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Saturday, March 23, 2019

March 24 Radio History



➦In 1925...Utah's oldest radio station KSL took over the airwaves at 1160 AM.

KSL/KZN began life as the radio arm of the Deseret News, a Salt Lake City newspaper also owned by the LDS Church. The station's first broadcast aired on May 6, 1922 as KZN.  The broadcast was a talk by then-LDS Church president Heber J. Grant. In 1924 the station was sold to John Cope and his father, F.W. Cope, who formed the Radio Service Corporation of Utah.  Earl J. Glade (later a four-term mayor of Salt Lake City) joined the station in 1925 and guided KSL's operations for the next fourteen years. John F. Fitzpatrick, publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune (owned by the Kearns Corporation) acquired a quarter interest of KSL for a modest price, as did the LDS Church. This was the Tribune's first business partnership with the LDS Church, though the Church later (re)acquired full interest in the station.

In 1924, it changed its call letters to KFPT for one year and then adopted its current call letters in 1925 after they became available, with the "S" and "L" standing for "Salt Lake." (Until that time the KSL call sign had been used by a radio station in Alaska.) A series of power boosts over the next decade brought the station to its current 50,000 watts (daytime broadcast power) in 1932, with a 50,000-watt transmitter being dedicated October 22 of that year.

Soon after becoming a clear-channel station, KSL joined the CBS Radio Network. It remained with CBS until 2005, when it switched to ABC News Radio. The station would also gain a television counterpart in 1949, the CBS affiliate KSL-TV. (KSL-TV switched to NBC in 1995 after KUTV Channel 2 came under the ownership of CBS, following its acquisition by Westinghouse). They remained subsidiaries of the Deseret News until 1964, when Bonneville International Corporation was formed as the parent company for the LDS Church's broadcasting interests.

➦In 1932... A radio variety show is broadcast from a moving train for the first time, when Belle Baker hosts a show on a train traveling around the New York area. It was broadcast on the New York City station WABC (now WCBS-AM) . She talked first about the weather then, about local news regarding home-towns or stations of the train with the radio.




➦In 1935...Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour first aired locally in NYC on WHN in April 1934.  On March 24, 1935, on NBC, Chase and Sanborn chose this show to fill The Chase and Sanborn Hour. This arrangement lasted until September 17, 1936, when the show moved to the CBS Radio Network. The show remained on CBS for the remainder of its run on radio.

Each week, Bowes would chat with the contestants and listen to their performances.

Bowes sent the more talented contestants on "Major Bowes" vaudeville tours, often with several units roaming the country simultaneously. Bowes presided over his radio program until his death on his 72nd birthday, June 14, 1946.

Frank Sinatra was perhaps the best-known alumnus of the Bowes program, having appeared as part of the Hoboken Four quartet. Maria Callas also appeared on the program at age 11, performing as Nina Foresti when she sang a selection from Madame Butterfly.

In 1952, the show, now hosted by Ted Mack, made it to NBC-TV. It would run on various networks until 1970.


➦In 1958...Elvis Presley was finally inducted, starting his day as the King of Rock and Roll, but ending it as a lowly buck private in the United States Army.

Elvis’s manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker, made sure to have a photographer on hand to document every moment of the big day, which began at Graceland before six that morning. The photos show Elvis in dark slacks, an opened-collar shirt and a tasteful plaid sports coat, preparing to depart the house with his similarly well-dressed mom and dad for the short ride to the induction center in downtown Memphis.

Elvis reported to Local Draft Board 86 in Memphis, accompanied by his parents, Gladys and Vernon, as well as longtime friend Lamar Fike. Elvis and 12 other recruits were soon bused to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital and inducted into the U.S. Army, where starting pay was $78 a month.

➦In 1968…Howard Alexander Petrie died (Born - November 22, 1906). He was a radio announcer and actor.
Howard Petrie
Petrie was working as a bank clerk and a securities salesman. While on a sales call to a radio station, his sonorous bass voice landed him a job.

He joined WBZ Radio in Boston in 1929 as a junior announcer. After ten months at the WBZ studios, Petrie left for New York City in June, 1930 where he joined the staff of NBC. Petrie soon became the head announcer for many of the network's shows.

His first major network assignment was on Everything Goes, starring Garry Moore. He was the announcer for scores of shows including Abbie's Irish Rose, Big Sister, Camel Caravan, Blondie, The Ray Bolger Show, The Judy Canova Show, The Jimmy Durante Show, and The Garry Moore Show.




➦In 1977...Jean Shepherd aired his final show on WOR 710 AM NYC.

Jean Shepherd
Shepherd began his broadcast radio career on WSAI in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1948. From 1951 to 1953 he had a late-night broadcast on KYW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after which he returned to Cincinnati for a show on WLW. After a stint on television, he returned to radio. "Shep," as he was known, settled in at WOR 719 AM  New York City on an overnight slot in 1956, where he delighted his fans by telling stories, reading poetry (especially the works of Robert W. Service), and organizing comedic listener stunts.

The most famous of the last involved creating a hoax about a non-existent book, I, Libertine, by the equally non-existent author "Frederick R. Ewing", in 1956. During a discussion on how easy it was to manipulate the best seller lists, which at that time were based not only on sales but demand, Shepherd suggested that his listeners visit bookstores and ask for a copy of I, Libertine which led to booksellers attempting to purchase the book from their distributors. Fans of the show eventually took it further, planting references to the book and author so widely that demand for the book led to it being listed on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Shepherd, Theodore Sturgeon and Betty Ballantine later wrote the actual book, with a cover painted by illustrator Frank Kelly Freas, published by Ballantine Books.

Throughout his radio career, he performed entirely without scripts. His friend and WOR colleague Barry Farber marveled at how he could talk so long with very little written down. Yet during a radio interview, Shepherd once claimed that some shows took several weeks to prepare.

He died October 16, 1999 at the age of 78.

In 2005, Shepherd was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, and in November 2013 he was posthumously inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame



➦In 1980...Harry Harrison became the morning personality at WCBS 101.1 FM, playing oldie. In 1984, with Lundy joining the station, they were once again heard back-to-back as they were on Musicradio 77WABC .

