An enraged Mike Francesa called in to “Boomer & Gio,” morning show on WGAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM, after Boomer Esiason described Francesa as “idiotic” in reference to Francesa criticizing the Giants in the wake of the shooting of their sixth-round pick, Corey Ballentine. Ballentine’s best friend and teammate, Dwane Simmons, was killed in the incident.
According to The NY Post, when Francesa made his initial comments, there was no known reason for why Simmons and Ballentine were the victims. Francesa still used it as part of a diatribe against Giants GM Dave Gettleman and the franchise, describing them at the end of it as a “laughingstock.”
Reports so far indicate the two were innocent victims.
Francesa’s rage continues a sad spiral for him after he returned from a faux retirement a year ago. It is becoming increasingly hard to imagine that the 65-year-old Francesa — who became a radio icon with his old partner, Chris Russo — doesn’t leave the station at some point on awkward terms.
On Tuesday, Boomer & Gio were talking about how Francesa has suddenly criticized the Giants after being supportive of them for years. The duo hypothesized that Francesa was not being fed information anymore, which is why he has hammered Gettleman. Eli Manning has also canceled his weekly paid spot with Francesa for this season.
Country KYGO 98.5 FM announced today that Brian Michel has been appointed Program Director.
Brian Michel
Michel joins 98.5 KYGO and the Bonneville Denver Media Group from iHeart Media where he was most recently Regional Senior Vice President of Programming responsible for the entire iHeart Atlanta region. Prior to that, he held the position of Operations Manager for Simmons Media in Salt Lake City. Brian has also programmed urban station KXUU-FM in Denver and held the position of VP of Programming in Fort Wayne.
“I couldn’t be happier having Brian lead our best in class radio station,” said Bonneville Denver VP/Market Manager Bob Call. “Brian will bring a fresh competitive energy to KYGO after seven successful years handling day to day programming at Atlanta’s top-rated country station, 94.9 The Bull. I am especially impressed with Brian’s success across a number of formats including overseeing WWPW Power 96.1 in Atlanta, plus the 76 stations in his region.”
“I am honored to be selected to not only lead this legendary radio station, but also work with a world class organization that emphasizes local media while doing so much good in the community,” said Michel. “A special thanks to Bob Call for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to return to the Mile High City.”
Entercom has announced a first-of-its-kind multiplatform partnership with Waze, the world's largest community-based traffic and navigation app.
The partnership scales across broadcast, digital and streaming with app integrations on both Waze and RADIO.COM, the fastest growing digital audio app in the U.S. and the exclusive digital home for all Entercom content across its robust portfolio of 235 stations, and multi-platform content integrations.
As part of the deal, RADIO.COM will be integrated into the Waze app, allowing Waze drivers to seamlessly access the full range of RADIO.COM content including its leading local news and sports radio portfolio and local broadcast traffic reports, as well as its suite of leading music stations, podcasts, and on-demand audio content. Drivers will be able to access the RADIO.COM playback and discovery controls, including favorite, local, and recently played stations, directly in the Waze app. The integration with RADIO.COM marks the first time Waze will offer local sports and news content as part of their in-app experience.
“We’re thrilled to work with Entercom and look forward to leveraging the strategic opportunities within their impressive portfolio of stations,” said Mona Weng, Global Lead of Waze for Broadcasters. “This partnership is particularly impressive as it extends across broadcast, digital and streaming to provide real-time traffic updates and help broadcasters share hyper-local stories with their cities’ listeners. Through the Waze for Broadcasters program and efforts by our partners, we are collectively reducing traffic and working toward solving global mobility issues.”
RADIO.COM app users will also be able to access their Waze navigation from within the RADIO.COM app. In addition, the live Waze traffic map will be integrated into the RADIO.COM app and web platform.
“This partnership is a strategic move that offers both Waze and RADIO.COM users an enhanced experience,” said J.D. Crowley, Chief Digital Officer, Entercom. “We are the fastest-growing digital audio app in the country and we are pleased to join forces with Waze to bring our app and its unmatched content offering to Waze’s large community of drivers.”
Additionally, the partnership will allow Entercom to integrate the Waze community-based traffic data in its live and over-the-air traffic reporting across the company’s expansive portfolio of broadcast stations nationwide. Entercom stations will utilize the Waze data to provide enhanced real-time and hyperlocal traffic reporting to listeners across broadcast, streaming, and the RADIO.COM mobile and web platform.
“Partnering with Waze will allow us to offer more powerful real-time traffic updates to our audience,” said Fred Bennett, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Entercom. “By integrating new technologies into our on-air and digital traffic reporting, we will be able to better serve our communities and continue to offer them the most robust local traffic information they need to plan their day.”
SiriusXM today announced that multi-platinum, chart-topping duo Florida Georgia Line will perform a special invitation-only event for SiriusXM listeners at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, marking the GRAMMY nominees' first concert at the legendary venue. The private show will air live on Wednesday, May 29 at 8:00 pm CT on SiriusXM's The Highway, channel 56, and on the SiriusXM app.
Fans can expect crowd-favorites such as their 11X-PLATINUM debut "Cruise," "H.O.L.Y.," and Billboard record-breaker "Meant to Be," plus tracks from their latest BMLG Records album CAN'T SAY I AIN'T COUNTRY, including chart-rising single "Talk You Out of It" and #1 smash "Simple."
"The first time BK and I heard ourselves on the radio was on SiriusXM," shared FGL's Tyler Hubbard. "So, to come together now for our first full-blown concert at the Ryman is really special."
FGL's Brian Kelley adds, "There is a magical feeling when you walk into the Ryman and this is a place that has always been on our bucket list to play. We are so excited for this show and can't wait to bring our FGL vibes to the Mother Church!"
"Since being played first on SiriusXM's The Highway, Tyler and Brian have been unstoppable, and for them to play the Mother Church of Country Music will be a cherished memory for their many fans," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. "It will be a special moment for Florida Georgia Line at the Ryman and we are excited to present this one-of-a-kind performance to our listeners nationwide."
