Memorial Day 2019

Memorial Day (or less commonly called Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering and honoring people who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

 The holiday, which is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was previously observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.

Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of the summer vacation season in the United States, while Labor Day marks its end on the first Monday of September.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day, particularly to honor those who died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

May 27 Radio History

➦In 1933...Future Canadian media mogul Ted Rogers Jr. was born in Toronto.  He founded his company in 1960 with Toronto radio station CHFI and built it into Canada’s largest wireless, cable and media company. He died from congestive heart failure Dec. 2 2008 at age 75.

➦In 1951…The radio serial "Wild Bill Hickock" began on the Mutual Radio network. Guy Madison and Andy Devine starred on both the radio and syndicated TV versions.

➦In 1957...1050 CHUM-AM became Canada's first Top 40 formatted radio station.

The CHUM at 1331 Yonge St., Toronto was the home of 1050 CHUM from 1959 until 2009

Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66).

In the late 1950s, CHUM was calling itself "Radio One", as its ratings continued to increase. An important part of CHUM's success was the station's unpredictable morning man Al Boliska, who joined CHUM in October 1957, after working at station CKLC in Kingston, Ontario.

By 1959, Boliska had made a name for himself as a disc jockey who got listeners talking. He also made them laugh, and became known for telling what he called the "World's Worst Jokes".
Boliska also did a number of stunts, such as taking part in a professional wrestling match with Whipper Billy Watson. When he lost, that led to another stunt, where Boliska stayed away from his show for several days, saying he was now too discouraged by the loss to do his show. A hypnotist was called in, and Boliska's self-esteem was restored.

Boliska left CHUM in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY. He was replaced by WKBW Buffalo radio & TV personality Jay Nelson, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by Bob McAdorey, teen DJ Dave Johnson, and all night DJ Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman and Brian Skinner, both of whom came from rival Toronto rocker CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke).

(Courtesy of the Rock Radio Scrapbook, Click Here for  an early aircheck of 1050 CHUM from July 17, 1957.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CHUM DJs included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne, John Rode, Don Reagan, John Majhor, Mike Cooper, Daryl B, Terry Steele, Mike Holland and Roger Ashby. Among their later night-time hosts was J. D. Roberts, who joined CHUM for a time in 1977, eventually becoming known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS News, then the co-anchor of CNN's morning program American Morning. Rick Moranis, later famous for his work on SCTV and Ghostbusters, was briefly a late-night CHUM DJ in the mid-seventies under the name "Rick Allan".

CHUM became well known for its zany contests. In the 1950's and '60's, it was contests such as 'The Walking Man', where listeners had to spot CHUM's mystery walking man using only clues given out on the air. The 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion had DJs dialing phone numbers at random and awarding $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase. In 1976, there was the CHUM Starsign promotion. Listeners wore a button featuring their astrological sign. If CHUM's 'Starsign spotter' saw you wearing your Starsign, you won prizes such as money or concert tickets to major events.

The CHUM Chart was, for many years, the most influential weekly Top 40 chart in Canada and has been hailed as the longest-running continuously published radio station record survey in North America. The first CHUM Chart was released on May 27, 1957, with Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" the first Number 1 song.

1050 CHUM aired Top 40 from 1957 to 1986.  Today, 1050 CHUM airs Sports Talk.

➦In 1994...famed talk-show host, Larry King, aired his final Westwood One show, leaving radio to concentrate on his nightly CNN hour.

➦In 1994...Radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, married Marta Fitzgerald. He was 43, she was 35. They divorced in 2004.

May 26 Radio History

Al Jolson - 1938

➦In 1886..iconic performer Al Jolson bornAsa Yoelson (Died at age 64 - October 23, 1950) was a Russian-born American singer, comedian, and actor. At the peak of his career, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer".  In the 1920s, Jolson was America's most famous and highest-paid entertainer.

Although best remembered today as the star of the first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927), he starred in a series of successful musical films during the 1930s. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II.

After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with The Jolson Story (1946), for which Larry Parks played Jolson, with the singer dubbing for Parks. The formula was repeated in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). In 1950, he again became the first star to entertain GIs on active service in the Korean War, performing 42 shows in 16 days. He died weeks after returning to the U.S., partly owing to the physical exertion of performing. Defense Secretary George Marshall posthumously awarded him the Medal for Merit.

➦In 1903...Canadian radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden was granted a patent for the liquid barretter microphone.

➦In 1920...singer Peggy Lee, whose real name is Norma Delores Egstrom, was born in Jamestown, North Dakota.

She was among the few singers who can handle any type of song — pop, ballad, country, rhythm-and-blues or jazz. Benny Goodman gave her her stage name when she performed with his band from 1941 to ’43. Lee went out on her own after marrying Goodman’s guitarist, Dave Barbour. Her hit records included “Manana (mahn-YAH’-nah),” ”Fever” — a cover of Little Willie John’s r-and-b song — and ”Is That All There Is?” Peggy Lee died of a heart attack January 21st, 2002. She was 81.

Jimmie Rodgers

➦In 1933...Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music,” died of tuberculosis in New York City at age 35, just two days after making his final recording.