Harrison would interact with Morning Crew engineer Al Vertucci, Phil Pepe, who reported sports, and joke about "wacky weather" and toupee warnings with Irv “Mr. “G” Gikofsky (weather), Mary Jane Royce, and Sue Evans. At 7:20 AM, Harrison opened the "birthday book" and announced listener and celebrity birthdays.

On April 25, 1997 New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued a proclamation, naming April 25 "Harry Harrison Day" in honor of the second "Mayor."

On March 19, 2003, after a 44-year career in New York radio, Harrison left WCBS-FM, saying "I am not retiring." His farewell to his loyal radio friends (from 5:30 to 10:00am) was held before a live audience at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. It offered old airchecks plus guest appearances by WCBS-FM colleagues Don K. Reed, Bobby Jay, Steve O'Brien, Randy Davis and Dan Taylor, his replacement, as well as his son and daughter, Patti. Harrison took phone calls from Bob Shannon, Mike Fitzgerald, Ed Baer, and Ron Lundy. Songs included Gladys Knight's "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" and the Little River Band's "Reminiscing," before closing with "That's What Friends Are For."

Shortly after he left WCBS-FM, Harrison's long-time wife, Patti, who he had always referred to as "Pretty Patti" on the air, died.

Ray Goulding, Bob Elliott
➦In 1990...Radio personality Ray Goulding died at age 68 of kidney failure (Born- March 20, 1922)  Goulding with Bob Elliott formed the comedy duo of Bob and Ray, their career spanned five decades.
Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as though it were a serious broadcast.

Elliott and Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey, and Goulding a news reader) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH-AM, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians.

Elliott and Goulding's brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray was originally a 15-minute show, soon expanding to half an hour. (When explaining why Bob was billed first, Goulding claimed that it was because "Matinee with Bob and Ray" sounded better than "Matinob with Ray and Bob".) Their trademark sign-off was "This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work"; "Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs".



They continued on the air for over four decades on the NBC, CBS, and Mutual networks, and on New York City stations WINS, WOR, and WHN. From 1973 to 1976 they were the afternoon drive hosts on WOR, doing a four-hour show. In their last incarnation, they were heard on National Public Radio, ending in 1987.

Bob and Ray were inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. Bob and Ray were inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in the radio division.

➦In 2005...Former WCCO Radio personality Jm Rogers died at age 64. He began his career working for KLWW in Cedar Rapids while attending Coe College. He went on to host programs for WMT in Cedar Rapids and WCAU in Philadelphia before moving to WCCO Radio in Mpls where he worked from 1983 to 1996

➦In 2016...Former CBC radio personality Jian Ghomeshi was aquitted of all charges in the first of two trials resulting from sexual assault allegations made by various women against the Toronto-based broadcaster.

➦In 2017…Longtime Detroit news anchor Rich Fisher died after a battle with cancer of the esophagus. He was 67.

Fisher was known to many Metro Detroiters as the back-up to former Channel 7 anchor Bill Bonds until the early 1990s, when CBS lured him away as their principal anchor at WJBK-TV. When Fox-TV bought out Channel 2 in 1994, Fisher stayed with the new network until leaving in 1997 to spend more time with his family.  He later anchored the 11 p.m. nightly news at WWJ (Channel 62) until 2002.

Fisher started his broadcast career with an Alpena radio station in 1968 and was the recipient of awards including the 1993 Michigan Associated Press Award and a 1986 national award from the American Bar Association, according to WJBK-TV (Channel 2). He also secured an Emmy for his broadcasting.

Miami Radio: WMXJ Renews With Kenny Walker


Entercom and on-air personality Kenny Walker have agreed to a multi-year contract extension. Walker will remain as host of the morning drive on WMXJ 102.7 The Beach in Miami.

Kenny Walker
He can be heard weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET.

“Kenny is an icon in the Miami market and holds a special place among 102.7 listeners,” said Keriann Worley, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom South Florida. “We are thrilled that he will continue to spend his mornings with us waking up the 305.”

“The energy of this station stood out to me when I joined in 2016 and I am honored to continue being a part of our listeners’ daily routines,” said Walker. “I look forward to continue building our station’s brand and connecting with Miami-Ft. Lauderdale.”

Walker is a 25-year market veteran, having held roles at several of South Florida’s leading stations. Prior to joining 102.7 The Beach in 2016, Walker served as morning show host for sister station Kiss Country 99.9 (WKIS-FM) and WHYI-FM in Miami.

Walker is also the longtime stadium voice for the Miami Dolphins.

Miami Radio: WMIA to Launch New Morning Show


iHeartMedia Hot AC WMIA 93.9 FM in Miami will debut of "Mack in the Morning with Letty B," weekday mornings from 6-10am effective April 1.

The new program will feature veteran Miami air personality Mack, Los Angeles native co-host Letty B and producer Nick Pena.

"I am excited to announce Mack, Letty B and Nick as 939 MIA's morning team," said 93.9 MIA Program Director Joey Brooks. "Not only is this group entertaining, but they are committed to the South Florida community. Individually, each of them brings a unique perspective to the show and I am confident that they will quickly earn listener loyalty."

"I enjoyed my time as afternoon drive at Y100 and I'm excited to kick off a new chapter at 93.9 MIA," said Mack. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to take the next step in my career to morning drive here in Miami. It's a good thing we have Cuban coffee!"

"I am beyond thrilled to join 93.9 MIA and the amazing iHeartMedia Miami team," added Letty B. "I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to join Mack on this incredible journey to wake-up with Miami every morning."

Houston Radio: KBME Revamps On-air Line-Up


iHeartMedia Houston announced Friday its new weekday lineup for Sports Talk KBME 790 AM, effective Monday, March 25.

As part of the new program lineup, “The Sean Salisbury Show” starring former NFL Houston Oiler quarterback Sean Salisbury will broadcast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The morning show features Michael Connor, Rachel Van Oranje and Adam Sager and will include expert analysis and commentary on all things Houston sports related.

“Being the leadoff hitter is a great challenge,” said Salisbury. “Listeners rely on you to kick-start their day with great energy and passion. I’m very excited to be part of a show that gives our listeners top of the morning sports news and intriguing commentary.”