Subscribers will have the opportunity to win tickets to this private SiriusXM performance through an invitation sent by e-mail to qualified subscribers who have consented to e-mail marketing from SiriusXM and who have registered their music interests with us at siriusxm.com/perks. Subscribers since April 10, 2019 will be able to enter for the chance to win a trip for two to Nashville, TN including airfare, hotel stay, and a pair of tickets to SiriusXM Presents Florida Georgia Line at The Ryman. See Official Rules for complete details at siriusxm.com/FloridaGeorgiaLine.
SiriusXM subscribers will be able to listen to The Highway (ch. 56) on SiriusXM radios, and those with streaming access can listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM mobile app and at home on a wide variety of connected devices including smart TVs, Amazon Alexa devices, Apple TV, PlayStation, Roku, Sonos speakers and more.
Nielsen Holdings plc today announced its first quarter 2019 results.
Revenues were $1,563 million for the first quarter of 2019, down 2.9% reported, but up 0.4% on a constant currency basis, compared to the first quarter of 2018.
Net income per share on a diluted basis was $0.12 for the first quarter of 2019, compared to net income per share on a diluted basis of $0.20 for the first quarter of 2018.
Adjusted earnings per share was $0.35 per share for the first quarter of 2019, compared to $0.40 per share for the first quarter of 2018.
Cash flow from operations improved to $(43) million for the first quarter of 2019, from $(117) million in the first quarter of 2018.
Free cash flow for the first quarter of 2019 was $(165) million, compared to $(245) million in the first quarter of 2018.
David Kenny, Chief Executive Officer of Nielsen, commented, "Our first quarter results were ahead of our expectations, reflecting solid execution and continued focus on improving operational and financial rigor across Nielsen. While I'm pleased with our first quarter results, we have a significant opportunity to accelerate our growth rate over time as we leverage and build on our incomparable data assets, our global footprint, and the critical role we play in the media and FMCG industries. We have begun our transformation into a truly product-driven, technology organization, able to make faster, bolder decisions that drive greater value for our clients and for Nielsen."
Kenny continued, "The strategic review is ongoing and the Board is focused on completing the process in as timely a manner as possible. We remain focused on executing on our growth strategy, and we're taking the right steps to position the company for both near and long-term success in order to maximize value for all of our shareholders."
The company is maintaining its full year guidance as highlighted below:
Total revenue growth on a constant currency basis: Flat to +1.5%
The SoCast Digital Website Smackdown is on for Thursday, May 9 at 2PM ET/11AM PT with free attendance for all in radio.
Lori Lewis
SoCast Digital, the premier provider of digital monetization and content management solutions for radio, has gathered a trio of digital experts -- Lori Lewis, Vice President, Social Media for Modern Luxury, Seth Resler, Digital Dot Connector for Jacobs Media, and Steve Ulrich, Client Success Manager for SoCast Digital -- who will step into the ring to review and assess three radio station websites.
All radio stations are invited to submit their website by Monday, May 6 for possible review in the Smackdown. Free webinar registration and website submission are both available here.
Seth Resler
The panel will highlight the strengths and uncover the opportunities of each of the three websites to provide webinar registrants with insights into building a powerful web presence. The discussion will focus on how to optimize a station’s website for increased monetization, improved listener interactions, and enhanced audience engagement.
“Lori and Seth are recognized digital leaders who have helped numerous radio stations develop an online strategy,” noted Eric Eisen, Director of Sales and Marketing for SoCast Digital, who will lead the Smackdown. “We’re delighted they will join the Smackdown and share their expertise with our registrants.”
Last year, more than 30 radio stations submitted their website for possible review in the Smackdown, and even more are expected this year. The Website Smackdown is part of SoCast Digital’s free 2019 webinar series. All SoCast Digital webinars explore how to make digital easy and profitable for radio stations, across sales, programming, and promotion.
Upcoming topics in the free series include:
Turning radio sellers into local digital advertising experts
Generating revenue from external sites and social media
Creating engaging content for digital
Complementing on-air content with digital – how to program your digital day
How to identify and gather ‘meaningful’ audience data and use it effectively
For more information about SoCast Webinars or its suite of integrated digital products, radio stations may contact Eric Eisen, Director of Sales and Marketing, at 416-635-6678, ext. 223, or eric@socastdigital.com.
Less than three weeks after The Mighty 1090 went off the terrestrial airwaves on XEPRS 1090 AM, San Diego’s sports-talk leader for the last 16 years has disappeared from the internet as well, reports The Union-Tribune.
“And that’s a wrap. Right in the middle of the show,” tweeted afternoon host Darren Smith at 2:06 p.m. Monday, about two-thirds of the way through his regular weekday show, which along with the rest of the station’s programming had been available only online and via a mobile app since April 11.
We were just told that our parent company killed the stream, officially killing our radio station. Will have more information as it becomes available. Thank you all for your support.
Mike Glickenhaus, president of the parent company, Broadcast Company of the Americas, declined comment. Employees were told to report Tuesday for an 11 a.m. staff meeting.
The Mighty 1090 has been a fixture in the market since its creation in 2003. It was the flagship station of the Padres from 2004-16. But despite strong ratings in the Men 25-54 demographic for the first quarter of 2019, it went off the air just before noon on April 10, due to BCA missing lease payments, said Andres Bichara of Interamericana de Radio, the signal operator for the station.
“They have had multiple warnings that they should pay,” said Bichara, whose company is based in Monterrey, Mexico, on April 11.
Transmission comes from an antenna in Rosarito Beach, said Bichara. “Communications have been ongoing with (BCA). If they do not pay I cannot continue giving them the station for free,” he said April 11.