He was so ill during his final recording sessions that he had to rest between takes on a cot.  Jimmie Rodgers recorded his first million-seller “T for Texas,” also known as “Blue Yodel,” in 1927, becoming country music’s first superstar. He never appeared on any major radio show or played the Grand Ole Opry. But he, Hank Williams and songwriter-publisher Fred Rose were the first to be elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961.

➦In 1940...CBS Radio first presented “Invitation to Learning”.  The 30-minute Sunday morning program that featured a discussion of great books, with Lyman Bryson as host, continued for 15 years.

Joe Kelly

➦In 1959...Chicago-based radio host Joe Kelly, who MC’d the WLS National Barn Dance & NBC’s Quiz Kids (1940-53), died at age 57.

➦In 1962...the original version of “Twist and Shout,” by the Isley Brothers, was released. The song was revived two years later by the Beatles.

➦In 1971...Don McLean was in New York to record his soon-to-be iconic signature song “American Pie.”

➦In 1989...Radio stations staged 30 seconds of silence at 7:42 AM (EST), to honor Radio.

➦In 1993...Radio dramatist, Carleton Morse, best known for "One Man's Family", died at age 91.

"One Man's Family" centered on a family in the well-to-do Sea Cliff area of San Francisco, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The tribulations of its main characters, Fanny, Henry and Jack Barbour, dominated the national airwaves from the time the show began in 1932 until it went off the air in 1959 after 3,256 episodes.

He covered radio and police news for The Sacramento Union before moving to San Francisco, where he worked for several newspapers, including The Call, The Bulletin and The Chronicle. He took a writing job at NBC in 1929 and went on to became a legendary radio pioneer.

At its peak, "One Man's Family" rivaled "Amos 'n' Andy" in popularity.

Dan Daniel - WCBS-FM

➦In 1996...Dan Daniel started at WCBS FM.

He started as a disc jockey at age seventeen on Armed Forces Radio with the US Navy. His first commercial job was at KXYZ in Houston in 1955 and he then worked at WDGY in Minneapolis before moving to WMCA in 1961.

His first broadcast at WMCA was on August 18, 1961. He started on the graveyard shift overnight but from 1962 to 1968 he played the top 40 hits from 4 pm to 7 pm. The station produced a survey of the current sales in New York record stores and Dandy Dan gave the countdown of the week's best sellers every Wednesday in this late afternoon slot.

From 1968 to 1970, he did the early morning drive-to-work slot before leaving WMCA after nearly nine years; his final broadcast was on 11 July 1970.

Dan was heard coast-to-coast on NBC Radio's "Monitor" in the summer of 1973.

He subsequently worked on WYNY-FM where he hosted the mid-day slot and later morning and afternoon drives. He then did a stint at WHN playing country music before returning to WYNY-FM. Finally, he moved to WCBS-FM in 1996. He retired from WCBS on December 31, 2002.

Daniel died on June 21, 2016 after falling in his home the previous day. He was 81

➦In 2010...Radio and TV personality Art Linkletter died at the age of 97.

Art Linkletter

Although he earned a degree in teaching, Linkletter worked as a radio announcer at KGB in San Diego. Radio paid better than teaching, and Linkletter directed radio programs for fairs and expositions in the mid-1930s.

In the 1940s Linkletter lived in San Francisco and worked in radio.  In the 1940s, Linkletter worked in Hollywood with John Guedel on their pioneering radio show, People Are Funny, which employed audience participation, contests and gags. The series served as a prototype for future radio and television game shows. People Are Funny became a television show in 1954 and ran until 1961.

Other early television shows Linkletter worked on included Life With Linkletter with his son Jack (1969–1970) and Hollywood Talent Scouts (1965–1966). He acted in two movies, People Are Funny (1946) and Champagne for Caesar (1950).

Linkletter declined the opportunity offered by his friend Walt Disney to build and operate the Disneyland Hotel due to Linkletter's doubts about the park's prospects. But, out of friendship for Disney, Linkletter volunteered his experience as a live program broadcaster to help organize ABC's coverage of the Disneyland opening in 1955.

with Walt Disney

Besides being an on-air host, he recruited his two co-hosts: Ronald Reagan and Bob Cummings. The park opening experience convinced Linkletter Disneyland was going to be a huge success. When Disney asked what he could do to show his gratitude for the broadcast's role in the successful launching of the park, Linkletter asked for Disneyland's camera and film concession for its first ten years, to which Disney readily agreed. This turned out to be very lucrative.  He appeared for two stints of two weeks each, as a guest host of The Tonight Show in 1962 between Jack Paar's departure and Johnny Carson's arrival as its new host.

In the 1950s, Linkletter became a major investor in and promoter of the hula hoop.

Reading Radio: Many Express Interest In Acquiring WEEU

The future of WEEU 830 AM could rest in the hands local business man Hamid Chaudhry.

"I can't imagine Berks County without WEEU," Chaudhry told WFMZ-TV Thursday. "It has a strong base. It just needs somebody with a little bit of a vision who can change things."

If an operator doesn't buy WEEU's FCC license, the station could shut down once the Reading Eagle Company closes its sale to MediaNews Group. The Reading Eagle Company, which owns the radio station, the Reading Eagle newspaper, and South Schuylkill News, filed for bankruptcy protection in March.

Chaudhry said he's in talks to buy the radio station and keep the "Voice of Berks County" alive.

WEEU has been on the air for 87-years.

David Kline, who has managed the station for 30-years, said that as of Friday morning there were 30 inquiries about purchasing WEEU.