“The combination of Sean’s energy and his perspective as a former football player is going to be a great way for local sports fans to start their day,” said Bryan Erickson, Director of AM Programming for iHeartMedia Houston.

The new program lineup will also feature Houston Rockets’ play-by-play broadcaster Matt Thomas and former NFL players Greg Koch and N.D. Kalu. In addition, on-air personality Adam Clanton returns to Sportstalk 790 and will host “The A-Team” from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Clanton is die-hard Houston sports fan and his experience and passion are going to be an excellent addition to our lineup,” “And watch for an exciting announcement in the days to come about Clanton’s co-host,” added Erickson.

SportsTalk 790 will also continue its broadcast agreements with the Houston Astros, Houston Rockets and the University of Texas football and basketball teams.

Programming Lineup:
  • The Sean Salisbury Show 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.
  • In the Trenches with Koch & Kalu 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
  • The Matt Thomas Show 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
  • The A-Team 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

CableTV News: It's Mueller Time!


Just hours after the news broke that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had handed in the report of his probe to Attorney General William Barr, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson blasted the “people on TV” who he said are guilty of lying.

“You have heard that the Mueller report arrived with no further indictments according to a senior DOJ official. That is it. No one else will be indicted in this investigation for collusion or anything else,” Carlson began. “Not a single American citizen has been charged with anything related to Russian collusion.”

According to Mediaite, he then listed those not indicted for collusion, including Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Carter Page, and President Donald Trump.



He then added that many of the people “have had their lives ruined by the Mueller investigation. Some could die in prison. Not one of them colluded with Russia.”

Then he said this: “The people on TV have been lying to you. They will deny it now. They will tell you it was always about Trump’s taxes or some foreign real estate deal or hush money he paid to a girlfriend. That’s a crock. This investigation was always from day one about collusion with Russia. About betraying this country. They told us that for years. And we have the tape.”

 For Sean Hannity, the “witch hunt” was finally over. Rachel Maddow considered it the start of something.

The Associated Press reports the diametrically opposed opinion hosts, who vie for the distinction of the most popular in cable news, were the windows through which many Americans digested Friday’s news that special counsel Robert Mueller had concluded a nearly two-year investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election. While his report, or even a summary, has not been released, television news still had hours to fill talking about it.



Fox News Channel’s Hannity, a close Trump ally, focused on reports there will be no additional indictments stemming from Mueller’s probe.

“The left’s favorite conspiracy theory is now dead,” Hannity said. “It is buried, and there was no collusion, no conspiracy, no obstruction. The witch hunt is over and there will be no further charges.”

The accusations against Trump were “what we always said, a hoax, a lie conceived by hate.”

As for MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, she had rushed to a studio in Tennessee where she had spent the day trout fishing.




“Finally, it happened,” she said. “In terms of what that means and what Mueller has found, we know only the smallest little bits. This is the start of something, not the end of something.”

It wasn’t until 16 minutes into her program that she discussed the reports that there will be no new indictments stemming from the probe.

Newsbusters, the media watchdog, reports Friday was a bad day to be analysts, commentators, hosts, and pundits at CNN who had been wanting the First Family’s legal situation to end in criminal charges and for the Trump presidency to end in disgrace.

CNN chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin and crime and justice reporter Shimon Prokupecz conceded that the lack of further indictments (sealed or unsealed) in relation to the Mueller probe is a “huge victory for the President” and “really good news” for individuals who had been subject to endless media speculation.

NYC Radio: Craig Carton Pleads For Leniency

Craig Carton
Former WFAN talker Craig Carton’s “severe gambling addiction” should be taken into account when a federal judge considers a punishment for his fraud conviction, attorneys for the former sports radio personality argued on Friday.

Carton, 50, was convicted last year of securities fraud and defrauding investors in a bulk ticket business he was operating with Michael Wright, who also pleaded guilty in the $2 million scheme.

The NY Post reports Carton's attorneys explain in their sentencing submission filings that Carton “gambled prolifically” at various casinos and that he would seek investors and loans to fuel his addiction.  At one point, he borrowed $8 million to cover gambling debts.

“I was actually building a real business and really buying and selling concert tickets, over four thousand tickets to be exact, but at the same time I was becoming enslaved by my desire and addiction to gamble,” Carton says in a letter to Manhattan Federal Judge Colleen McMahon.

“The result: I did not use monies entrusted to me and my company to buy tickets when I told people I would actually be buying tickets. I often used that money for gambling.”

Carton could be sentenced to up to 45 years in prison, though it is unlikely he would do that much time.

Prosecutors argued that Carton used his celebrity to lure investors into the ticket business.

CBS' Last Splurge: Gayle King


Gayle King may be CBS’ last big splurge as it scrambles to revamp its struggling morning news show, according to The NYPost.

“CBS This Morning” — said to be in talks to double King’s $5.5 million salary — is poised to promote an internal candidate as its next executive producer even as its mulls a shakeup to the anchor lineup that could include adding some lesser-known newsmen, The Post is reporting.

The changes have insiders lamenting that the show is already showing signs of belt-tightening — thanks to King’s impending pay raise, combined with $100 million in cuts announced by interim CEO Joe Ianniello.

The position of executive producer is slated to go to Diana Miller, a senior broadcast producer who is in contract negotiations with newly minted CBS News president Susan Zirinsky, sources said.

Miller, 38, has worked at “CBS This Morning” since 2014 and is considered qualified for the job. Still, the promotion of an internal candidate over a big-name producer from the outside has some CBS insiders reading the tea leaves.

“The show doesn’t have the budget,” said a person with knowledge of the talks. “They will have to make cuts.”

Zirinsky is also considering a new look for the struggling morning show that could include King opposite two new faces — none of whom are expected to cost the show big bucks, one source said.

The changes come as “CBS This Morning” struggles to regain viewers who tuned out after former co-host Charlie Rose was slammed with a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. The show sits in third place behind ABC’s “Good Morning America” and NBC’s “Today” show.

Season to date, “CBS This Morning” has 3 million total viewers, down 5 percent over last year.

Babs: M-J's Alleged Victims 'Thrilled To Be There'


Barbra Streisand believes the sexual-abuse allegations made against fellow superstar singer Michael Jackson, but she says she feels sorry for Jackson, too.

