February 3 Radio History

➦In 1927...The Federal Radio Commision (RFC) was created. The FRC wasgovernment body that regulated radio use in the United States from its creation in 1926 until its replacement by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1934. The Commission was created to regulate radio use "as the public interest, convenience, or necessity" requires. The Radio Act of 1927 superseded the Radio Act of 1912, which had given regulatory powers over radio communication to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. The Radio Act of 1912 did not mention broadcasting and limited all private radio communications to what is now the AM band.

WEAV 960 AM (5 Kw DA-2)

In 1935...WEAV-AM, Plattsburgh NY signed-on as WMFF, owned by Plattsburgh Broadcasting Corporation (in turn controlled by the Bissell family), and operating on 1310 kHz.  The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement in 1941 moved the station to 1340 kHz.

On October 23, 1948,  the station changed its call letters to WEAV and relocated again, this time to the current 960 kHz. At one time an affiliate of ABC Radio  and its predecessor, the Blue Network, WEAV switched to CBS Radio in the late 1950s.

The station inaugurated FM service on February 3, 1960, with the launch of WEAV 99.9. FM (now WBTZ-FM) as a simulcast of the AM station.

WEAV-AM currently airs Sports Talk.


➦In 1935...Martin Block starts at WNEW-AM (now WBBR 1130 AM) in NYC at a salary of $20 per week. In 1935, while listeners to New York's WNEW in New York (now information outlet WBBR 1139 AM) were awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block built his audience by playing records between the Lindbergh news bulletins.



This led to his Make Believe Ballroom, which began February 3, 1935 with Block borrowing both the concept and the title from West Coast disc jockey Al Jarvis, creating the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom with the nation’s top dance bands performing live. He bought some records from a local music shop for the program as the radio station had none. Block purchased five Clyde McCoy records, selecting his "Sugar Blues" for the radio show's initial theme song.

Because Block was told by the station's sales staff that nobody would sponsor a radio show playing music, he had to find himself a sponsor. Block lined up a producer of reducing pills called "Retardo"; within a week, the sponsor had over 3,000 responses to the ads on Block's radio show. Martin Block's style of announcing was considerably different than the usual manner of delivery at the time. Instead of speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard in a theater, Block spoke in a normal voice, as if he was having a one-on-one conversation with a listener.

Abbott & Costello

When one of Block's sponsors offered a sale on refrigerators during a New York snowstorm, 109 people braved the elements for the bargain Block advertised; by 1941 potential sponsors for his show had to be put on a waiting list for availabilities.

➦In 1938...Challenge of the Yukon is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. The title changed from Challenge of the Yukon to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon in September 1950, and remained under that name through the end of the series and into television.

➦In 1938...The comedy duo Abbott and Costello made their first apperance on radio.  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work on radio and in film and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and early 1950s. Their patter routine "Who's on First?" is one of the best-known comedy routines of all time in the world, and set the framework for many of their best-known comedy bits. Their first known radio broadcast was on The Kate Smith Hour on CBS Radio. At first, the similarities between their voices made it difficult for radio listeners (as opposed to stage audiences) to tell them apart during their rapid-fire repartee. As a result, Costello affected a high-pitched, childish voice.

➦In 1959…Around 1 AM, , American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event later became known as "The Day the Music Died", after singer-songwriter Don McLean referred to it as such in his 1971 song "American Pie".

At the time, Holly and his band, consisting of Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup, and Carl Bunch, were playing on the "Winter Dance Party" tour across the Midwest. Rising artists Valens, Richardson and Dion and the Belmonts had joined the tour as well. The long journeys between venues on board the cold, uncomfortable tour buses adversely affected the performers, with cases of flu and even frostbite. After stopping at Clear Lake to perform, and frustrated by such conditions, Holly chose to charter a plane to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Richardson, who had the flu, swapped places with Jennings, taking his seat on the plane, while Allsup lost his seat to Valens on a coin toss.

Soon after takeoff, late at night and in poor, wintry weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, which subsequently crashed into a cornfield. Everyone on board was killed. The event has since been mentioned in various songs and films. A number of monuments have been erected at the crash site and in Clear Lake, where an annual memorial concert is also held at the Surf Ballroom, the venue that hosted the artists' last performance.

Richardson was 28, Holly was 22, and Valens was 17.



Don McLean later immortalized the tragedy in his classic song "American Pie," calling this "the day the music died."



➦In 1968…At EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles began recording "Lady Madonna." The song was release in mid-March, the single was their last release on Capitol Records in the U.S. All subsequent releases, starting with "Hey Jude" in August 1968, were issued on their Apple Records label.

➦In 1971...Jay C Flippen Flippen died at age 71, during surgery for an aneurysm caused by a swollen artery, one month before his 72nd birthday. He was a radio announcer for the New York Yankees, one of the first game show hosts.