Of those 30, he told The Reading Eagle, 26 could be described as local business people, and two are regional. The remaining two could be classified as national chains, he said.

It is still unclear if and when a sale of WEEU could happen and what a sale would look like. Kline said the ownership is working on a clear direction regarding how the sale should be handled.

But knowing the station is wanted and could have a bright future feels good, Kline said. Although, he added, it's not surprising.  "This is a mission. It's not a job, it's a cause, it's a purpose," he said. "And the purpose is to inform people and to entertain people. And the purpose is to get people through hard times.

"The outpouring from the public speaks volumes about what we've achieved."

There have been times throughout his career when Kline has heard people tell him that AM radio is dead, he said. It would die at the hands of FM or satellite or digital.

"Guess what? I don't buy it," he said. "We never rolled over. We kept our oars in the water pulling straight ahead."

Kline said he firmly believes there is a path forward for WEEU. Even if a sale can't be arranged before the Reading Eagle Company sale goes final, he said he thinks there are ways around letting the station go dark. Like, for example, leasing the tower and other equipment from MediaNews Group until a permanent fix can be found.

WEEU 830 AM (20 Kw-D, 6 Kw-N) Daytime 2 mV/m contour

For Chaudhry, who owns Wyomissing Restaurant & Bakery and Shillington Farmer's Market, the desire to keep the radio station alive is personal.

"They didn't help make me who I am, they made me who I am," he said Friday.

ALSO READ: Click Here for WEEU: A History

Dolby Aims To Bring 'Enchanced Sound' To Music Streaming

Dolby, the company most of us know for bringing premium sound to movie theaters and high-end home audio, wants you to listen to music in a different way.

According to USAToday, people of a certain age might recall Quadrophonic sound, which brought four-channel sound to recordings. Now try true multichannel, in the home, with immersive sound that goes beyond left and right to come at you from all directions – in front, in back, to the side of you and even over your head, should you chose to install speakers there.

Dolby's Atmos system, popular with high-end TVs and movie theaters for bringing multi-dimensional sound to the cinema, said Thursday it's adding music to its portfolio, and the company hopes to begin releasing tracks for streaming this year. Dolby says the technology lifts "songs with space, clarity and depth as never before."

The San Francisco-based company announced a deal with Universal Music Group, the largest recording label and home of artists ranging from Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to Abba, Elton John and The Who, to begin re-mastering older and new tracks in Atmos.



Samuel Lindley, better known as "The Legendary Traxster," a producer who has helmed recordings for Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Ludacris, says Atmos is a "new way of expressing yourself in music." Lindley, who now serves as senior vice-president of Universal Music, likes that the music isn't "just in front of me, but it can surround me in a more natural capacity."

Beyond Universal, Dolby is looking to bring on other labels as well.

CRS360 Webinar Explores Country Radio's Gender Balance

On Thursday, Country Radio Broadcasters’ Executive Director RJ Curtis hosted the inaugural CRS360 webinar, the first in a series that aims to deepen discussions around hot button topics pertaining to country radio, the first of those being the lack of female artists heard on country radio.

The CRS360 webinar was the first of a two-part look into the topic. SummitMedia VP/Programming and President/GM of the company’s Wichita cluster Beverlee Brannigan served as moderator. The session included Stone Door Media Lab’s Jeff Green, Cumulus Dir. NASH Programming and WKDF/Nashville PD John Shomby, and Vanderbilt University postdoctoral scholar Rachel Skaggs, Ph.D., to look at chart data, as well as the sociological impacts.

Green offered several data sets, tracking country radio chart data over the past 45 years (1974-2018). He summarized the findings from looking at a nearly half-century worth of country radio data with three key points, including:

• Male country artists have historically dominated country radio airplay, having 70% of all singles released to country radio, 74% of all Top 15 songs, and 78% of all No. 1 songs over the past 45 years.
• He notes the downtrend in the number of female artists on country radio that has dogged country radio from 2011-today is not a new phenomenon and that it happened previously in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
• A slower chart further compresses opportunities for female artists, who must compete against a larger roster of male artists, whether at country radio or in the streaming world.

In 2018, female solo artists earned just 5.4 percent of the No. 1 songs at country radio, a drastic fall considering the peaks in 1978 and 1998, when female solo artists earned 30.3 percent and 30 percent of the No. 1 songs on country radio, respectively. However, 1982 served as the lowest point, when female artists earned 3.7 percent of the No. 1 songs, followed by 2014, when they earned 4.6 percent of the No. 1 songs.

The data found that on average over the past 45 years (1974-2018), female artists have achieved 27 percent of the Top 15 singles on country radio. Notably, since 2007, when Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio)’s Portable People Meter (PPM) was introduced, the number of female artists notching songs in the Top 15 on country radio fell to an average 21 percent (2007-2018). Over the past five years, that number continued to drop, to a 16 percent average. That data includes songs from solo female artists, duos or groups with a female vocalist, and duets that included a female artist.

According to data tracking the percentage of Top 15 country radio singles by females from 1974-2018, the late ‘90s offered a peak in the number of female artists earning Top 15 singles, with female artists bringing in 38.9 percent of the format’s Top 15 singles in 1998. 1999 saw similar numbers, with 37.2%. Prior to 1998, the peak year for females earning Top 15 singles (according to the data set) was 1979, when female artists earned 34.9 percent of the format’s Top 15 singles.