Her comments have drawn online backlash, reports USAToday.

In a wide-ranging interview published Friday by The Times of London, Streisand says she believes the accusations made by Wade Robson, 36, and James Safechuck, 40, in the recent HBO documentary, "Leaving Neverland."

"Oh, absolutely. That was too painful," says Streisand, who told the paper she met Jackson a couple of times and turned down his request for a duet of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." "He was very sweet, very childlike."

Asked about the abusive behavior alleged in the documentary, Streisand says: "His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has."

She also assesses how the long-term effects felt by Robson and Safechuck. "You can say ‘molested’, but those children, as you heard say, they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.”

Streisand says she has a combination of feelings about the situation. "I feel bad for the children. I feel bad for him. I blame, I guess, the parents, who would allow their children to sleep with him.”

The superstar has since faced online backlash for her comments.

Envision Networks Names New Business Development Director


Envision Networks has announced ita newest team member, Peter Welpton, who will take the role of Director – New Business Development. Welpton has an extensive knowledge of business and radio and will manage our newest Envision Networks office located in Dallas, Texas.

Peter Welpton
With more than 30 years in the broadcasting business, Welpton moved into a full-time position in digital product ownership, development and sales in 2010. From there, he started working with major media brands like Oprah, The Dallas Cowboys, NBC, Scripps, NFL and the Game Show Network.

Staying true to his broadcasting career, Welpton is still very much active in radio with Envision Networks nationally syndicated technology feature, The Geekout. He is also the co-host of The KickAround, a weekend talk show focused on soccer on The Ticket in Dallas.

“I can’t tell you how elated I am to be working with Danno again.  I’ve admired he and Laura’s success as business owners and the growth they’ve achieved with Envision,” said Peter Welpton. “I look forward to bringing my background in digital products, sales and experiences to their company and opening new lines of business.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Peter to our Envision team,” said Envision Networks' COO, Laura Orkin. “His expertise in broadcast and digital media will further our success as a content provider.”

For information on Envision Networks or to meet Peter, visit envisionnetworks.com.

Boston Radio: WWBX Kids Radiothon Raises $681,324


Top Row Left to Right: Karson Tager, morning show host; Kennedy Elsey, morning show co-host; Matthew Reid, evening show host; Joe McCluskey, radiothon donor; Ryan “Salt” MacMillan, morning show co-host; “Fast” Freddy Murphy, afternoon drive co-host.

Bottom Row Left to Right: Gregg Daniels, afternoon drive host; Erin O’Malley, midday drive host; Mike Mullaney, Assistant Program Director/Music Director; Annie Dow, morning show traffic reporter; Danielle Peroni, on-air personality; and Steve Salhany, Vice President of Programming, reveal results of annual “Mix Cares for Kids Radiothon” at Boston Children’s Hospital.


Entercom proudly announces $618,324 has been raised to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital during WWBX Mix 104.1’s 16th annual “Mix Cares for Kids Radiothon” on March 15. The amount raised during this year’s radiothon brought the overall fundraising total to over $10 million since 2003.

“We are so grateful to the listeners of MIX 104.1 who have given so generously to the ‘Mix Cares for Kids Radiothon’ benefitting Boston’s Children’s Hospital,” said Mark Hannon, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Boston. “It is truly incredible to surpass the $10 million mark and to support the hospital’s life-changing and life-saving efforts.”

The radiothon was broadcast live from the Boston Children’s Hospital beginning at 5:30 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. on March 15. The event was hosted by the Mix 104.1 on-air staff comprised of Karson Tager, Kennedy Elsey, Ryan “Salt” MacMillan, Annie Dow, Erin O’Malley, Gregg Daniels, “Fast” Freddy Murphy, and Matthew Reid.

Listeners can tune in to Mix 104.1 (WWBX-FM) in Boston 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, Facebook and Instagram.

R.I.P.: Kent Simonis, Longtime North Dakota Radio Personality

Kent Simonis
Longtime North Dakota radio personality and announcer Kent “Maverick” Simonis has died.

Radio station KEYZ 660 AM in Williston, ND, where Simonis was a host for many years, released the following statement on Tuesday:

"We here at 660 KEYZ News Radio, Cherry Creek Media which includes Power 95 in Sidney and Z96 Dakota Country, are in a state of mourning, having lost a dear on air colleague.

"Ray Simonis, the Maverick as he was widely known, and I only knew of him the five years I've been here, but he always lit up the room when he came in. Had a shoulder for us to lean on, a joke or two to lighten our paths and never dwelled on his own troubles.

"He was relentless when it came to his duties in running a professional operation over at power 95 in Sidney and at the other two stations when called upon, which is why we were alarmed when he missed an important sales meeting yesterday. Our General Manager asked the local authorities to make a welfare call on Maverick and what they found confirmed our worst fears.

"Now we must carry on in the belief that our colleague has found peace and is with his loved ones; but it can not go unsaid how terrible we all feel that he had to walk those final steps, alone, with no one apparently there to hold his hand. He deserved better, Rest in Peace good friend."

March 23 Radio History


Paula Winslowe, William Bendix
➦In 1910...Paula Winslowe was born Winifred Reyleche (Died  at age 87 – March 6, 1996). She was a radio and television actress and is known for her role as Bambi's mother in the 1942 movie Bambi.

Winslowe played the role of Mrs. Martha Conklin in Our Miss Brooks on both radio and television. On radio, she played Peg Riley in The Life of Riley, She was also heard in Silver Theater, Big Town and Broadway Is My Beat.

She briefly portrayed Mrs. Foster on Big Town, which starred Edward G. Robinson. She starred in several episodes of Suspense, including June 14, 1955 ("The Whole Town's Sleeping") written by Ray Bradbury; July 11, 1956 ("Want Ad"); January 24, 1956 ("The Cellar Door"); and June 5, 1956 ("The Twelfth Rose").


➦In 1922...KMJ-AM, Fresno, California signed-on.

KMJ was originally owned by the San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation. It was later acquired by the McClatchy Newspaper Company in 1925. It is also the 38th oldest licensed, and continuously operated radio station in the United States.

KMJ operated on a number of other frequencies between 1925 and 1932; some of the frequencies used included 820 and 1350 kHz.