San Diego has two operational sports-talk radio stations: KLSD 1360 AM, the home to the football and basketball Aztecs of San Diego State; and KWFN 97.3 FM, flagship of the Padres. Both are owned by large corporations -- iHeartRadio and Entercom, respectively -- that operate hundreds of stations across the country, including multiple stations in San Diego. That allows them to create advertising packages that include their low-rated sports stations, rather than forcing those stations to generate income on their own at a time when many media companies are struggling to create revenue.
BCA also operated two other stations in San Diego under a deal with another business partner in Baja California, Jaime Bonilla Valdez, but a financial dispute in December resulted in 105.7-FM going off the air and 1700-AM switching from ESPN and local sports play-by-play to Spanish-language content.
Ratings at 1090 dipped after the Chargers left San Diego two years ago, and BCA was known to be seeking a buyer in recent months.
Westwood One, America’s largest audio network, and Veritonic, the audio effectiveness platform, are revealing the results of a new study on nominated and award-winning audio creative in today’s blog post.
The Audio Effectiveness 2018 Report for Creative Excellence Awards, which was released as part of the industry-leading Westwood One ROI Guarantee Audio Insights platform, examined creative from the most prestigious advertising and creative award shows to find out what advertisers can do to leverage sound to drive ROI.
The core takeaway: there is no doubt that commercial quality increases brand and sales effect, and there are clear moves marketers can make right now to leapfrog their competition.
Highlights from the study include:
Creative matters: award-winning ads boost purchase intent significantly: The award-winning creative drove purchase intent with much stronger scores. The highest-ranking ad scored a 28 for purchase intent (measured as the difference between a respondent’s intent to buy the product before exposure to the ad, and after). The second and third ranked ads each scored a 26. The average purchase intent score across the Veritonic database is six.
Female voiceovers are a huge opportunity for advertisers: Compared to ads voiced by men, those that feature a female voice performed better for happiness, authenticity, trustworthiness, and uniqueness. They also scored on par across all other emotional metrics. Very few of the ads tested in the study utilized female voiceovers -- 70% featured male voiceover talent while a woman voiced only 4% of the ads.
Serious ads generate 75% higher purchase intent than humorous ads: Veritonic found that, compared to humorous ads, serious AM/FM radio commercials had a stronger impact on whether consumers would buy the product. While humorous ads resulted in a 6.2 lift in purchase intent after exposure to the ads, serious ads performed better, yielding a 10.9 uptick.
Ads with disclaimers are winning creative awards and driving purchase intent: Though it was rare to hear an award-winning ad with a disclaimer, the radio spots that had them were not negatively impacted. Three ads with disclaimers won awards and tested well.
Music, sonic identities, and jingles are significant drivers of purchase intent: Ads that utilized jingles, sonic identities, or music in some way saw larger increases in purchase intent across the board. Ads with music saw a +146% increase in purchase intent post-exposure versus ads without music.
Google’s once-untouchable online-advertising operation took a body blow, hurt by mounting competition and struggles within its increasingly high-profile YouTube unit, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Google parent Alphabet Inc. in the first quarter posted its slowest revenue growth since 2015. For all its myriad arms and efforts to diversify, Google remains essentially an old-fashioned billboard operation with a high-tech gloss—and it now faces more rivals.
The company’s results are an outlier amid what has otherwise been a steady earnings season in the technology sector. Peers like Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. previously posted strong earnings, while Amazon.com Inc. last week reported record profit that will allow it to pour fresh cash into improving its Prime membership program.
Alphabet shares fell 7% Monday after hours, with the drop picking up during the earnings call as executives declined to answer direct questions about the flagging growth. Nearly an hour in, one analyst, Ross Sandler of Barclays, audibly sighed. “I guess I’ll beat a dead horse on the deceleration,” he said.
WSJ Graphic
If Alphabet shares drop in regular trading on Tuesday to match the after-hours decline, that would wipe more than $60 billion from the company’s market capitalization and mark the worst single-day session in nearly seven years. Before the earnings report, shares were up 24% this year.
Alphabet reported first-quarter revenue of $36.3 billion, roughly $1 billion short of forecasts. Per-share earnings of $9.50 also disappointed, and were a substantial fall from a year earlier, when results were supercharged by the conglomerate marking up its stakes in private technology companies.
Growth slowed across the board. Revenues were up 17% year-over-year, compared with 26% in last year’s first quarter. The company’s margin, a constant concern for analysts and investors, fell to 18%, compared with 25% last year.
The crimped margin can in part be blamed on last month’s $1.7 billion fine from European regulators for abusing the dominance of its search engine and limiting competition. Excluding the fine, the company’s margin came in at 23% and its per-share earnings were $11.90.
The longer-term issue, however, is competition. Rivals like Amazon, once content to play in their own corners of the Silicon Valley sandbox, are making big plays at online advertising. In a potentially existential threat to Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, more online shoppers now begin their searches directly on Amazon than on search engines.
YouTube, perhaps the company’s most closely watched arm, remains a financial black box. Hailed as an inspired acquisition 13 years ago, Google still hasn’t broken out the unit’s results in an earnings report. That has left investors to piece for clues, as expensive forays into original programming and cable-television replacement services have thus far failed to pay off.
Talk host Solomon Jones to the airwaves of WURD 900 AM / W241CH 96.1 FM, Pennsylvania’s only black owned talk-radio station, where the Inquirer and Daily News columnist previously worked as a host from 2014 to 2017.
Solomon Jones
Starting May 6, Jones will host the Wake Up With WURD morning show, replacing current host, Aaron Smith, who will continue on with WURD by hosting the new WURD Show On the Go, also launching on May 6.
Last December, when WPPZ 107.9 FM switched from the gospel-focused Praise to the old school R&B of Classix, Radio One announced that Jones’ Praise talk-radio show, Your Voice with Solomon Jones, would move from the airwaves to the internet.
During Your Voice’s four month stint as a digital-only show, Jones noticed that it was challenging for older listeners to catch up to the new format. “[Digital formats] can augment what you do on the air, but talk radio is a format that needs to be done on the air,” Jones said.