➦In 2003...actress Lana Clarkson died in Phil Spector's mansion in Alhambra, California. Her body was found slumped in a chair with a single gunshot wound to her mouth with broken teeth scattered over the carpet. Spector told Esquire in July 2003 that Clarkson's death was an "accidental suicide" and that she "kissed the gun". The emergency call from Spector's home, made by Spector's driver, Adriano de Souza, quotes Spector as saying, "I think I've killed someone". De Souza added that he saw Spector come out of the back door of the house with a gun in his hand.

On April 13, 2009 a jury returned a guilty verdict against Spector.  He was taken into custody  and was formally sentenced, on May 29, 2009, to 19 years to life in the California state prison system, where he remains.

➦In 2003…Longtime St. Louis radio personality Ron Morgan died of a heart ailment at age 60.

Ron Morgan came to St. Louis in 1973, taking an on-air position on Pulitzer powerhouse KSD. It was the beginning of a stay in St. Louis radio that would span nearly twenty years. Known as “Morgan in the Morning,” he peppered his programs with droll humor supplemented with an infectious laugh and gave his program team plenty of opportunities to share the spotlight.

He also did mornings at KSD-FM and KLOU, as well as other shifts at KMOX and KHTR.

Morgan was also program director at CBS-owned KLOU when it hit the air with an oldies format, giving the station a strong group of personalities to complement the music, and he served as operations director at KSD-FM.

Ron Morgan was visible in the community as a long-time supporter of the Easter Seals Society.

Bay Area Radio: The Game Extends Lorenzo Neal

Lorenzo Neal

Entercom Communications has announced the signing of  sports radio air personality Lorenzo Neal to a new long-term contract extension to continue as the co-host of the morning drive on KGMZ 95.7 FM The Game in  San Francisco.

He'll remain on "Joe, Lo & Dibs," weekdays from 6-10am PT. Neal joined the all Sports outlet as an air personality in 2014.

"Lorenzo Neal continues to drive the San Francisco sports conversation every morning," said Entercom San Francisco Senior VP/Market Manager Gregory Nemitz. "His experience as a professional athlete and gregarious personality translates to great radio for listeners of ‘Joe, Lo & Dibs' and we look forward to this continued partnership."

"I'm grateful for this opportunity to continue my radio career with 95.7 The Game," added Neal. "I have enjoyed connecting with listeners every weekday morning and look forward to continuing the momentum in the years to come."

Prior to joining Entercom, Neal spent 16 years in the National Football League (NFL), playing for the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders. Neal is a four-time Pro Bowler and was voted a first team All-Pro twice and a second team All-Pro once by the Associated Press, and selected to the NFL's and Sporting News' All-Decade team for the 2000s.

“Stugotz” Unleashed: Stupodity Podcast Debuts

Longtime co-host on ESPN Radio with Dan Le Batard, “Stugotz” (Jon Weiner) now has his own platform to give his unique and somewhat skewed take on sports and the world around him with Stupodity, the second original offering from the newly formed Le Batard and Friends Podcast Network created by ESPN Podcasts.  Stupodity will be a weekly opportunity for Stugotz’s views on sports and life with visits from the people important to him both professionally and personally.  The first title that launched the new podcast network, Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions, launched in early January.

The first episode of Stupodity went live January 31 with recently named New York Jets coach Adam Gase the guest.  Not only does “Stu” know him from Gase’s time with the Dolphins, but Stugotz is a rabid Jets fan as a native of Long Island, N.Y.  Besides talking about his first few weeks with the Jets, Stu brings the coach into an earlier topic on the podcast where he and his wife, Abby, discussed teaching their twin 15-year-old daughters how to drive and whether to slow or stop at Yield signs.

Jon 'Stugotz' Weiner

“We’ve been talking for months if not longer about an original Stugotz podcast, and thanks to the launch of Le Batard and Friends, here we are,” said Pete Gianesini, ESPN senior director, digital audio programming.  “This is a great extension of the Stu we hear on radio as he takes us home to share his personal and family life with us…whether we want it or not!  I hope all his fans share my excitement to hear where this goes for as long as we can keep him interested and motivated.” 

Stugotz added, “I was going to use this space to tell you the direction of Stupodity but I honestly have no idea! What I do know is that my wife, Abby, is going to be a big part of it and we hope to have funny discussions about sports, parenting, marriage and life that will be relatable to so many people out there and that alone makes this different and unique.

“Additionally, I have so many great people and funny personalities in my life who have been so supportive of me over the years, and this is a chance for all of us to do something fun together and for me to introduce them to you. That’s a nice way of saying, ‘they'll be doing all the work and I'll be collecting all the checks.’  Ha, that’s Stupodity!”

In its first day, Stupodity not only hit #1 on Apple Podcasts in Sports and Recreation, but was #1 overall among all podcasts!  “I think I should end the podcast now,” Stugotz said.  “I want to go out on top.”

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (weekdays from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET, simulcast on ESPNEWS) joined the national ESPN Radio lineup in September 2015.  The duo has unique chemistry as they present a blend of thoughtful conversation, self-deprecating humor, and sports and celebrity guests.  The show began as a local program in Miami where it continues to be based.