McClatchy was intent on improving the signal, and competed with KTAB in Oakland for a new frequency (580 kHz), which was being made available by the newly created FCC.

Eventually, they were awarded the new channel, and KMJ moved to 580 kHz in 1932, operating with 1 kW non-directional from a building rooftop in Downtown Fresno.

In 1936, a new 5,000-watt non-directional transmitter site was constructed, which utilized a 5/8 wave antenna, and was located 5 miles east of Fresno, at the northeast corner of the Kings Canyon Road and Fowler Avenue intersection.

The Fresno Bee - April 1940
In 1941, Hammer Field (which later became Fresno Air Terminal) was constructed, as a training base for the Army Air Corps. The KMJ tower was directly in line with the runway, and the Army wanted the site relocated.

The site was then moved some 16 miles west of Fresno, the existing tower was unstacked and moved as well; however, it was only 660 feet in height. The remaining 330 feet were stored on the site, with the intention of creating a directional array, altough World War II interrupted the project and it never resumed.

The extra portion was eventually moved to Sacramento, and used in the construction of the KFBK transmitter site in 1945.

Today, KMJ-AM operates on the regional channel 580, with 50Kw and a directional antenna array.

KMJ 580 AM (50 Kw, DA2) Daytime 2 mV/m contour
From 1925 until 1987, KMJ was owned by McClatchy Company, who also owned KFBK in Sacramento, KBEE in Modesto, KERN in Bakersfield, and KKOH in Reno. McClatchy Newspapers also owned three daily newspapers in Fresno, Sacramento, and Modesto. In 1953, McClatchy signed on KMJ-TV on channel 24. The television station would be sold off in 1981 to become KSEE.

In November 2006, KMJ and its sister stations KFPT (AM), KWYE (FM), KSKS (FM), KFJK (FM), KOQO (FM), and KMGV (FM) were sold by CBS Radio to Peak Broadcasting, for $90 million.

In March 2009, Peak Broadcasting replaced the KFJK Jack FM format on 105.9 FM, with KMJ-FM; it is a partial simulcast of KMJ-AM.

In the fall of 2012, Premiere Radio Networks exercised a termination clause and ended its relationship with both the AM and FM KMJ stations. As of January 1, 2013, all Premiere-controlled syndicated shows were moved to Clear Channel-controlled stations in the greater Fresno area. From 6:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, KMJ-AM broadcasts all live and local talk shows.

On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would purchase Peak Broadcasting, and then immediately swap Peak's Fresno stations, including KMJ, to Cumulus Media in exchange for Cumulus' stations in Dubuque, Iowa and Poughkeepsie, New York. The deal is part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global. Peak, Townsquare, and Dial Global are all controlled by Oaktree Capital Management. The sale to Cumulus was completed on November 14, 2013.

Today the station airs a news/talk format.


WEW Chief Engineer Gordon Sherman 1933
➦In 1922...WEW-AM, Saint Louis, Missouri began broadcasting.

Saint Louis University established the station 9YK around 1912, using Morse code to communicate seismological and weather information. George E. Rueppel, assistant director of the Meteorological Observatory at SLU, worked with 9YK before he founded WEW in 1921. Audio transmissions began at 10:05 a.m. on 26 April 1921; the first voice heard was SLU president Rev. William Robison. The station received radio license #560 to broadcast on 618.6 kHz (wavelength 485 meters) as WEW on 23 March 1922;  KSD had been licensed on March 8.

The station has claimed to have broadcast the first quiz show, Question Box Hour, in 1923.

The station later moved to 833 kHz (360 meters). In April 1927 it was changed to 1210 kHz then 850 kHz; and changed in 1928 to 760 kHz, which was moved to 770 kHz on 29 March 1941 when NARBA took effect.

WEW 770 AM (10 Kw-D, 200 watts-N) Daytime 2 mV/m contour
On April 28, 2016 the station was granted a Federal Communications Commission construction permit to move to a new transmitter site, increase day power to 10,000 watts and add nighttime operation with 200 watts while still protecting clear-channel station WABC (AM) in New York City.

Today the station is owned by by Birach Broadcasting and airs diverse ethnic programs.


➦In 1938...CBS Radio newsman Christopher Glenn was born (Died at age 68 from liver cancer – October 17, 2006).  He was a news journalist who worked in broadcasting for over 45 years and spent the final 35 years of his career at CBS, retiring in 2006 at the age of 68.
Christopher Glenn

Glenn worked at various radio stations in New York, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. before joining CBS in 1971. He was a narrator for In the News, a long-running Emmy award-winning TV news program geared toward children and young people, which aired between the network's Saturday-morning children's shows. Glenn also appeared on camera as an anchor for the short-lived 30 Minutes, a young people's version of 60 Minutes.

He served as an anchor for two of the CBS Radio Network's signature news roundups carried by affiliates in the United States - The World Tonight (now the CBS World News Roundup Late Edition) from 1988 to 1999, and the morning CBS World News Roundup from 1999 until his retirement. Glenn's final morning broadcast occurred on February 23, 2006.

Glenn made his best-known report on January 28, 1986, when he anchored CBS Radio's live coverage of the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Glenn had just signed off—after what was thought to have been a normal launch—when the shuttle disintegrated, killing the seven astronauts on board. "I had to get back on the air real fast to describe that, and had a very difficult time doing that," he recalled. Glenn and correspondent Frank Mottek (now a reporter at CBS Radio Station KNX) covered the Challenger disaster from that point as a CBS NetAlert bulletin.

Ralph Edwards
➦In 1940...The game show “Truth or Consequences” was first heard on the NBC Radio Network.

Ralph Edwards stated he got the idea for a new radio program from a favorite childhood parlor game, "Forfeits". The show premiered on NBC Radio in March 23, 1940, and was an instant hit with listeners.

Edwards hosted the show from 1940 to 1957 and on television from 1950 to 1954.  Other TV hosts were Jack Bailey (1954–1956), Bob Barker (1956–1975), Steve Dunne (1957–58), Bob Hilton (1977–1978) and Larry Anderson (1987–1988). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts.