2018 marked a new low in the number of female artists notching Top 15 singles, with 12.2 percent.

Shomby and Green also attempted to address the effects PPM have had on radio stations and artists, versus handwritten logs that are still often used.

“With PPM it’s about exposure rather than the listener,” Shomby said. “If you are in a grocery store and hear music over the radio, it picks that up, whereas a diary is what you recall listening to. I think that affects radio’s ratings.”

“When stations ratings depressed from 2007-2009, radio stations built a lot of pressure about the music and started focusing on hits,” Green said. “We can’t blame 100 percent of the blame on the people meter but as you saw the change in 2000s, that has had an effect. Female artists who were outnumbered to begin with were affected by PPM.”

Adding to this is the slowing of the radio charts that began in 1995, as it takes longer for a song to reach the top of the chart. The study found that in 1998-1999, the number of total No. 1 songs (by males, females or groups/duos) on the country radio chart fell by half in the country genre, from 40 No. 1 songs in 1998 to 18 No. 1 songs in 1999. That downward trend seems to have largely recovered, as since 2013, there have been at least 40 No. 1 songs each year, with the exception of 2018, which saw 37 No. 1 songs.

“It means fewer slots for new adds each week,” Green said. “And with so many consistently active male artists, it makes it harder for female talent.”

The conversation surrounding the lack of female voices on country radio will continue with Part 2 on June 11 at 1 p.m. CT.

Howard Stern: Trump Presidential Run Was A PR Stunt

Howard Stern

SiriusXM radio personality Howard Stern on Thursday doubled down on his theory that President Trump ran for president in 2016 in hopes of getting a better deal from NBC for his show "The Apprentice," and said he has inside information that confirms Trump’s motivation.

According to Fox News, Stern did not name his source but laid out what he said was Trump’s thinking.

He said that years ago, a public relations specialist floated the idea to Trump to get a rumor circulating that he was considering a White House run. It was around the time when he first released, "The Art of the Deal." The scheme worked, Stern said, and Trump's popularity swelled and so did book sales. Stern said the scheme was so successful, that Tump used it again for his second book, “The Art of the Comeback.”

"In the last election, “The Apprentice” ratings were not what they were; NBC was not going to give him a raise, and what’s a better way than to get NBC’s interest? ‘I’ll run for president, get lots of press,' and I think that’s what happened.”



Stern also theorized Thursday in the CNN interview that Trump has father issues and has likely been traumatized by his childhood. The host said the president would likely benefit from psychotherapy.

“I wish he would go into psychotherapy,” Stern told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I would be so proud of him, and he would flourish.”

CT-NY Radio: 2 Stations Engaged In Interference Battle

WEHM 92.9 FM (3.1 Kw) 

A pair of FM radio stations, one in Connecticut, the other on Long Island, both broadcasting on 92.9 FM are embroiled in a dispute over the signal of one of the broadcast outlets interfering with the other, reports The New Haven Register.

Religious WJMJ, which is owned by the Archdiocese of Hartford, recently shifted the height and dial position of FM translator W225DI at 92.9 FM.

For a non-commercial, listener-supported station like WJMJ, a wider audience translates into more potential donors. So with that in mind, the station earlier this month raised the height of its FM translator from 20 feet up on the WKCI-FM radio tower on Gaylord Mountain Road in Hamden, CT to 460 feet, said Tom Ray, WJMJ’s transmitter engineer.

The change resulted in listeners of Alternative WEHM 92.9 FM on both sides of Long Island Sound being unable to hear that station because of interference from WJMJ’s signal, said Stefan Rybak, managing director of Long Island Radio Broadcasting, which owns the New York station. WEHM also broadcasts at 92.9 FM.

Translator W225DI 92.9 (100 watts)

“Last week, we started getting inundated with phone calls and emails, not only from listeners in southern Connecticut, but from those on the north shore of Long Island as well,” Rybak said. “This station enjoys quite a loyal and dedicated listenership because of the format that we have.”

WEHM listeners weren’t the only ones complaining about interference with the station’s signal by WJMJ, said Bud Williamson, an engineer with Long Island Radio Broadcasting.

“We've gotten phone calls from (WEHM) advertisers on the north shore of Long Island,” Williamson said. “More than one of them has said to us, ‘Your signal is getting interfered with, what are you going to do about it?’”

To appease listeners and advertisers whose commercials may not being reaching WEHM’s maximum audience, Long Island Radio Broadcasting officials are looking to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Rybak said he would prefer to resolve the matter with the two stations working together rather than having to file a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission.

“We've tried nicely to communicate with them, but they’ve asked us to file a formal complaint,” Rybak said of WJMJ. “What that means is that both stations are going to spend a lot of money, but in the end, they are not going to win.”

(H/T:  RecNet.com for the coverage maps)

S-F Police Apologize For Raid On Journalist's Home

Chief Bill Scott

San Francisco police chief Chief William Scott on Friday apologized for a raid on a freelance journalist's home which sparked national criticism, CBS San Francisco reports. The raid at the home and office of stringer journalist Bryan Carmody on May 10 was in connection to a leaked police report which detailed the death of late San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

The information was reportedly sold to local news outlets for $2,500 hours after Adachi died on Feb. 22 from a heart attack. Scott said the search warrant came after city leaders demanded that the leak be investigated during a Board of Supervisors' hearing last month.