Spotify In Talks To Acquire Podcaster Gimlet

Spotify Technology SA is in talks to purchase podcasting giant Gimlet Media, according to The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter, a move that would give a boost to the music-streaming company’s narrative-audio ambitions.

Talks are ongoing and it is still possible that a deal won’t happen, the people said.

Gimlet Media, which was co-founded by former “This American Life” producer Alex Blumberg and former Boston Consulting Group consultant Matthew Lieber in 2014, is the producer of popular podcasts like “Reply All,” “StartUp” and “The Nod.” The company recently partnered with Spotify to release the second season of the “Crimetown” podcast on the audio-streaming service.

Stockholm-based Spotify has been expanding beyond music streaming and into the world of podcasting, as it aims to capture more of consumers’ listening time and, eventually, boost profit margins. Although podcasts have been available on the service for years, they have become a priority only in recent months. That has meant building out capabilities to fast forward and host longer-form content, as well as feature podcasts prominently on the platforms.

Court Grills Lawyers On Net Neutrality

A panel of federal judges on Friday grilled the top lawyer for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the implications of the agency's decision to repeal its net neutrality rules in 2017.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments from both sides in a case challenging the FCC’s order to eliminate the rules requiring internet service providers to treat all web traffic equally.

According to The Hill, The judges had pointed questions for both net neutrality supporters and the FCC, and it’s unclear how the three-judge panel might rule. At least two of the judges, though, seemed concerned about the repeal’s effect on public safety and how the industry might behave in the absence of FCC oversight.

Pantelis Michalopoulos

The legal battle centers in part on questions of whether the FCC overstepped its authority in reclassifying internet service providers and in preempting states from substituting their own net neutrality rules, and whether it followed administrative procedure law in carrying out the order.

“This order is a stab in the heart of the Communications Act,” Pantelis Michalopoulos, a lawyer for the public interest groups and tech companies challenging the FCC’s decision, told the court.

The agency argued that its authority to reverse course from the Obama administration’s regulatory regime is well grounded in Supreme Court precedent.

Reuters reports the arguments focused on how internet providers should be classified under law - either as information service providers as the Trump administration decided or as a public utility, which subjects companies to more rigorous regulations - and whether the FCC adhered to procedural rules in dismantling the Obama-era rules.

FCC's Tom Johnson

“We are creating rules that are built to last,” FCC general counsel Tom Johnson told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Judge Patricia Millett repeatedly pressed Johnson over the FCC’s legal basis for treating telephone calls differently than internet traffic and asked if the FCC had properly considered the public safety impacts.

Millett raised the example of police needing to send urgent photos or video of a suspect that could be delayed if some internet traffic was prioritized.

“We can’t anticipate all harms,” Johnson said. As he sought to play down the concern Millett interjected: “There’s no evidence because they haven’t done it yet.”

In its 2017 decision the Republican-led FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to reverse the net neutrality rules. The agency gave providers sweeping power to recast how users access the internet but said they must disclose any changes in users’ internet access.

A group of 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia asked the appeals court to reinstate the Obama-era internet rules and to block the FCC’s effort to pre-empt states from imposing their own rules guaranteeing an open internet.

Several internet companies are also part of the legal challenge, including Mozilla Corp, Vimeo Inc and Etsy Inc, as well as numerous media and technology advocacy groups and major cities, including New York and San Francisco.

A decision is expected by this summer.

News Media Woes Lead To Layoffs

Vice Media told employees Friday it is cutting 10% of its workforce, or 250 jobs, the latest in a string of significant cutbacks in the sector. according to The Wall Street Journal.  Last week, BuzzFeed said it, too, was cutting around 250 jobs, or 15% of its workforce, as it tries to get on a path to profitability. Verizon Media Group’s HuffPost and Yahoo News units also suffered deep cuts, as did lifestyle-focused Refinery29.

Also,Craig Forman, CEO of McClatchy Company, Friday emailed all staff to say 459 or about 10 percent of the newspaper chain's employees would be offered voluntary buyouts. According to the Miami High Times, Forman stressed the buyout is optional. "It is important to us that [employees] are empowered to make the next steps on their career path," he writes, and also references, "driving our company to a functionally based organizational structure in targeted strategic areas."

McClatchy publishes newspapers across the nation, including the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, Idaho Statesman, Fresno Bee, and Charlotte Observer. Last August, the company cut about 3.5 percent of the staff, nearly 140 employees.

Each company has its own distinct factors contributing to its problems, but the common threads are the increasingly difficult online-advertising market and pressures from investors whose influx of money came with expectations of red-hot returns.

Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and a rising player, Amazon.com Inc., attracted an estimated 62% of online-ad spending in 2018, according to research firm eMarketer. That leaves several dozen significant players—including all online publishers and traditional media companies—competing for the remaining pot of money.

WSJ reports a wave of consolidation in the industry might be the only way forward, many executives in the industry say. BuzzFeed, whose biggest investor is Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal, has had some preliminary discussions with Group Nine Media, a Discovery Inc. -backed outfit whose outlets include video-news specialist NowThis and animal-themed The Dodo, according to people familiar with the situation, though the discussions haven’t advanced very far.