“Having both Solomon Jones and Dr. Aaron Smith on the WURD team will allow us to deepen our journalistic coverage and community engagement in ways that will be transformative for the station and the community,” Sara Lomax-Reese, WURD President and CEO, said a statement.
The shuffle comes as a part of WURD’s efforts to deepen community relationships, according to a press release. Jones and Smith will host a live broadcast show Friday during the 9 a.m. hour to introduce listeners to the changes.
Jones said that he will maintain two roles with Radio One: Your Voice will continue to air a Saturday edition at 9 a.m. on Classix 107.9 FM and he will periodically offer social and political commentary on WRNB 100.3 FM.
A new Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter poll, which surveyed 2,201 U.S. adults from April 17-21, found that “Good Morning America” was the most popular morning show, with 49 percent of adults having a favorable opinion of the program, with “Today” coming in second (43 percent), followed by “CBS This Morning” (42 percent).
Of the main morning shows on broadcast television, “Good Morning America” has shown the most stability with hosts, with the same trio — Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan — anchoring the show since September 2016.
The anchors in the lineup at “Good Morning America” is also the most popular among adults compared to their counterparts at other networks:
Roberts was also the most trusted of the morning show hosts, with 41 percent of adults saying they trusted her “a lot” to tell the truth. King was second-most trusted (38 percent) and Kotb and her co-host Savannah Guthrie came in third (36 percent each).
According to Nielsen data, “Good Morning America” has been the top-rated morning show, in terms of viewership, since 2015. In 2015, it averaged over 5 million viewers, topping “Today,” which averaged just over 3.5 million viewers that year, and “CBS This Morning,” which had about 3.4 million viewers on average.
In 2019, “Good Morning America” is still beating out the competition, averaging over 4.1 million viewers as of April 21. “CBS This Morning” remains in second place, with an average of roughly 3.2 million viewers, and “Today” is a close third, with just over 3.1 million viewers.
Pandora has announced Monday that it has formed a new partnership with the world’s largest ticketing company Ticketmaster.
“In our ongoing effort to provide a comprehensive and seamless artist marketing experience, Pandora has partnered with Ticketmaster to transform live event promotion,” the company, which is owned by SiriusXM, revealed in a blog post.
According to Pandora, which plans to pull touring data in real-time from Ticketmaster’s API, artists will now be able to “communicate with their fans about live events easier than ever before.” The company added, “fans will now be notified of upcoming show announces and on-sale ticket alerts based on their location and listener history,” and “will also now see Ticketmaster shows while using the Promote Show tool.”
The integration is similar to a partnership Pandora announced with Eventbrite back in 2018, however, a partnership with Ticketmaster opens up the streaming platform to shows from the world’s biggest concert promoter, Live Nation, which produces concerts for many of Pandora’s top streamed artists.
Woodstock 50 will go on despite the loss of a major financial partner, according to the organizers of the beleaguered anniversary event.
In a statement released late Monday, Woodstock 50 co-founder Michael Lang and Woodstock LLC said that they were “committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture.”
According to Billboard, they said that would continue despite the announcement earlier in the day that a financial investor was dropping out of the event, scheduled for Aug 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.
“Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners,” the statement read. “The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast.”
The anniversary event has had some bumps in the road. Tickets were originally supposed to go on sale last week, but that was put on hold. And some of the performers leaked to the press ahead of its announcement.
But the biggest obstacle came on Monday when its major investor pulled out.
The original concert was held on a farm in Bethel, New York, that is now run as an attraction by The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The venue has its own anniversary event Aug. 16-18 with performances by Ringo Starr, Fogerty and Santana.
While global consumers’ attitudes towards advertising haven’t changed much over the past year, those in the US report being somewhat less bothered by advertising this year than last. About one-third (32%) of the 1,000 US consumers surveyed for a new report from Kantar Media said they disliked advertisements, down from 36% in 2018.
According to Marketing Charts, nearly 3 in 5 Americans (57%) surveyed have no definitive like or dislike for advertising, but the percentage of those who find advertising enjoyable (12%) is half that of the 5-country average. While consumers in other countries seem to get more enjoyment from advertising, the UK is the only market that has a lower percentage of consumers who enjoy advertising (11%) than the US.
The data also suggests that where consumers happen to view an ad contributes to how much it is enjoyed. Kantar found that respondents enjoy seeing advertisements in the cinema more than in any of the other media. Perhaps more telling is that consumers prefer viewing ads through traditional platforms – such as television and print media – more than they do online.
This preference for ads in traditional media has not changed from last year, when a similar study by Kantar found that consumers were more receptive to advertising in traditional formats compared to those delivered online or through mobile.
Advertising means different things to different people. For instance, while the vast majority (91%) of respondents feel that at least one of the forms of brand communications proposed in the survey counted as advertising, 3 in 10 considered all brand communications to be advertising.
The communication types that may not necessarily be as interruptive are recognized as advertising by the majority of consumers. For example, close to two-thirds consider sponsorship of TV or radio programs (65%) and sports teams or events (63%) to be advertising.
Product placement and brands shown in TV programs or films are considered to be advertising by 62% of respondents.
Newt Gingrich dismissed the legitimacy of The Washington Post, calling out liberal media bias and declaring the paper not “serious,” reports Newsbusters.
Appearing on CBS This Morning, Monday, Norah O’Donnell mentioned Donald Trump’s tendency to hammer at critics. She derided, “Does it matter that he hits back with lies?”
Highlighting what she presumably sees as an unimpeachable source, the co-host chided, “The Washington Post today and Glenn Kessler, who has kept track of this, now [say] the President has surpassed 10,000 false or misleading claims since becoming president.”
This prompted the former Speaker of the House to retort: “I find it hard to take anything the Washington Post writes seriously.” A discussion of media bias isn’t common on CBS and O’Donnell reacted with disbelief: “Oh, come on!”