Scott made his apology during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

"I'm sorry that this happened. I'm sorry to the people of San Francisco. I'm sorry to the mayor," he said in the interview. "We have to fix it. We know there were some concerns in that investigation and we know we have to fix it."

The chief also released a statement saying he had conducted over the past few days a thorough review of the Adachi report criminal investigation, the leak and the police report.

The case alarmed journalism advocates and put pressure on elected leaders in the politically liberal city to defend the press.

Scott initially defended the raid, telling the city Police Commission his department went through the appropriate legal process.



On Tuesday, Scott said Carmody "crossed the line" and suspected the journalist took part in a criminal conspiracy to steal an internal police report, motivated by profit or animosity toward Adachi.

Carmody said he did not pay for the report or conspire to steal it but simply acquired it as part of his work as a journalist.

Judge Orders Bud To Stop Ads About Corn Syrup

A Wisconsin judge on Friday ordered Anheuser-Busch to stop suggesting in advertising that MillerCoors’ light beers contain corn syrup, wading into a fight between two beer giants that are losing market share to small independent brewers.

According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge William Conley for the Western District of Wisconsin granted a preliminary injunction sought by MillerCoors that temporarily stops Anheuser-Busch from using the words “corn syrup” in ads without giving more context.

MillerCoors sued its rival in March, saying St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch has spent as much as $30 million on a “false and misleading” campaign, including $13 million in its first commercials during this year’s Super Bowl. The ad showed a medieval caravan pushing a huge barrel of corn syrup to castles for MillerCoors to make Miller Lite and Coors Light. The commercial states that Bud Light isn’t brewed with corn syrup.


Anheuser-Busch’s ad drew a rebuke from the National Corn Growers Association, which thanked MillerCoors for its support. In its lawsuit, MillerCoors said it’s “not ashamed of its use of corn syrup as a fermentation aid.”

Corn syrup is used by several brewers during fermentation. During that process, corn syrup is broken down and consumed by yeast so none of it remains in the final product. Bud Light is brewed with rice instead of corn syrup, but Anheuser-Busch uses corn syrup in some of its other beers, including Stella Artois Cidre and Busch Light.

MillerCoors hailed the ruling and said Anheuser-Busch should be trying to grow the beer market not “destroy it through deceptive advertising.”

Facebook Disabled 2B Fake Accounts During 1Q

You will find more infographics at Statista

Facebook has published figures showing the amount of controversial content it took action on in the first quarter of 2019, reports Statista's Felix Richter.

Amid the spread of fake news and increasing levels of inflammatory content circulating online, the social network has come under immense pressure to better regulate what's happening on its watch.

The content that Facebook is actively trying to keep from its site can be broken down into eight categories: graphic violence, adult nudity and sexual activity, terrorist propaganda, hate speech, bullying and harassment, child nudity and sexual exploitation, regulated goods (drugs and firearms) and, last but definitely not least, spam.

Between January and March of this year, 1.8 billion posts categorized as spam were removed from Facebook, accounting for 96 percent of all content taken action on (excluding fake accounts). 34 million posts containing violence and graphic content were also taken down or covered with a warning, 99 percent of which were found and flagged by Facebook's technology before they were reported. Likewise, 97 percent of all posts taken down or flagged for containing adult nudity or sexual activity were pinpointed and identified automatically before they were reported - 19 million were given warning labels or deleted in total.

Unfortunately, Facebook's technology has been significantly less successful at identifying posts containing hate speech. Of the 4 million pieces of content the company took action against for including hate speech only 65 percent were flagged by Facebook before users reported a violation of the platform's Community Standards. When it comes to spam, the content most frequently deleted, disabling fake accounts is critical.

During the first quarter of the year, more than 2 billion fake accounts were disabled and most of them were removed within minutes of registration.

May 25 Radio History

➦In 1905...Journalist Joseph C. Harsch born (Died at age 93 – June 3, 1998) was a newspaper, radio, and television journalist. He spent more than sixty years writing for the Christian Science Monitor

Harsch made his first broadcasts during the time he was in Berlin as bureau chief for the Christian Science Monitor, filling in sporadically for William L. Shirer who was the noted Berlin correspondent for CBS. After Harsch returned to the United States, he joined CBC in 1943. For the next six years Harsch broadcast his news analysis on WTOP, Washington D.C.

Because of his background in London, Harsch was hired by the BBC when influential broadcaster Raymond Gram Swing gave up his post with the weekly radio program American Commentary. Harsch alternated his coverage from Washington with Clifton Utley, who reported from Chicago.

In 1953, Harsch shifted his allegiance to NBC, serving as a news analyst for four years before returning to London as the senior European correspondent for the network. ABC became his broadcast home in 1967, when he was a commentator for the network until 1971, assigned to the American Entertainment Network effective 1/1/68.


➦In 1919...sportscaster Lindsey Nelson born (Died at age 76 – June 10, 1995), He was best known for his long career calling play-by-play of college football and New York Mets baseball.