Truth or Consequences was the first game show to air on broadcast television, airing as a one-time experiment on the first day of New York station WNBT's commercial program schedule on July 1, 1941. However, the series did not appear on TV again until 1950, when the medium had caught on commercially.

In the late 1940s, Hot Springs, New Mexico agreed to host a T or C radio episode, resulting in the community renaming itself to Truth or Consequences; it still continues to use that name today.

➦In 1955...a youthful Elvis Presley auditioned for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on CBS-TV.  Producers considered his performance weak and rejected him for the show.

AFVN Saigon - 1972
➦In 1973...American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN)  radio and TV signed off permanently after serving the American fighting men and women for many years in Vietnam. During that time over a thousand military personnel served at one of the many in-country sites



In 2008…Big Jack Armstrong died at age 62 in High Point NC. (Born -  John Charles Larsh on December 4, 1945).  He was also known as Jack Armstrong, Jackson W. Armstrong, and Big Jack Your Leader, was a top-40 disc jockey of the 1960s through the 1980s, and an oldies DJ until 2006.

Jack Armstrong at WMQX
He held a Guinness World Record for "fastest talking human alive" at one point in his career.[6] He developed two imaginary sidekicks - the Gorilla, who speaks in a raspy bass, and likes women, banana juice, and whiskey, in that order - and the Old Timer, who wheezes, tells lame jokes, and was always getting shot after one of them.

Larsh was known for his distinctive signoff. At WKYC, it was a few catchphrases, spoken over the instrumental version of The Beatles' "And I Love Her". On WKBW, he used "Shimmy Shimmy Walk II" by the Megatons. On most stations, he used no background music. Eventually, it became a Motormouth extravaganza, spoken so fast it was hard to understand.

He began his radio career at WCHL in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1960 at the age of 14 as an after-school and weekend job. He also worked at WCDJ in Edenton in the summer when his family would go back home during summer break. At some point, he worked for WSSB in Durham, but the time frame is unclear.

Upon graduating from high school in 1964, Larsh moved to Atlanta, where he got an FCC First Class engineer's license, while working on the radio at WDJK. His parents enrolled him in Guilford College in Greensboro in the pre-med course. Larsh dropped out almost immediately, having gotten a radio job at WCOG.

In early 1966, WAYS-AM in Charlotte had begun 24-hour operations. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations at the time required that any station must have an engineer on duty at all times the station was on the air. When Larsh applied for a job there, the station quickly saw an opportunity to fill two sets of shoes with one person, since Larsh already had a First Class license. He was hired to fill the overnight shift.

At WAYS, Larsh met Jack Gale, a seasoned veteran of both the radio and music business who would become his mentor. Larsh later remarked, "Jack (Gale) has forgotten more about the radio business than I've ever known." When asked, he often cited Gale as one of his major influences.

Larsh's first big break came later in 1966, when he landed a job at WIXY-1260 in Cleveland, Ohio. The evening disc jockey at this station was always called 'Jack Armstrong' after the 1930s radio serial Jack Armstrong the All American Boy. With his fast-talking, young, friendly approach, Larsh became a huge hit in Cleveland - so huge that floundering WKYC-1100 asked him to break his WIXY contract, and come to work for the 50,000-watt station in January 1967.

'Jack Armstrong' was a copyrighted moniker in the market, so Larsh adopted the alias 'Big Jack Your Leader', and went to work for WKYC. He also occasionally taunted WIXY by calling himself Jackson W. Armstrong.

With WKYC heard all over the eastern half of the US, Larsh went national. He attracted fans all over the region, and became a huge hit. WKYC was listed as the number three record-buying influence in Miami in that era, no doubt due to 'Big Jack' and the 50,000-watt night signal that was so strong over the East Coast of the US.

Larsh moved on, working at other 50,000-watt stations such as WMEX 1510 in Boston; CHUM 1050 in Toronto (Click Here for aircheck) ; KFI 640 in Los Angeles, KTNQ 1020 in Los Angeles, and WKBW 1520 in Buffalo.  Larsh was one of the original disc jockeys hired for the all-new 13-Q in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s. In the late '70s, he could be heard on Indianapolis' 1310 WIFE before it went dark.

Larsh also worked at KFRC, The Big 610 in the early 1980s, dominating the midday, late-night, and overnight shifts at the station. Later on, he became part of 93 KKHR in Los Angeles, doing afternoons. In the late 80s, he worked at Power 98 in Myrtle Beach. His late career was spent doing mornings at WMQX Oldies 93 in Greensboro, NC, and voice tracking nights on Entercom Communications sister station WWKB in Buffalo.

Larsh was working at WWKB-1520 in Buffalo, New York, when the sudden format change in 2006 to liberal talk put him in the unemployed ranks. Larsh took this opportunity putting pen to paper and wrote his biography, which was completed four months before his death.  On March 22, 2008, Larsh died at his home in High Point, North Carolina as a result of a stroke or heart attack (an autopsy was not performed).

George Weber
➦In 2009...former WABC-AM NYC and ABC Radio newsman, George Weber, was found murdered at age 47.

George Weber was born in Philadelphia March 23, 1961 and was a radio newsman on the ABC Radio Network doing hourly news updates. For several years he was on the WABC 77 morning show, with Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby in New York City.

John Katehis
Weber began his radio career at WBUX (AM) in Doylestown. He then went on to WAEB in Allentown, where he worked for two and a half years as a reporter and news anchor. After contacting Phil Boyce, then news director at Denver station KIMN, he received an offer to be a street reporter and anchor with that station. Two and a half years later (after KIMN's demise) Weber went to crosstown rival KOA, where he began a new career as the host of a night-time talk show. Some other important stops on his way to a full-time job with WABC were KGO, KOGO, KTLK, and KMPC.

On March 25 police arrested 16-year-old student John Katehis of East Elmhurst, Queens, New York for the murder. Katehis was convicted in 2011 at retrial, and sentenced to 25 years to life.

Friday, March 22, 2019

iHeartMedia Considering Return To Public Markets

iHeartMedia Inc. is considering paths to return to the public markets as it nears an end to bankruptcy court oversight.

Bloomberg reports iHM may pursue an initial public offering or direct listing on a U.S. exchange, the company said in a statement Friday. As part of its reorganization plan, the San Antonio-based company is required to “use reasonable best efforts” to list its Class A common stock after it emerges from bankruptcy.