Report: How NFL Teams Make Money

Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us. The TV commercials are ready, the Bud Light is chilling, and the fans are getting into a frenzy ahead of the biggest football game of the year.

As the New England Patriots prepare to play the Los Angeles Rams at the Super Bowl, kicking off at 6.30 p.m. ET on February 3, retailers, broadcasters and sponsors will be waiting to cash in on the biggest sporting event in the U.S.

CNBC took a look at who makes what:

The NFL

The NFL will reportedly pocket tens of millions for Sunday's game, but for more accurate figures it's better to look at the season as a whole. The NFL does not disclose the value of its contract with TV networks to broadcast regular season football games, but it's reported that CBS, Fox and NBC will pay around $3 billion a year collectively to do so, with a total of around $27 billion for the period 2013 to 2022. Each network gets the Super Bowl match to themselves three times over that period.

The NFL also doesn't release detailed financial data, but one league team, the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, does break out its finances because it's fan-owned.


How NFL teams make money from CNBC.

The terrestrial broadcaster

Super Bowl ad spots are the most expensive on commercial TV in the U.S. by far, with a 30-second slot costing $5.25 million. That works out at roughly $175,000 per second. Thirty-second ads during regular-season NFL games usually cost around $625,000, according to Kantar Media.

Of the three TV networks who alternate broadcasting the Super Bowl, CBS will show it this year. Total ad spend for pregame, in-game and post-game advertising during NBC's Super Bowl broadcast last year was $482 million, according to Kantar. CBS has broadcast the Big Game the most times and 2019 marks its 20th year, and its official line at a January 10 press conference was that it was 90 percent sold on ad spend.

The network might take close to half a billion dollars in advertising for just one football game, contributing heavily to the overall annual amount it pays the NFL for the right to broadcast.

Super Bowl: Americans Will Spend $81 On Average

by Niall McCarthy, Statista

As close to a national holiday as its possible to get (even if it's on a Sunday), Super Bowl Sunday has grown to become a sacred event in the American calendar.

The event is a welcome-occasion to get together with family and friends but it's also embraced by retailers. Given that the Super Bowl is consistently the highest-rated television event in the country, people really tend to enjoy themselves and spend some cash. The National Retail Federation has forecast total spending levels of $14.8 billion this year as people buy everything from beer and snacks to new TVs.

The event has really grown in prominence in recent years, resulting in bigger parties and more spending.

You will find more infographics at Statista

For example, total planned spending in 2010 didn't even crack the $9 billion mark, a long way short of the expected total for 2019. On a per person basis, average spending in 2010 was just over $50.

That has crept up a lot though, and this year the average American is expected to part with $81. That's tied with 2018 and represents the second-highest level of spending per person in the survey's history behind $81.19 set in 2016. The decline came about because fewer people are planning to watch the game.

Trump Tells CBS: Pelosi Is "Very Bad For Our Country"

Days before a State of the Union address in which he's expected to stress unity, President Trump said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is "very bad for the country," in an exclusive interview to air Sunday with CBS News "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan.

CBS News also reports the president suggested Pelosi "doesn't mind human trafficking," or she wouldn't oppose funding his border wall. Mr. Trump sat down for nearly an hour in the White House Blue Room Friday afternoon in a wide-ranging interview that will air on "Face the Nation" Sunday morning and prior to the Super Bowl.

"Well, I think that she was very rigid — which I would expect — but I think she's very bad for our country," the president said, when asked what he learned after negotiating with Pelosi in recent weeks. "She knows that you need a barrier. She knows that we need border security. She wanted to win a political point. I happen to think it's very bad politics because basically, she wants open borders. She doesn't mind human trafficking or she wouldn't do this."

Brennan's interview with the president comes days before his first State of the Union address in a divided government, and two weeks before government funding for several federal departments and agencies runs out on Feb. 15.


Mr. Trump said Thursday he doesn't think lawmakers will reach a deal to fund his border wall. Mr. Trump told Brennan that Pelosi is doing a "terrible disservice to our country."

"She's — she's costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars because what's happening is, when you have a porous border and when you have drugs pouring in, and when you have people dying all over the country because of people like Nancy Pelosi who don't want to give proper border security for political reasons — she's doing a terrible disservice to our country," the president told Brennan Friday.

More of the interview will air on "Face the Nation" Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m., and before the Super Bowl at 3:30 p.m.

Tom Joyner To Make Multi-City Tour 'One More Time'

On his nationally syndicated radio show Frioday, Tom Joyner announced the One More Time Experience multi-city tour, which includes concerts that bring the music and celebration of his daily Party With a Purpose, The Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Dates begin on May 10th and continue throughout the summer. Joyner, a huge fan favorite who changed the radio landscape, launches this tour with a routing that allows his audience to join the celebration and toast Tom for his longtime commitment to entertain, inform and empower. Each tour date will showcase Tom and friends, including artists like Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and KEM. Stay tuned for more artists to be announced.