Lindsey Nelson

Nelson spent 17 years with the Mets and three years with the San Francisco Giants. For 33 years Nelson covered college football, including 26 Cotton Bowls, five Sugar Bowls, four Rose Bowls, and 14 years announcing syndicated Notre Dame games. He is in 13 separate Halls of Fame. Fans remember a talented broadcaster, an expert storyteller, and a true sports enthusiast. From his colorful jackets to his equally colorful broadcasts and enthusiastic manner of speaking, Nelson established himself as one of the industry's leading sportscasters.

Nelson broke into broadcasting in 1948 following a short career as a reporter in Columbia, Tennessee, for the Columbia Daily Herald newspaper, He was the first play-by-play announcer for the "Vol Network," which was set up to broadcast the UT Vols games.

➦In 1985...In 1985, CBS resumed weekly national play-by-play baseball on radio for the first time in 20 years as Brent Musburger called the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. The Mutual Broadcasting System was the last radio network to have offered regular-season coverage of baseball back in the 1960’s.


➦In 2013...Veteran radio talk show host Gene Burns died from a stroke at age 72.  In his early twenties, Burns was hired as news director for radio station WWHG in his hometown of Hornell, New York, before moving on to WSBA in York, PA. He began his career as talk radio host at WCBM in Baltimore in the mid-1960s. While at WCBM, Burns did two major international assignments, going to Vietnam  in 1968 and the Middle East in 1969.

Gene Burns KGO

Following a brief stint with WEEI in Boston, Burns served as a talk show host as well as program director at WKIS-AM in Orlando, FL, beginning in 1971. He would remain there until 1981, when he departed for WCAU in Philadelphia in 1981. He then returned to Orlando and WKIS in the early 1980s and was named the station's operations manager in 1984.  In 1985, Burns returned to Boston, hosting a talk show on WRKO for eight years.

In 1993, Burns moved to New York City and began hosting a nationally syndicated talk program from the studios of WOR.

In 1995, he began broadcasting for KGO-AM in San Francisco. He hosted a talk show of political and social commentary called The Gene Burns Program on weeknights, as well as a program that focused on wine and fine dining in the San Francisco Bay Area called Dining Around with Gene Burns which was broadcast weekly on Saturdays.

Harry Birrell

➦In 2013...Harry Birrell, a Los Angeles radio news reporter and anchor at KNX for more than 30 years, died of complications from interstitial lung disease at 85.

Birrell joined KNX in 1968 and was a regular weekday anchor on the all-news station until 1993, when he retired. But  he continued to file daily reports of Ventura County news from his home in Thousand Oaks until January 1999.

The Radio and Television News Assn. of Southern California recognized Birrell with multiple Golden Mike awards for excellence in local broadcast journalism.

He was born Henry Walker Birrell in Steubenville, Ohio, on March 5, 1928, but he was known throughout his life as Harry. He attended Miami University before beginning his radio career in Beaver Falls, Pa., in 1949. He criss-crossed the country working as a broadcaster before arriving at KNX.

➦In 2017...Frank Sweeney, radio broadcaster and a pageantry legend, died at the age of 84.

He became known as “Swingin’ Sweeney” during his radio broadcasting career, which began in 1952. He was a radio personality on many stations across the country including WKNR, Keener 13 in Detroit, KYW Radio, then in Cleveland and Ohio Valley’s WKWK Radio, where he was also the station’s Operations Manager. Throughout his career in radio, he met and interviewed dozens of celebrities, including John Lennon.

Sweeney launched an equally successful career in pageantry in 1970, when he became the chairman of the pageant production and consulting firm, Sweeney Group based in Wheeling, VW, which handled several state events for the Miss USA Pageant system.

In 1977, Sweeney founded the Miss Teen All American pageant and just a year later, he joined Miss Universe, Inc., as Senior Vice President, which took him to New York City where he lived until his passing.

Indy Radio: WYRG, Loses Energy, Flips To Rock

Cumulus Media announces that Energy 93.9 WYRG-FM flips to 93-9X, Indy’s Rock Station!

The Indianapolis Rock audience can expect to hear songs from Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Metallica, Nirvana, Guns n’ Roses and more on 93-9X. The station will run commercial-free through Memorial Day weekend. The Bert Show moves from WYRG to mornings on sister station 107.9 The Mix/WNTR-FM.

Chuck Fredrick, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, said: “93-9X Indianapolis’s Rock Station is looking forward to serving the Rock enthusiast and the communities they live, work and celebrate in.”

Troy Hanson, Corporate Program Director, CUMULUS MEDIA, said: “We are excited to expand the successful 93X brand to Indianapolis with the new 93-9X. Shout out to (KXXR/MSP Program Director) Derek Madden, our brainchild on this project, as we fill a hole in the marketplace with a much-needed Rock station. The partnership opportunities this brand adds to our Indy cluster portfolio and Rock platform are limitless.”   

Follow 93-9X on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @939xindy. In the words of AC/DC: “For Those About To Rock, We Salute You!” 

Philadelphia Inquirer Offers Buyouts Citing Declining Revenues

Citing declining revenues, Philadelphia Media Network, which publishes The Inquirer, the Daily News, and Philly.com, on Thursday announced buyouts aimed at eliminating 30 union jobs in the newsroom and other departments, plus an unspecified number of nonunion jobs.

According to philly.com, the buyout will be offered to about 140 employees, including 117 members of the NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia, which represents journalists, plus those who work in advertising sales, finance, and other departments, the company said. The union said the company’s target is 10 percent of its 302 full-time members.