The company didn’t give a timeline for the potential listing and said all options are being evaluated.

iHM in January won court approval for a plan to cut about $10 billion of debt, which would allow it to emerge from the bankruptcy it filed for in March last year. It had previously attracted interest from Liberty Media Corp., which had said it may acquire a 40 percent stake in the business, but ultimately withdrew.

The radio operator collapsed into bankruptcy after a 2008 leveraged buyout overloaded the company with debt that topped $20 billion.

Boston Radio: iHM's WJMN Launches New Morning Show Monday


iHeartMedia's WJMN announced today the “Ashlee & The New JAM’N Morning Show,” debuting Monday, March 25. “Ashlee & the New JAM’N Morning Show” will broadcast weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m./EST.

Ashlee & the New JAM’N Morning Show will star JAM’N 94.5’s on-air host Ashlee Feldman and be co-hosted by popular Boston on-air personality Santi Deoleo as well as feature DJ Pup Dawg and newcomer DJ4eign. The new morning show will broadcast the latest Hip-Hop and lifestyle headlines catering to the local Boston scene, and will also bring back a listener favorite, JAM’N 94.5’s JAM SCAM.

The show replaces the syndicated Breakfast Club.

Ashlee most recently served as afternoon-drive host for JAM’N 94.5. In addition, she served as a morning show co-host in 2013 for the station. She was also a cast member of the 24th season of MTV’s “The Real World” prior to working at radio stations in St. Louis and New Orleans. Ashlee is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

In addition, Santi Deoleo is no stranger to JAM’N 94.5, and returns to the New JAM’N Morning Show with his former sidekick, Ashlee Feldman. This New England native will also be joined by JAM’N 94.5’s Hip Hop music authority DJ Pup Dawg, who listeners can also hear weekdays at noon with the “Back In The Day Buffet”, 5pm with the “5 o’clock Traffic Jam”, 6pm “The Mix at 6”, the “iHeartRadio 9 at 9” countdown and “The Takeover” at 10pm; as well as newcomer DJ4eign who has been steadily dominating the club and mixtape scene, as well as DJing for some of the industry greats such as French Montana, Young MA, Fabolous, Usher, Elephant Man, Mr.Vegas, Kevin Lyttle and others.

“We’re excited to have Ashlee back in the morning on JAM’N,” said Dylan Sprague, Program Director for JAM’N 94.5 and Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Boston. “It’s been exciting watching Ashlee’s career soar. Her attitude and energy were uncontainable in the afternoons and we can’t wait to hear her and Santi team up again on JAM’N 94.5.”

“JAM’N has always been my family,” said Ashlee. “I remember playing basketball at Northeastern and worrying about how I could get my hands on some cash because I just had to buy a ticket to Summer Jam. I’ve had many different roles at JAM’N 94.5 but I always knew where my home was and that is back in the mornings.”

MI Radio: Brian Holmes To Join WBZX Big Rapids


Former Mid-West Family Broadcasting rhythmic WJQM 93.1 Jamz Madison APD/night guy Brian Holmes announces he will join Up North Radio classic hits WBZX B103.9 FM in Big Rapids, MI for afternoons starting in early April.

This marks a reunion of sorts for Holmes and Up North’s Dom Theodore as they worked together at top 40 WFLZ/Tampa and also at top 40 WILN & rock WYYX/Panama City in the late 90’s

“Over 20 years ago, Dom talked of his dreams of owning his own stations. Watching him and General Manager Jen Theodore build their dream has been incredible,” Holmes said. “They have built three incredible sounding radio stations and even better, a live and local staff that feels just like family. I am honored to come on board and be a part of it all playin the 80s and More on B103.9!”

“Brian is the rare combination of talent and true passion for great radio, and after 20-plus years of friendship and lots of great history, I’m thrilled that we get to reunite at our very own company,” said Up North Radio co-owner Dom Theodore, “This is going to be some of the most fun we’ve had in years!”

Up North Radio General Manager Jen Theodore comments “Brian is a high impact personality who will be a great addition to the Up North Radio family. He understands the creative culture and commitment to true local radio that we are building here, and I’m thrilled that he’s teaming up with us.”

Holmes is best known for his ten year run as APD/night guy at WSNX in nearby Grand Rapids from 2005-2015. Holmes will also serve as an account exec for WBZX and Up North cluster mates classic rock WCKC/Cadillac-Big Rapids (107.1 The Drive) and top 40 WCDY/Cadillac (107.9CDY).

Meet Q, The Gender-Neutral Voice Assistant

For most people who talk to our technology — whether it's Amazon's Alexa, Apple Siri or the Google Assistant — the voice that talks back sounds female.

Some people do choose to hear a male voice.  Now, researchers have unveiled a new gender-neutral option: Q, reports Texas Public Radio.


"One of our big goals with Q was to contribute to a global conversation about gender, and about gender and technology and ethics, and how to be inclusive for people that identify in all sorts of different ways," says Julie Carpenter, an expert in human behavior and emerging technologies who worked on developing Project Q.

The voice of Q was developed by a team of researchers, sound designers and linguists in conjunction with the organizers of Copenhagen Pride week, technology leaders in an initiative called Equal AI and others.

They first recorded dozens of voices of people — those who identify as male, female, transgender or nonbinary. But sound designer Nis Norgaard ended up focusing on one voice, and altering it so that it sounded gender-neutral.

Nielsen Releases Final Batch Of February 2019 PPMs

Nielsen on Thursday, March 21, 2019 released the final batch of February 2019 PPM data for the following markets:

  33  Austin TX

  38  Raleigh-Durham NC

  39  Indianapolis

  41  Milwaukee-Racine

  43  Nashville

  44  Providence-Warwick-Pawtucket

  45  Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News VA


  46  Jacksonville FL

  47  West Palm Beach-Boca Raton

  48  Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point NC


  51  Memphis

  52  Hartford-New Britain-Middletown CT 


Click Here to view topline numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations.

NYC Radio: Report...WFAN Thinking 'After Mike'


Already planning again for life after Mike Francesa, WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM held recent talks to sign SiriusXM host Adam Schein, sources have told The NYPost.