In making the announcement, Tom Joyner offered "What better way to say thank you to the people I owe my career to!  I hope everyone will be as excited as I am to celebrate with good music, good fun and good hugs!  We have 25 years worth of partying to achieve, so let's do it together, with the ultimate One More Time Experience!"

The planned tour dates as of this announcement follow below, while more dates and other artists are expected to join in the celebration.

The full lineup can be found at BlackAmericaWeb.com. Radio stations in the tour markets will host the event and link to ticket sites, while surrounding markets will have the opportunity to invite their audiences as well.

Joyner - who first gained popularity after earning his nickname "The Fly Jock" while flying round-trip between Dallas and Chicago for seven years and eight million miles - hosted morning and afternoon shows in two different cities. Joyner revolutionized radio, becoming the first morning show with music in syndication launching January 3rd 1994. Joyner announced that he would retire from broadcasting in December of 2019, capping one of the greatest careers in communications.

SiriusXM To Be Standard Feature In New Toyota Models

SiriusXM hasannounced that it has reached a landmark agreement with Toyota that will expand the installation of SiriusXM to all Toyota models and trims sold in the Continental U.S. 

The expansion is expected to start with 2020 model year vehicles produced in the Fall of 2019.  The agreement will result in SiriusXM becoming a standard feature as Toyota's next generation head units are rolled out to Toyota cars, trucks and SUVs.  The agreement also extends the long-term relationship between the two companies into 2028. 

Toyota customers will continue to receive a three-month introductory subscription to SiriusXM All Access, which is SiriusXM's most expansive programming package and gives the subscriber access to SiriusXM both on the radio and via the SiriusXM app.

"This extension represents a milestone agreement between our two companies," said Christopher Lam, Senior Vice President & GM, Automotive Partnerships for SiriusXM.  "Our long standing relationship with Toyota has helped grow SiriusXM to over 34 million subscribers, and we're excited that Toyota will now offer even more customers access to all of SiriusXM's exclusive, award-winning content."

"We are committed to delivering our customers the features and services they want, and because of the strong demand we see for SiriusXM, both from our customers and dealers, we're making SiriusXM standard across our entire model lineup," said Steve Basra, Vice President, Connected Technologies for Toyota Motor North America.  "By building SiriusXM into every model and trim level, it will enable us to deliver SiriusXM to more Toyota drivers than ever before."

February 2 Radio History

Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll

➦In 1890...Charles James Correll born (died September 26, 1972). He was an early radio comedian, actor and writer, known best for his work for the radio series Amos 'n' Andy with Freeman Gosden. Correll voiced the main character Andy Brown, along with various lesser characters.

The two developed ‘Sam & Henry’ in 1926 for WGN Chicago, which they renamed ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ when they jumped to WMAQ in 1928.



➦In 1940...Frank Sinatra made his singing debut with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide

➦In 1946...Twenty Questions, first broadcast at 8pm, Saturday, February 2, 1946, on the Mutual Broadcasting System from New York's Longacre Theatre on West 48th Street.

Radio listeners sent in subjects for the panelists to guess in 20 questions.  On the early shows, listeners who stumped the panel won a lifetime subscription to Pageant. From 1946 to 1951, the program was sponsored by Ronson lighters. In 1952-53, Wildroot Cream-Oil was the sponsor.

➦In 1957...Early rocker Dale Hawkins recorded 'Susie Q' in a studio at KWKH Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana.  James Burton featured on guitar.

➦In 1958...‘Frontier Gentleman‘ starring John Dehner debuted on CBS Radio. Frontier Gentleman is a short-lived radio Western series originally broadcast from February 2 to November 16, 1958,

➦In 1959...Early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson gave their last performances at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Tickerts were $1.25. On September 6, 2011, The Surf Ballroom was added to the National Register of Historic Places

Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly

Holly, Valens and Richardson left The Surf immediately after the show, going to the nearby Mason City airport and chartering a small plane to take them to Fargo, North Dakota to prepare for their next show at the Moorhead Armory in Moorhead, Minnesota.

The plane took off at 12:55 AM Central Time on Tuesday February 3, 1959. Shortly after takeoff, young pilot Roger Peterson, in a combination of spatial disorientation and misinterpretion of a flight instrument, flew the plane into the ground, killing everyone aboard. According to the report, Peterson was not certificated to fly commercially at night, nor was he qualified to fly in the adverse weather (IFR) conditions which prevailed at the time of the flight. Although Peterson underwent formal IFR training, he failed his final checkride weeks before the accident.

A concrete monument was erected outside The Surf, and the ballroom is adorned with large pictures of the three musicians. A street flanking the facility's east property line is named Buddy Holly Place in his honor.
.

➦In 1975...Joe McCoy started as a disc jockey at WCBS 101.1 FM in NYC.

He eventually became Program Director.  In his 23 years as Program Director at WCBS-FM in New York City the station was # 1 (12+) 5 times as well as a leader for many years in the all-important 25-54 demo. He is now retired.