“We wish we didn’t have to make these tough choices, but these are the economic realities of journalism in 2019,” Terrance C.Z. Egger, Philadelphia Media Network’s publisher and chief executive, said in a statement.

The news organization is a for-profit enterprise owned by a nonprofit, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

The announcement came a day after a federal bankruptcy judge approved the sale of the Reading Eagle to MediaNews Group, which is known for eviscerating the staffs and liquidating the property of acquired newspapers. Local news organizations nationwide are hemorrhaging advertising revenue as they struggle to persuade readers to pay for digital subscriptions.

Philly Newsroom

Despite its ownership by a nonprofit, Philadelphia’s largest newsroom has been unable to escape the turmoil.

“A unique ownership structure means that we are not saddled with profit goals set by corporate owners or shareholders,” Egger told employees in an email, referring to the company’s status as a public benefit corporation, which means it does not have to maximize profits for shareholders.

“However, that does not make us immune to the dramatic economic challenges that weigh heavily on the news industry. Declines in revenue that have affected media companies of all sizes, including ours, require that we constantly adapt and adjust our expenses while also making strategic investments necessary for our future,” Egger said.

The company, which did not provide details on its revenue decline, said it has a financial savings target not tied to a specific number of buyouts. If it does not get the savings through voluntary buyouts, it will consider layoffs, the company said.

San Antonio Radio: Tony Cortez Joins KSMG For Evenings

Cox Media Groups KSMG Magic 105.3 FM has added Tony Cortez to its on-air talent roster.

With more than 25 years of experience, Cortez will bring today’s best music to the people of San Antonio weekdays from 7 p.m. to midnight.

“Tony’s style, experience and love for our great city make him the perfect addition to our Magic team,” says Jeff Garrison, director of operations for Cox Media Group San Antonio. “He’s sure to bring a new level of fun and energy to our evening listeners.”

Cortez calls San Antonio home and has spent more than 18 years of his acclaimed career in the Alamo City. Named best local radio personality by the San Antonio Current for multiple years, Cortez joins KSMG by way of KTFM. He started his radio career with KHFI in Austin, TX, and has worked with several other Texas-based stations over the years, including KXXM and KXTN in San Antonio.

“I’m beyond privileged and proud to be a part of such a talented and winning group here in San Antonio,” says Cortez. “Thank you to David Abel, Jeff Garrison and Adam Michaels for letting me join the KSMG team. It feels great to be back in the Alamo City!”

Phoenix Radio: Ben Romero Named PD For Power 98.3/96.1

Ben Romero

Riviera Broadcasting has announced the promotion of Ben “DJ Complex” Romero to Program Director of Phoenix’s only rhythmic radio station Power KKFR 98.3 & 96.1.

For over 20 years the “Power” brand has been delivering the best in rhythmic and hip-hop music to the Valley. “Complex has been a large part of Power’s success and growth over the years. His work ethic and passion for the brand and market are second to none. We’re excited to see the next evolution of the station,” added Michael Cutchall, CEO of Riviera Broadcasting.

When asked for comment, DJ Complex stated, “Phoenix has always been beyond special to me and it’s an honor to be at the heritage hip-hop station. There are so many talented individuals who have passion for the station, the music and the culture, I am humbled to be asked to lead them. It’s truly a privilege to be taking over the reins and I’m looking forward to helping the station grow.

NH Radio: Jessica Tyler Joins WOKQ As ABM

Jessica Tyler

Townsquare Media heritage Country WOKQ 97.5 FM Portsmouth/Manchester, NH and WPKQ 103.7 The Peak in Portland, ME has added industry veteran Jessica Tyler in the newly created role of Assistant Brand Manager.

Tyler will also handle middays on WOKQ and serve as Promotions Director for Townsquare Media Portsmouth.

“Jess’s skills in creating big artist driven listener experiences and events, her leadership, and her relationships with artists and management in Nashville are second to none. She’s best in class talent and I’m thrilled to work with her again as she’ll bring passion to the station in middays and create great content for our digital platforms,” remarked Townsquare OM Robby Bridges.

Townsquare Portland-Portsmouth Regional Market President Brian Lang added, “We are excited to have Jess Tyler return to New England and be part of the Townsquare team.”

“I’m really excited to join these HUGE country brands, work closely with MP Brian Lang and to join Robby’s programming team in Northern New England. I grew up just down the road in Massachusetts, so it’s great to be closer to family too!” added Tyler.

Tyler has previously worked all over New England, at WQNU Louisville and previously in a similar capacity with Townsquare OM Robby Bridges when he programmed WDRQ Detroit, and WCTK Providence.

ESPN Radio: Fitz & Spain Getting Expanded Multi-Platform Roles

Spain & Fitz

Beginning Tuesday, May 28, ESPN’s Jason Fitz and Sarah Spain – who regularly appear across multiple platforms at the network – will be expanding their roles. Fitz will become a regular part of ESPN Radio’s weekday morning lineup. Spain will be hosting a new weeknight radio show. The duo has hosted ESPN Radio’s Spain and Fitz since the beginning of 2018.