Gingrich doubled down: “They hate Trump. They hate Trump every day. Their coverage is stunningly biased.”
On December 12, 2013, Politifact awarded Barack Obama the “Lie of the Year” award for his constant claim that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” According to a Nexis search (for the month of December 2013), CBS didn’t mention Obama being tagged as a liar.
Apparently some liars are worse than others, concludes Newsbusters.
Longtime talk-show host and former CNN interviewer Larry King is recovering in a hospital after undergoing a procedure to address chest pain, known medically as angina, Ora TV said in a statement.
CNN reports he had been scheduled for an angioplasty but visited the hospital early last Thursday to be examined for the chest pain, said the statement, issued Monday.
“His doctor successfully performed the angioplasty and inserted stents to reopen the previous bypass from 1987,” the statement said. “He has been recuperating in the hospital and is scheduled to be released soon. His doctors expect him to make a full recovery.”
Ora TV, an on-demand digital TV network, said that contrary to some media reports King’s doctors say he did not have a heart attack and did not go into cardiac arrest.
“Larry is in good spirits and thanks everyone for their concern. He’s expected to be back to work on his shows, ‘Larry King Now’ and ‘PoliticKING with Larry King’ soon,” the statement said.
King, 85, has had several heart attacks, and in 1987 he underwent quintuple bypass surgery. His medical issues led him to establish the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping those who do not have health insurance afford medical care.
King began his long broadcasting career in the late 1950s as a radio deejay in Miami.
In January 1978, he launched “The Larry King Show,” a nationally syndicated late-night radio talk show, which later won a Peabody Award.
His TV interview show, “Larry King Live,” premiered on CNN in 1985. Over the course of more than 6,000 episodes, King interviewed presidential candidates, death row inmates, Hollywood stars and everyone in between — all while wearing his large eyeglasses and trademark suspenders — until his retirement in 2010.
He received a lifetime achievement award at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards in New York in 2011. King came out of retirement in 2013 to host “Larry King Now” on the Russian-owned news channel network RT America. He currently hosts “Larry King Now” and “PoliticKING with Larry King” on Ora TV.
King was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 and underwent successful surgery to treat it.
Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), Broadcast Music, Inc., and the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) Group will present the 12th annual “Rising Through the Ranks” Seminar on August 13-15 at BMI's Nashville office.
As in years past, BMI will offer 20 scholarships for this year's program. These scholarships cover the cost of the professional development course which is designed to foster and educate current and emerging female radio managers within broadcast radio.
Sessions at this year's seminar will include, among others:
Modern Female Manager – Juggling it all
Managing Up and Down
Advancement & Getting that Promotion
Budgeting and Forecasting
Recruiting, Hiring, and Firing
Culture... Healthy vs. Toxic?
Building Your Personal Brand
Scholarship winners will also hear from leading radio industry executives across various station groups and industry backgrounds. Featured speakers include: Hartley Adkins, president, integrated revenue strategy, iHeartMedia, Inc; Georgia Beasley, manager, professional development, RAB; Joe D'Angelo, senior vice president, broadcast radio, Xperi Inc. DTS/HD Radio; Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, RAB; Kim Guthrie, president, Cox Media Group; Bill Hendrich, executive vice president, Cox Media Group; Amy Hughes, director of sales, Entercom Memphis; Laurie Kahn, founder/chief multi-tasker, Media Staffing Network; Susan Larkin, regional vice president, Entercom; Denyse Mesnik, president, The Mesnik Group/MIW Executive Committee; Val Maki, president and chief operating officer, Brandovation; Jennifer Morelli, senior vice president, live events & experiences, Entercom; Ginny Morris, chairperson and chief executive officer, Hubbard Radio; Beth Neuhoff, chief executive officer, Neuhoff Media; Dan Spears, vice president, industry relations, BMI; Erika Sylvia, controller, Emmis Communications.
"Fostering the development and advancement of emerging female leaders is crucial to the future of the radio industry," noted Denyse Mesnik, president, The Mesnik Group and spokeswoman for the MIW Radio Group. "Rising Through the Ranks is a hallmark event for MIW Radio Group, with a proven track record of nurturing and building relationships amongst up and coming female leaders."
Scholarship applications and registration are available at www.rab.com and will be accepted April 29, through June 5, 2019, 5:00PM CST. Scholarship recipients will be notified of their selection by Wednesday, June 25. Learn more at http://www.rab.com/public/academy/rttr-info.cfm.
“America’s local radio and television stations have a deeply rooted commitment to public service,” said NABLF President Marcellus Alexander. “This year’s STA winners epitomize broadcasters’ devotion to positively impacting their communities and creating a lasting difference. We look forward to recognizing their exceptional work.”
The 2019 Service to America Awards will honor the following broadcasters:
⏩Service to Community Award for Radio – Ownership Group Beasley Media Group, “Beasley Best Community of Caring”
Recognizing the community service of its local stations, Beasley Media Group (BMG) realized that, working together, they could make an even greater impact and the Beasley Best Community of Caring (BBCC) was born. BBCC created and distributed scripts for 30- and 60-second public service announcements, asking stations to air spots a minimum of ten times each week. These campaign announcements were supported through social media, articles, blogs, interviews and podcasts. In addition to on-air support, each market partnered with a local group working on an issue important to their community. In 2018 topics included opioid addiction, mental health awareness, Autism Spectrum Disorder and hunger. Through this partnership with its 64 stations across 15 markets, BBCC donated nearly 33,000 spots and countless hours supporting causes important to the local communities it serves.
⏩Service to Community Award for Television – Ownership Group Hearst Television, Inc., “Commitment 2018”
The 2018 midterm elections were historic and marked the highest voter turnout seen in midterms since 1914. Months before the election, while the candidates were on the campaign trail, Hearst Television was there to bring viewers important information to help them make critical choices. Hearst Television stations were committed to covering this election cycle like none other; by digging deeper and exposing issues as they emerged, hosting a record-setting 98 debates and airing 5,034 political stories and segments, adding up to over 13,178 minutes of coverage.