Several scenarios were proposed by WFAN’s VP of programming, Mark Chernoff, including the idea of even pairing Schein with Francesa for a short period before Schein would take over for Francesa when the sports radio icon signs off for good at the station.

Ultimately, Schein will not be joining FAN, as he has opted to stay with SiriusXM, signing a new deal to remain the mid-morning show host on the station that bears the nickname of Francesa’s former partner, Chris Russo, Mad Dog Radio.
Adam Shein

Schein will also continue hosting “Time To Schein,” his daily program on CBS Sports Network that airs at 6 p.m. FAN was willing to accommodate Schein’s prerequisite to continue to do his TV show, though there was no formal plan on how that would be accomplished since Francesa’s current program runs until 6:30.

Chernoff and Schein’s agent, Maury Gostfrand, declined comment, but Entercom sent along a statement from Chernoff.

“We are 100% committed to Mike Francesa, who is the #1 Sports Radio talk show host in afternoon drive,” Chernoff said. “There is absolutely no truth to any reports about Adam Schein joining WFAN.”

This story, of course, never says Schein was joining FAN, but Chernoff held discussions to bring Schein in as Francesa’s replacement, according to The Post's Andrew Marchand.

FAN does need to plan for its future because it has no way of knowing what Francesa is thinking, especially since Francesa’s thought process has been erratic. He is often not at the station, preferring to do his show from home, and he has displayed a disregard for anyone else’s situation but his own.

Francesa, who turned 65 Wednesday, is being paid by FAN, but has repeatedly said he has declined to sign any contracts with Entercom.

Benztown Unveils List of 50 Top Voiceover Professionals

Benztown, a global leader in radio imaging, voiceover, programming and jingles, has released its fifth annual Benztown 50 List of Radio’s Biggest Imaging Voices, the radio industry’s exclusive listing of the top 50 voiceover artists in the U.S. and Canada. Benztown enlisted P1 Media Group to compile and analyze industry data that was the foundation for the list.

The Benztown 50 list for 2018 reflects increased industry participation and interest, with more than 300 U.S. and Canadian radio groups providing information for this prestigious annual list. The Benztown 50 was analyzed and evaluated by P1 Media Group’s proprietary algorithm, and is based on several criteria, including number of radio station affiliates, station size and market.

A special highlight of this year’s Benztown 50 is the first-ever presentation of the voiceover industry’s newest and now highest honor, the Benztown Iconic Voice Award for Lifetime Achievement in Voiceover, which will be presented to legendary voiceover talent, Chris Corley.



Corley is best known for his work as the voice of FOX, MLB, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon and the Broadway show and tour of Book of Mormon. His illustrious 36-year audio career includes on-air positions at top radio stations in markets including: Winston-Salem, NC; Greensboro, NC; Charlotte, NC; Fort Myers, FL; Nashville, TN; Norfolk-Virginia Beach, VA; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA. Corley’s distinctive voice has also been heard on some of the biggest television stations in the U.S., including stations in New York City, San Francisco, Denver, Washington, DC, and his hometown of Fort Myers, FL. He has also voiced numerous commercials and movie trailers for major films including: The Punisher; Milk; Ghostbusters (the recent all-female remake); Twilight; Jack and Jill; Bad Santa (1 and 2); Couples Retreat; Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; The Bank Job; and many others.

Dave “Chachi” Denes, President of Benztown, said: “We launched the Benztown 50 five years ago to celebrate the top voiceover professionals in our industry and highlight the important role that voiceover talent plays in building powerful radio brands. The value of voiceover has never been more critical to radio, in a listening environment that is more competitive than ever. As an industry leader in producing high quality radio voiceover, imaging and audio branding, Benztown is proud to recognize our industry’s most accomplished voiceover talent across the U.S. and Canada. We congratulate the talented people who comprise this year’s Benztown 50, and honor them for their excellence and leadership in audio branding.”

The following voiceover professionals comprise this year’s Benztown 50. Chris Corley and the 2018 Benztown 50 will be honored at a reception next Thursday, March 28th, at the Worldwide Radio Summit in Burbank, CA.

To view the list online, click here.

2018 Benztown 50 (in alphabetical order)

Disney Cuts High-Level Fox Execs


Two days after completing its landmark acquisition of the legendary Fox studio, Walt Disney Co. began laying off senior-level executives in an effort to wring savings from the $71.3-billion deal.

The initial cuts Thursday affected about two dozen people, most of whom are high-level executives at the 20th Century Fox lot in Century City, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment. Termination notices and severance packages started going out Thursday morning.

Among those who are losing their jobs is Chris Aronson, Fox’s well-liked president of domestic theatrical distribution who joined the studio in 2005. Others who are leaving the film studio include marketing President Pam Levine, international distribution head Andrew Cripps and domestic publicity head Heather Phillips.

Marketing co-president Kevin Campbell, product strategy head Mike Dunn, chief content officer Tony Sella and 20th Television President Greg Meidel are departing as well.

As part of the integration, Disney will close down the Fox 2000 label run by Elizabeth Gabler. The unit is best known for producing book adaptations, including “The Hate U Give,” "Hidden Figures" and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

More than 3,000 people, mostly at Fox, are expected to lose their jobs as Disney determines how it will integrate the companies, according to people familiar with the situation. Many of those jobs are in Los Angeles.

Some of those cuts were expected to come this week, but the bulk will probably occur over the next weeks and months.

Deep cuts were widely expected at departments including distribution, home video and marketing, areas where Disney and Fox have considerable overlap. Although some Fox executives are joining Disney, several others won’t be, including 20th Century Fox Film Chairman Stacey Snider. She is considered a candidate to replace Kevin Tsujihara, the former Warner Bros. boss who resigned this week.

Rupert Murdoch and his family held on to Fox News Channel, the Fox broadcast network and Fox Sports, along with the 50-acre studio lot in Century City. The Murdoch family on Tuesday created a slimmed-down company called Fox Corp.

According to Variety, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch held a company-wide meeting and announced that each employee who has been at the company for more than 20 years would receive stock worth $3,000, while those with shorter tenures would receive smaller packages.

“You’re all owners,” Murdoch told employees at the all-hands meeting. “Each and every one of you has a voice and we want it to be heard.”