Fitz – who joined ESPN in 2016 and has quickly become a household name across radio programming and the network’s digital platforms including hosting SportsCenter on Snapchat – will now be a regular contributor on ESPN Radio’s weekday morning drive show, Golic and Wingo featuring Mike Golic, Trey Wingo and Mike Golic Jr. Fitz will play a key role in the radio and television simulcast of the show which airs weekdays, 6-10 a.m. ET (ESPN2, 6-8 a.m. and ESPNEWS, 6-10 a.m.). He will continue to contribute to ESPN’s live, on-site digital presence at major events.

“Working with Sarah has been incredible and it has – frankly – made me better being partnered with her every day,” said Fitz. “Looking ahead, I’m beyond excited to bring my energy and voice to the fans in the morning with the amazing Golic and Wingo team and before that, provide an hour of my perspective on First and Last.”

Fitz will be the regular host of ESPN Radio’s First and Last on weekdays during the 5-6 a.m. hour. The show – which leads into Golic and Wingo – will continue to provide insight on the previous night’s highlights and look ahead at the day’s stories.

Spain, the Peabody Award and Sports Emmy Award winner, is a signature voice across ESPN’s many platforms including ESPN Radio, espnW and a variety of the network’s television studio programming. Spain will now add to that, hosting her own, new ESPN Radio show, Spain and Company for three hours every Monday-Friday from 6-9 p.m.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Jason, creating a fun and unique show based on our shared sensibilities and interests,” said Spain. “Going forward, it's a thrill for me to lead the way on Spain and Company with a great cast of co-hosts. We'll be focused on the biggest national stories and giving listeners a fresh, different sound from the rest of the day's radio slate.”

Co-hosts on the nightly show will include ESPN Radio’s Jason Goff and ESPN college basketball analyst Jordan Cornette.

'The Social Habit' To Be Explored During Edison Webinar

There are currently approximately 15 million fewer Facebook users in the United States than in 2017 according to The Infinite Dial, a national survey from Edison Research and Triton Digital.

Where did those 15 million­­­­ users go? Why did they leave?

Edison Senior VP Tom Webster will present new research that answers these questions during Edison's latest webinar, The Social Habit, a study that focuses solely on Americans and social media.

Participants will learn the latest findings on how (and how many) Americans are using social media, and which social media platforms, including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and WhatsApp, are seeing increases or decreases in users.

The firm will be revealing all of this in a new, free webinar called "The Social Habit 2019" on Thursday, May 30, at 2pm ET. Webster will walk through the principal social media-related findings from the Infinite Dial, including a new and expanded section on the demographics of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other leading social media services.
In addition, Webster will be sharing video excerpts from interviews Edison conducted with young adults who no longer use Facebook. Join us to find out what they say about how they use social media.

Click Here To Register

NAB Sets 5 Radio Board Members

In accordance with NAB by-laws, Radio Board Chairman Randy Gravley has made five appointments to the NAB Radio Board of Directors, effective at the beginning of the June Board meeting held June 10-12.

Reappointed for another two-year term as Designated Representatives are:

• Amador Bustos, President, Bustos Media Holdings, LLC
• David Field, Chairman, President, and CEO, Entercom Communications Corp.
• Bill McElveen, Regional President, Alpha Media LLC

Appointed for a new two-year term as Designated Representatives are:

• Mary Berner, President and CEO, Cumulus Media
• Kevin Perry, Vice President/General Manager, Perry Publishing and Broadcasting Company

Westwood One & NBC Sports Radio to Air Stanley Cup

In conjunction with NBC Sports and NBC Sports Radio, Westwood One will once again present live play-by-play audio coverage of the Stanley Cup Final, starting Monday, May 27, 2019, when the Boston Bruins take on the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the best-of-seven series. This is the first Stanley Cup Final appearance for the Blues since 1970, when, coincidentally, they lost to the Bruins.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (analyst) return for the fourth straight season as Westwood One/NBC Sports Radio’s broadcast crew for the Stanley Cup Final. Former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher joins the crew as rinkside reporter. Boucher will be doing double-duty throughout the series, serving as a pregame/postgame analyst for NBC Sports in addition to working rinkside for radio during the games.  Florida Panthers announcer Steve Goldstein hosts the pregame, intermission, and postgame reports.

Here is the schedule of Stanley Cup Final games on NBC Sports Radio/Westwood One:

Monday, May 27, 2019               St. Louis @ Boston (Game 1)         7:45 PM ET
Wednesday, May 29, 2019         St. Louis @ Boston (Game 2)         7:45 PM ET
Saturday, June 1, 2019                Boston @ St. Louis (Game 3)         7:45 PM ET
Monday, June 3, 2019                 Boston @ St. Louis (Game 4)         7:45 PM ET
Thursday, June 6, 2019                St. Louis @ Boston (Game 5)         7:45 PM ET *
Sunday, June 9, 2019                   Boston @ St. Louis (Game 6)         7:45 PM ET *
Wednesday, June 12, 2019         St. Louis @ Boston (Game 7)         7:45 PM ET *
*If Necessary

All games of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final will be available on NBC Sports Radio and Westwood One affiliates throughout the United States, as well as on NBCSportsRadio.com, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports Radio mobile app, WestwoodOneSports.com, the NHL app, SiriusXM Radio (NHL Channel 91), and TuneIn. NHL fans can also follow the playoffs on the NBC Sports Radio station on Apple Music. The stream can also be found on Amazon Alexa-enabled devices via the Westwood One Sports Skill.