⏩Service to Community Award for Radio – Major Market WMMR-FM Philadelphia, Pa., “Preston and Steve’s Camp Out for Hunger” Beasley Media Group
Philadelphia is among the poorest of the top ten American cities. While food insecurity is decreasing across the rest of the country, the city is home to more hungry people than ever before, and the number is growing. Preston and Steve, WMMR’s top-rated morning hosts, decided to do something about it and the annual “Camp Out for Hunger” was created. Now in its 21st year, “Camp Out” is the largest single location food drive in America, generating millions of meals. The 2018 Preston & Steve Camp Out for Hunger collected food and cash donations that translated into over 2 million meals for the hungry.
⏩Service to Community Award for Television – Large Market WKMG-TV Orlando, Fla., “Legislative Lifeline for First Responders” Graham Media Group
WKMG-TV presented a series of investigative reports featuring first responders diagnosed with PTSD, providing a platform for these men and women to expose the state’s failure to recognize PTSD as a medical injury. Under Florida law at the time, workers’ compensation insurance was not available for those diagnosed with PTSD unless they could prove they were also physically injured during the emergency call. The station’s reporting began with the story of one of the officers assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Night Club shooting. This segment led to a flood of responses from first responders struggling with PTSD who had been afraid to come forward. On March 27, 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed the Workers’ Compensation Benefits for First Responders Act into law. Governor Scott said WKMG-TV’s reporting was instrumental in the passage and signing of the new law.
⏩Service to Community Award for Radio – Medium Market WYCT-FM Pensacola, Fla., “WYCT Cat Country 98.7 and Santa Rosa Kids House” ADX Communications
Beyond its effective approach to child abuse cases, the Santa Rosa Kids’ House offers on-site specialized sexual abuse therapy to help child victims and their families recover. To help raise funds and awareness for Santa Rosa Kids House, Cat Country 98.7 hosted its first-ever Spring Jam. Tickets were only $10 for an all-ages show featuring popular country music acts. This inaugural event raised nearly $15,000 for Santa Rosa Kids House.
⏩Service to Community Award for Television – Medium Market WREG Memphis, Tenn., “Go Jim Go!” Tribune Media
Go Jim Go! is a 333-mile bicycle ride through WREG’s viewing area led by meteorologist Jim Jaggers. One week each fall, Jim rides to raise money for LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. When the hospital opened in 1952, LeBonheur’s founders promised that its doors would always be open to children in need. To keep that promise, monetary donations are critical for the hospital’s operations. During Go Jim Go!, Jim and his team stop at schools, businesses, farms and other locations to collect donations raised by a wide-range of supporters in the community. To help support the effort, WREG-TV features the lifesaving and ground-breaking work being done at LeBonheur. In 2018, WREG raised $370,000, increasing the total amount raised by the station to $2.9 million.
⏩Service to Community Award for Radio – Small Market WLEN-FM Adrian, Mich., “Thank A Vet” Lenawee Broadcasting Company
Thirteen years ago, station staff learned of local veterans living in the woods in their southern Michigan community. To provide a solution to the days and weeks of red tape our veterans must navigate to get critical assistance, WLEN created the Veterans Dire Needs Fund. Annually, on Veterans Day, the station collects money for local vets and raises awareness for homeless veterans and their critical needs. This event has grown from $5,000 raised in the first year to more than $30,000 raised in 2018. More than $250,000 has been raised over the years to help support Lenawee County veterans with a goal of helping local veterans to live as proudly as they served.
⏩Service to Community Award for Television – Small Market WCTV Tallahassee, Fla. Gray Television
In the wake of Hurricane Maria, a local Tallahassee couple started collecting relief supplies for the residents of their home town, Jayuya, P.R. The station soon began covering their efforts and within days, several truck-loads of relief supplies were collected and on their way to Jayuya. Wanting to do more, a WCTV reporting crew traveled to Jayuya to document how supplies donated in Tallahassee were helping people recover from the hurricane’s devastation. The station also highlighted the continued struggles many were having getting money for housing repairs. Rather than continuing to wait for FEMA to approve or deny financial aid, the station sprang into action and helped raise funds, equipment and materials to help provide new roofs for homes in Jayuya.
➦In 1908....actress Eve Arden was born Eunice Quedens in Mill Valley Calif. She won an Emmy for her star-making turn as “Our Miss Brooks”, which she introduced on CBS Radio in 1948 and on CBS-TV in 1952. It continued weekly on television through 1956 and on radio through 1957. She died from arteriosclerotic heart disease Nov 12, 1990 at age 82.
➦In 1917...Beatrice Ruth Wain born in the Bronx (Died at age 100 – August 19, 2017). She was a Big Band-era singer and radio personality.
She had a number of hits with Larry Clinton and his Orchestra. After her marriage she and her husband became involved in radio, helming a show titled "Mr. and Mrs. Music". Wain made her debut on radio at age six as a "featured performer" on the NBC Children's Hour. As an adult, she sang regularly on The Larry Clinton Show (NBC 1938), Monday Merry-Go-Round (NBC Blue 1941-1942), Starlight Serenade (Mutual 1944) and Your Hit Parade.
Following her musical career, the couple worked as a husband-and-wife disc jockey team in New York on WMCA, where they were billed as "Mr. and Mrs. Music". In 1973, the couple moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where for nine years they had a top-rated daily four-hour talk show from 2 PM to 6 PM on WPBR before relocating to Beverly Hills. During the early 1980s, the pair hosted a syndicated version of Your Hit Parade, reconstructing the list of hits of selected weeks in the 1940s and playing the original recordings.
➦In 1938...Historic CBS Columbia Square Studios Dedicated. Click Herefor the full story on this, and all the CBS studios in California.