➦In 1985...FLASHBACK...From The Pages of Radio&Records R&R....

Birch Advances

➦In 1992...radio/TV host Bert Parks died from lung cancer at age 77.  Parks entered radio broadcasting at age 16, for Atlanta's WGST. Three years later, he moved to New York City and was hired as a singer and straight man on The Eddie Cantor Show, then becoming a CBS Radio staff announcer. Parks was the host of Break the Bank, which premiered on radio in 1945 and was telecast from 1948 to 1957, as well as Stop the Music on radio in 1948 and television from 1949 to 1952. With other celebrities, he hosted NBC radio's Monitor during the 1960s. He is best remembered as the singing host of The Miss America Pageant on TV for 25 years. (“There she is, Miss America….”)

➦In 1995...Actor Willard Waterman died at age 80.  Waterman replaced Harold Peary, on "The Great Gildersleeve," radio program after Peary was unable to convince sponsor and show owner Kraft Cheese to allow him an ownership stake in the show. He also began his radio career at WIBA in Madison, singing in a quartet that performed "musical interludes between programs." and came to NBC in Chicago in early 1936.  Waterman was a founding member of the radio union now known as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

➦In 2009...Laurie Cantillo started as PD at WABC.  She moved on to  PD at News WTOP-FM in Washington.  As Cantillo told the Business Journals May 2014, "When I was a victim of consolidation after working in New York at WABC, the very first email I got after the story came out in Radio Inc. was from Jim Farley, and he said, “Anything I can do to help?” And I said, “Sure, hire me,” with a smiley-face, kinda just kidding. He wrote back and said, “Well, we may have something, why don’t you come down to see us.” So I jumped on the train. I was so impressed with the team here, and what they told me was a transition plan that would allow him to retire."

Cantillo now works for NASA in DC

➦In 2016…Radio and comedian Bob Elliott died in Cundy's Harbor, Maine on February 2, 2016, from throat cancer at the age of 92. He was part of the the Bob and Ray comedy. Ray Goulding died in 1990.

➦In 2017...Entercom announced that it had agreed to merge with CBS Radio stations, but not its radio networks. The purchase will give Entercom operations in 23 of the top 25 markets, and make it the second-largest owner of radio stations in the United States, behind only iHeartMedia;

The company also shut down KDND in Sacramento and returned its license returned to the FCC, with its programming moved to sister station KUDL. The FCC had designated that the renewal of KDND's license would be subject to a hearing over allegations it had failed to operate in the public interest.

➦Click Here For More Historical Events That Happened on February 2.

Done Deal: SiriusXM Closes On Pandora

SiriusXM today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Pandora Media, Inc. With the transaction complete, SiriusXM is the world's largest audio entertainment company with strong, long-term growth opportunities.

Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Ocer of SiriusXM, said, "This is a tremendous outcome for two organizations with complementary platforms and large audiences, and we could not be more excited to be moving forward as one company. With SiriusXM's subscription-based national service of curated and exclusive content and programming, and Pandora, the largest U.S. streaming music provider with its highly personalized free ad-supported service, under one roof, SiriusXM now reaches more than 100 million people across its audio products. That is a powerful platform for consumers, content creators and advertisers."

Jim Meyer

Meyer continued, "Importantly, the premier products that SiriusXM and Pandora listeners have enjoyed for years are not changing. That said, good things come from being together, and we look forward to creating new unique audio packages that combine our strengths and oer an even wider range of content to our listeners. On behalf of everyone at SiriusXM, we are excited to ocially welcome the talented Pandora team and look forward to working with all of our employees to continue delivering the best audio entertainment experience in the world and creating enhanced value for stockholders."

Together, these two brands are uniquely positioned to lead a new era of audio entertainment by delivering the most compelling subscription-based and ad-supported audio experiences to millions of listeners – in the car, at home, and on the go. The combined company will drive long term growth and value for its stockholders by employing the disciplined and focused approach that has always been an integral part of Sirius XM, including by:

• Capitalizing on cross-promotion opportunities across the combined company's more than 100 million listeners in North America, with close to 40 million self-paying subscribers, and 75 million trialers and ad-based listeners, which represents the largest digital audio entertainment audience in the U.S.
• Pairing SiriusXM's curation and exclusive programming with Pandora's uniquely predictive listener personalization technology – representing one of the world's most extensive datasets of music listening information – to deliver audio experiences tailored to the tastes of each listener.
• Creating new, unique audio packages that bring together the best of both services, providing a powerful platform for consumers to connect with established and emerging artists, entertainment brands, and talent. 
• Expanding monetization opportunities through both ad-supported and subscription services – in and out of the vehicle – creating innovative new ways for listeners to enjoy even more audio entertainment.
• Continuing to invest in talent, content, technology and innovation to create and offer the best audio entertainment available, including specially-created music channels and programming from major and emerging artists, provocative talent in talk, entertainment, comedy, and exclusive sports programming.

