in 1951.

After the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles reduced the likelihood of a bomber attack, CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System on August 5, 1963, which was later replaced with the Emergency Alert System in 1997; all have been administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Unlike its successors, the EBS and EAS, CONELRAD was never intended to be used for severe weather warnings or local civil emergencies.

Ben Alexander, Jacb Webb

➦In 1969...actor Ben Alexander, who was Officer Frank Smith, Sgt. Joe Friday’s  partner on both radio & TV versions of Dragnet, died at age 58.


➦In 2008...Rush Limbaugh signed a lucrative deal, believed to be $38 million a year with Premiere Radio Networks that keeps on the air until 2016.