Jack Bailey
➦In 1945...“How would you like to be queen for a day?!” was heard for the first time, as Jack Bailey introduced the show “Queen For a Day” on Mutual radio. The show later moved to television, where it ran locally in the Los Angeles area from 1948 through 1955, on the NBC Television network from January 3, 1956 to September 2, 1960, and on the ABC network from September 5, 1960 to October 2, 1964.
Each episode started with a different introduction, but inevitably the opening would resolve when Bailey pointed to the camera (and the audience) and loudly asked, "Would you like to be Queen for a Day?" as the live audience, mostly women, cheered.
Prior to his success with Queen for a Day, Bailey had a varied career, including "playing with jazz bands, directing musical comedy, tent shows and barking for the World's Fair in Chicago in 1933." He was an announcer for several radio programs, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Duffy's Tavern, and Meet the Missus.
Bailey also hosted the television game shows Place the Face (1953 – February 1954) and Truth or Consequences from 1954 to 1956. His run as host on that show followed Ralph Edwards as host (1940–1957 on the radio and 1950–1954 on television). In time Bailey was succeeded by Bob Barker (1956–1975) Bob Hilton (1975–1978), and Larry Anderson (1987–1988). The television version of the show ran on CBS, NBC, and also in syndication.
He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—one for his radio career, at 1708 Vine Street, and one for his work in television, at 6411 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
➦In 1945...Arthur Godfrey began his CBS Radio Network show. It aired for 27 years until the very same day in 1972. Arthur Godfrey Time was a Monday–Friday show that featured his monologues, interviews with various stars, music from his own in-house combo and regular vocalists. Godfrey's monologues and discussions were usually unscripted, and went wherever he chose.
➦In 1957…Elvis Presley recorded "Jailhouse Rock" at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
➦In 2004...Radio/TV Newscaster Rolf Hertsgaard died at age 81.
Hertsgaard was born in Minneapolis to first-generation Norwegian-Americans. He attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and by his early 20s he had gone into broadcasting. He worked at WCCO-AM in Minneapolis until 1955.
Hertsgaard anchored the evening newscasts of WBAL from 1958, when they were only fifteen minutes long, until 1973, when a shift to so-called "happy talk" news led to his dismissal.
The cause of death was complications from prostate cancer.
➦In 2005...WOR moved to 111 Broadway, NYC
➦In 2012...WEPN NYC moved to 98.7 FM, when the Walt Disney Company and Emmis Communications agreed to a 12-year-lease of the 98.7 FM frequency for an undisclosed price.
➦In 2016...Peter Addenbrooke Thomas died at age 91 (Born in Pensacola FL - June 28, 1924). He was an announcer and narrator of television programs, including shows such as Nova and Forensic Files.
Thomas began his career at 14 as an announcer on a local radio show. Since the station could not pay him, due to his age, they arranged for the sponsor, Piper Aircraft, to give him flying lessons in a Piper Cub. Within just a few years, Thomas would be hosting big band remotes.
With the onset of World War II, he served with Armed Forces Radio, and served with the First Infantry Division in five major campaigns, including the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was issued a Battle star for each of the five campaigns. He was also awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Unit French Croix de guerre, and Belgian Fourragère.
Thomas received many awards for his work but cited, as one of his best, the Oscar won by a documentary he narrated, One Survivor Remembers. The film, produced by HBO, chronicles the personal experience of Gerda Weissman Klein, who was interned at the Nordhausen Concentration Camp when she was a teenager; Thomas' unit participated in the liberation of Nordhausen.
He was also a news anchor at WCBS-TV, and did voiceover commercials for Coca-Cola, IBM, Valvoline, NBC, United Technologies, Burger King, etc., and ESPN Monday Night Football commercials.
➦In 2017…Classical music radio announcer June LeBell, who logged almost 30 years as a presenter on New York's WQXR, died of ovarian cancer at 73.
She became a familiar voice on the station, hosting “IBM’s Salute to the Arts” and “Kitchen Classics,” which coupled her favorite subjects, music and food.
LeBell was 29 when she joined WQXR, an FM station then owned by The New York Times Company, becoming what the station described as its first full-time female host and the first woman on the staff of any major commercial classical radio station.
Woodstock 50 has been cancelled. Earlier today officials with Dentsu Aegis Network, which is funding the festival, released the following statement to Billboard:
“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees."
The statement goes on, "As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”
Reps for the festival say concerns about the capacity of the festival, site readiness and permitting issues led to the cancellation.
Entercom has announced the induction of heritage Classic Rock WCMF 96.5 FM into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame. The station is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary on air. During the ceremony, the station’s midday host Dave Kane was honored with a Special Merit Award for his 38 years on air and overall contributions to music in the Rochester community. Rochester Music Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees were honored on April 28 at the Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre in Rochester, NY.
“We are excited to be recognized by the Rochester Music Hall of Fame and celebrate with the community who has accompanied us on our 50-year journey,” said Sue Munn, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Rochester. “For WCMF to be inducted in the same class with such talented, accomplished, and widely regarded individuals in the music industry is truly an honor.”
“I am so grateful to have been acknowledged with such a prestigious honor,” said Kane. “The Rochester community is my home and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love each day. Thank you to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame for this incredible recognition and to my team at Entercom Rochester for their support.”
The event featured musical performances by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal; Talas lead vocalist Phil Naro; The Firm and Whitesnake bassist Tony Franklin; and Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice.
Listeners can tune in to 96.5 WCMF in Rochester on air, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter and Facebook.
Beasley Broadcast Group today announced operating results for the three-month month period ended March 31, 2019.
The results include the operations of WXTU-FM in the three months ended March 31, 2019.
Operating income, net loss and net loss per diluted share in the three months ended March 31, 2018 were impacted by a $4.4 million charge due to the change in fair value of contingent consideration while 2019 first quarter results reflect a $3.5 million gain on dispositions.