As previously announced, the outstanding shares in Pandora not already owned by SiriusXM will be exchanged for a fixed ratio of 1.44 newly issued SiriusXM shares. Shares of Pandora's common stock are no longer trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Big Game Streaming Numbers Expected to Surge

This year’s Big Game is poised to break new streaming records, if new data from Adtaxi pans out.

According to MediaPost, the digital marketing agency released the results of its annual “Super Bowl Viewership and Consumer Streaming Trends Survey,” which examines streaming habits around the NFL championship game.

The survey found 21% of respondents say they plan to watch at least part of the game via streaming video this year, up from 8.1% last year, a 160% increase.

CBS has the TV rights to this year’s game and will make it free to stream on its websites, connected TV and mobile apps.  It will not require any authentication, eliminating some of the friction that comes with streaming most NFL games.

If 20% of consumers actually streamed the game, that would mean around 20 million consumers streamed the event, which would be a record for a single live event.

“Based on the exponential shift in our data, we may well see a day when Super Bowl streaming overtakes traditional TV viewership completely,” says Chris Loretto, executive vice president, Adtaxi.

Gladys Knight Proud To Sing National Anthem

It's fitting that one of the biggest stars from Atlanta hosting Super Bowl LIII will be featured when the New England Patriots square off with the Los Angeles Rams for the Lombardi Trophy this Sunday, according to CBSSports.com.

Gladys Knight, a seven-time Grammy Award winner, will sing the national anthem at Mercedes-Benz Stadium ahead of kickoff. It marks a Super Sunday homecoming for the Atlanta-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

With No. 1 hits in pop, Gospel, R&B and adult contemporary, Knight has been a music legend since her rise to stardom between the 1960s and 1980s, when she dropped classics like "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "That's What Friends Are For." Recognized as one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, she and The Pips entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Knight is also particularly celebrated in Atlanta, where, in 2015, she was honored with the renaming of Atlanta's State Route 9 from Peachtree Street to 14th Street as Gladys Knight Highway.

Following in the footsteps of Cher, Neil Diamond, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel and countless other celebrity anthem guests, Knight says she is "proud" to represent the NFL in singing before Super Bowl LIII.

"I am proud to use my voice to unite and represent our country in my hometown of Atlanta," she said. "The NFL recently announced their new social justice platform Inspire Change, and I am honored to be a part of its inaugural year."

In addition to Knight's performance, performance and deaf activist Aarron Loggins will sign both the anthem and "America The Beautiful" on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).

From Beyoncé to Billy Joel, here are the top 10 best National Anthem performances from Super Bowls past:

K-C Radio: KCJK Adds Afentra For PM Drive

Cumulus Media announces that it will launch The Afentra Show in Kansas City on Thursday, February 7th on KCJK X105.1 FM. Airing weekdays from 3pm-8pm, Afentra will combine her legendary quick wit with her extensive Alternative music expertise and authentic connection to Kansas City’s Alternative fans and community.

Afentra was previously on-air at Kansas City’s KRBZ “The Buzz” as the highly-rated morning show host of Afentra’s Big Fat Morning Buzz, a key component in the success of the station since 2003. 

Afentra

Mike McVay, Executive Vice President, Content & Programming, Cumulus Media and Westwood One, said: “The opportunity to bring Afentra to the Cumulus KC cluster was one we simply couldn’t pass up. A talent with her skills, experience and market heritage is a rare find. We are excited to have her join our team.”

Mike O’Reilly, Program Director, KCJK 105.1, added: “Sometimes in a lineup strategy you get lucky and make a big splash. Adding Afentra to X105. 1 is more along the lines of a tidal wave for Kansas City Alternative! Afternoons is the ideal daypart for The Afentra (Show) on X105.1, and for her next chapter of success.”

Afentra said: "X105.1 didnʼt just say they wanted me, they showed me. Iʼm not just talking monetarily. Wanting me, my thoughts and my experience - that speaks to my soul, matching their words with actions. I'm rested, excited, and ready to win!"

Donna Baker, Regional Vice President, Cumulus Midwest Region, added: "Afentra has the gift of observing life in a manner that is real, whether hilarious or poignant, and sharing that in a way that truly connects. Combined with her passion for music, artists, and community, The Afentra (Show) ignites a new world of success for the audience and advertisers on KCJK, X105.1. “

Omaha Radio: iHM Names Joey Dee As PD For KISO

Joey Dee

iHeartMedia announced today that Joey Dee has been named Program Director and Afternoon Drive Host for KISO 96.1 KISS FM, Omaha’s #1 For All The Hits.

As Program Director, Dee will be responsible for overseeing the programming and on-air personalities on 96.1 KISS FM, including Elvis Duran and the KISS FM morning show hosts. He will report to Erik Johnson, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Omaha.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Joey Dee to the 96.1 KISS FM team,” said Johnson. “His major market experience and creative ideas will help us make 96.1 KISS FM a market leader.”

Dee joins iHeartMedia Omaha from iHeartMedia Bismarck, where he most recently served as the Program Director for Y93. He also served as the Program Director for KKCT-FM in Bismarck, North Dakota and Assistant Program Director for KQMV-FM in Seattle, Washington.