The $2.5 million, or 4.6%, year-over-year increase in net revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2019 reflects growth in the Company’s Philadelphia cluster primarily related to the September 2018 acquisition of WXTU-FM, growth in the Company’s Tampa cluster primarily related to the 2018 acquisition of an event company, and revenue growth in three of the Company’s other radio markets, partially offset by declines in the remaining markets where the company operates.
Beasley reported operating income of $6.8 million in the first quarter of 2019 compared to operating income of $0.4 million in the first quarter of 2018. The year-over-year increase in operating income reflects the higher revenue and a 2019 first quarter gain of $3.5 million on dispositions while the year ago period was impacted by a $4.4 million charge due to the change in fair value of contingent consideration.
The $1.4 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, in 2019 first quarter net income primarily reflects the higher operating income during the period which more than offset a $1.0 million year-over-year increase in interest expense.
Station Operating Income rose $0.6 million or 6.2% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2019 to $10.2 million. The year-over-year increase reflects the net revenue growth during the period which more than offset a 4.3% year-over-year rise in station operating expenses related to the Company’s expanded platform.
Commenting on the financial results, Caroline Beasley, Chief Executive Officer, said, “The ongoing execution of our strategies to expand our scale, diversify our revenue mix and leverage the value of our premium local brands and content continued to serve Beasley well in the first quarter of 2019. The strength of our station clusters in three of our top five largest revenue markets as well as contributions from recent acquisitions and station swaps resulted in a 4.6% revenue increase and more than offset the $0.8 million year-over-year decline in revenue from our prior relationship with United States Traffic Network, which was discontinued in the third quarter of 2018. As a result, Beasley’s first quarter net income rose to $1.4 million, we generated a 6.2% year-over-year increase in SOI and generated an overall margin improvement.
Caroline Beasley
“The $2.9 million year-over-year decline in first quarter free cash flow was due to a $1.0 million gain due to a pension plan termination in the prior year period, as well as an approximate $1.0 million increase in interest expense related to the WXTU-FM acquisition and an approximate $0.7 million increase in capital expenses. As we move through the remainder of 2019, we expect the operating and financial benefits of our disciplined approach to building Beasley’s broadcast and digital platform to become more visible.
“During the first quarter, we continued to advance our initiatives focused on premium local programming to support ratings and market leadership, while aggressively rolling out our digital offerings and distribution capabilities to create new value for consumers and advertisers. In this regard, we made significant progress in expanding our local and national digital content production to reinforce and grow Beasley’s leadership position and distribution across all audio platforms in our markets, including the development of new podcasts featuring our biggest local franchises.
“Looking ahead, we remain confident in our prospects going forward and continue to believe that Beasley’s ongoing initiatives to diversify and drive revenue, productivity and efficiency across our platforms, combined with prudent management of our capital structure, is a proven formula for sustained long term financial growth and enhanced shareholder returns. Our platform, market position, ratings and content are strong, and as the number one reach medium, we remain confident in the radio industry’s future. We look forward to realizing the full value of our recent investments and intend to continue our strategic priorities of reducing debt and leverage, improving top- and bottom-line performance and taking advantage of opportunities that will create new value for our shareholders.”
Spotify Technology narrowed its loss in the most recent quarter as the music-streaming giant invested heavily in its growing podcast business and said it now has 100 million paying users., according to The Wall Street Journal.
During the quarter, Spotify acquired podcast companies Gimlet Media and Anchor, and announced plans to acquire another podcast producer, Parcast. The company has said it plans to spend as much as $500 million on such deals this year as it expands into nonmusic audio content to keep listeners more engaged and improve margins.
The company ended the quarter with 217 million monthly active users, in line with its expectations of 215 million to 220 million. It said it now has 100 million premium subscribers—its most lucrative type of customer—at the top of its guidance, helped by promotions in the U.S. and Canada and growth in family plans.
Spotify in February launched in India, a large market that has struggled to get consumers to pay for music. The company, which had previously said more than one million users signed up in the first week in the market, said Monday growth there has outpaced expectations and it now has more than two million users in India.
In all, for the three months ended March 31, Spotify posted a loss of €142 million ($158.3 million), or 79 European cents a share, compared with a loss of €169 million, or €1.01, in the year-earlier period. Revenue rose 33% to €1.51 billion, at the high end of the company’s estimates. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting a loss of 35 European cents a share on €1.47 billion in revenue.
For the current quarter, Spotify said it expects total monthly active users to rise to a range of 222 million to 228 million, and premium subscribers to increase to 107 million to 110 million.
Entercom has unveiled the lineup for The World Famous 27th annual “KROQ Weenie Roast.” For the first time, this year’s installment will move to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA on Saturday, June 8 and will feature musical performances from The Lumineers, 311, Silversun Pickups, The Revivalists, Catfish and the Bottlemen, X Ambassadors, Flora Cash, Smith & Thell and The Regrettes.
“We've always believed ‘Weenie Roast’ belonged on the beach and we are thrilled that after 27 years we are finally able to dig our feet in the sand,” said Jeff Federman, Senior Vice President, Entercom Southern California. “We look forward to entertaining our listeners with this amazing lineup, featuring some of their favorite artists that they hear on KROQ.”
All proceeds will benefit Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association, Heal the Bay and the Surfrider Foundation. Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association is the non-profit cooperating association of Doheny State Beach dedicated to the protection of the park’s beaches, facilities, marine refuge and historical and cultural stories. Heal the Bay is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean. The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Additional educational support is offered for the California Coastal Commission including messaging about the Coastal Cleanup Day which is scheduled for September 21, 2019.
Tickets go on sale May 2 at 10:00 a.m. to KROQ Street Team members. Public on sale begins Friday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. viafrontgatetickets.com. For more information, please visit kroq.radio.com/weenieroast.
Listeners can tune in to KROQ (KROQ-FM) in Los Angeles on air, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COMapp and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