“With the history of this market, making my pilgrimage to Omaha is a dream come true for me as a Contemporary Hits Radio programmer,” said Dee. “I am incredibly excited to work with the entire iHeartMedia Omaha team and I look forward to taking 96.1 KISS FM all the way to No.1 !”

Portland OR Radio: Kim Martinez Named SVP/MM For Entercom

Kim Martinez

Entercom, the #1 creator of live, original, local audio content in the United States, today named Kim Martinez to the role of Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Entercom Portland OR.

In this role, Martinez will oversee Hot AC KRSK 105.1 The Buzz, Sports KFXX 1080 The Fan, Sports KMTT 910 ESPN, Classic Rock KGON 92.3 FM, Alternative KNRK 94.7 FM, Alternative 94/7 Too KNRK-HD2, Adult Hits KYCH 97.1 Charlie, Country KWJJ 99.5 The Wolf and Waterfront Blues Radio (KGON-HD2) in Portland, OR.

Martinez most recently served as Vice President of Digital Sales at Entercom.

“We have great talent within our company and we are proud to promote from within,” said Doug Abernethy, Regional President, Entercom. “Kim is a skilled leader and we are confident that her team will benefit from her passion, vision, leadership and drive.”

“It is such a great time to be in radio, the number one reach medium in the U.S.,” said Martinez. “I’m looking forward to joining this team and to be associated with these incredible brands that make a positive impact on the Portland community every day.”

Martinez is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience. Prior to her role as Vice President of Digital Sales, Martinez helped launch SmartReach Digital in 2014 for Entercom. Previously, Martinez served as General Sales Manager for Entercom Seattle.

Atlanta Radio: CMG Promotes Drew Anderssen At WSB

Drew Anderssen

Cox Media Group (CMG) Atlanta has named Drew Anderssen senior operations and program manager at News/Talk WSB 95.5 FM / 750 AM.

In this role, Anderssen will manage the legacy brand of WSB and continue serving as the news, talk and sports format coordinator for CMG Radio.

“WSB is one of America’s strongest and most iconic radio stations, and it’s been a career-long dream of mine to become part of this award-winning team,” said Anderssen. “I’m thrilled to work one-on-one with WSB Program Director Pete Spriggs and the entire team to help shape the future of the WSB brand.”

Anderssen started his career with CMG in 1998 as the operations manager for KRMG News/Talk in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2012 he was promoted to operations manager/program director at WDBO Orlando where he oversaw programming and news as well as digital and social media planning. Prior to joining the CMG team, Anderssen spent several years in promotions, research and programming in Texas and Oklahoma.

“Drew and I have worked in lock-step for the last five years as format leaders for all of our outstanding Cox Media Group news/talk stations. He brings an overwhelming amount of experience and passion to his role and I look forward to continuing our partnership to ensure WSB remains a dominant leader in the radio space,” said Pete Spriggs, director of branding and program for WSB AM.

Amazon Reports Third Record Profit in a Row

Amazon.com Inc on Thursday forecast first-quarter sales below Wall Street estimates, warning that new regulations in India had created uncertainty around one of its key growth markets and saying it would step up investments in 2019.

According to Reuters, the outlook overshadowed Amazon’s record sales and profit during the holiday season. Fast and free shipping helped the world’s largest online retailer boost revenue by 20 percent. A lucrative cloud computing business, as well as fees that merchants pay Amazon to ship and advertise their products, has fattened the company’s once-thin profit margin.

Net income jumped 63 percent to $3 billion for the fourth quarter, ahead of analysts’ estimates.

Yet investors focused their attention on Amazon’s international operation, where the company has long lost money in the hopes of future profit. Though its international operating loss shrunk to $642 million in the quarter from $919 million a year earlier, new regulations in India are poised to take a toll. The rules seek to protect local businesses by prohibiting foreign e-commerce companies from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest.

Brian Olsavsky, Amazon’s chief financial officer, said on a call with reporters that the “situation in India is a bit fluid right now.”

The company forecast net sales of between $56 billion and $60 billion for the first quarter, missing analysts’ average estimate of $60.77 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Olsavsky said that investments would increase this year. The company had little need to splurge in 2018 thanks to prior spending on warehouses, headcount and other areas, boosting profit. But this year investments will rise, though Olsavsky did not detail where or how much.

A large chunk of the company’s hiring has gone to Amazon Web Services, its lucrative business selling data storage and computing power in the cloud. Revenue for the unit surged 45.3 percent to $7.43 billion, beating an average estimate of $7.26 billion.

Overall, net sales for the fourth quarter were $72.38 billion and beat analysts’ average estimate of $71.87 billion on the back of a strong holiday season, which includes the major U.S. shopping event Black Friday.

Making Amazon more profitable still are ad sales. The company now ranks alongside Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc as titans in marketing, letting these same merchants pay for high placement in Amazon’s search results.

Ad sales and “other” revenue jumped 95 percent to $3.4 billion in the fourth quarter.

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